Wikipedia:WikiAfrica/Workshop

A series of workshops to contribute new African entries to Wikipedia, providing a concrete and fully visible view of the operation of the Internet's best known encyclopedia: meetings and discussions involving various authors which create, on-site and in real time, new online articles in WikiAfrica.

The workshops produce new Wikipedia content through a collaborative writing process that takes place both on- and off-line. Two keynote speakers introduce a topic, the participants contribute to the fine-tuning and improvement of the various entries, and a Wikipedia administrator provides information concerning the formatting and rules of Wiki projects; three editors upload the contents, putting them online in real time, while a camerman films the event as it unfolds.

WikiAfrica Workshop is intended as a space in which to explore in depth the themes and narrative forms of Africa's cultural production as well as a forum, naturally enough, for a discussion of Wikipedia's controversial encyclopedism.

WikiAfrica Workshop Working Group

Each workshop is implemented by a working group made of:

• keynote speaker 1: He/she selects the article or the articles of wikipedia which become the focus of the workshop. He/she introduces the topic and gives the first impulse to the workshop. The keynote speaker is asked to deliver a short paper before the workshop: the paper becomes the starting point for the debate.
• keynote speaker 2: He/she works with the keynote speaker 1; he/she facilitates and supports the work and point of view of the keynote speaker 1.
• discussants: the active participants of the workshop contribute to the fine-tuning and improvement of the articles. They integrate/criticise/confirm the documentation and the arguments presented by the keynote speaker 1/2.
• Wikipedia administrator: he/she provides information concerning the formatting and rules of Wiki projects and he/she improves the editing of the articles.
• Co-ordinator: he/she introduces the workshop and the participants. He/she facilitates/stimulates the discussion and the debate
• One or more editors: the editors upload the contents on Wikipedia, putting them online in real time.
• A cameraman or/and a photographer record the event as it unfolds.

Script

Prior to the Workshop

How to Identify Entries for the WAW

The most appropriate entries for the WAW have the following characteristics:

• they are engaging. The entry or entries selected should be capable of stimulating the interest and discussion of the discussants and sustaining discussion during and after the workshop. Controversial or multifaceted topics are especially indicated.
• they are well documented. Keynote speakers and discussants (and, potentially, the public at large) should be able to cite sources and bibliography for every topic mentioned, in such a way that the article being produced can claim an objective point of view and be rightly considered to be encyclopedic.
• they are appropriate for Wikipedia. During the WAW it is possible to develop entries for Wikipedia, but it is also possible to create a WikiProject or a portal or to integrate Wikinews, Wikiquote, Wiktionary or Wikimedia Commons.

Things to Do Prior to the Workshop

1. The two keynote speakers should exchange opinions concerning the topic and the entry that will be drafted during the WAW.
2. The keynote speakers will prepare a written draft with references and bibliography. The texts will be placed on Wikipedia during the WAW and will be the point of departure for the ensuing discussion.
3. The draft texts composed by the keynote speakers will be sent to the discussants.
4. The discussant will develop in-depth treatments for the entry and will also prepare their reference bibliography. If possible discussants will send in a bibliography list prior to the workshop in order to facilitate the work of the editors.

During the Workshop

Introduction

The moderator will explain how the WikiAfrica Workshop operates and introduce the keynote speakers, the Wikipedia administrator and the discussants.

Topic

The keynote speaker 1 explains and justifies the selection of the topic, explaining its significance and relevance, and presents his or her own draft text.

Discussion

It is the moderator’s job to facilitate the work of the editors: gives the floor, encourages brief and concise contributions, focused on the Wikipedia entry, and prevents more than one person talking at the same time.

The moderator facilitates the drafting of the entry, with a special emphasis on achieving consensus.

First the keynote speakers are given the floor, followed by the discussants. The Wikipedia administrator will intervene when discussion becomes heated.

It should be remembered that personal points of view (not supported by bibliography) and unpublished research work can be presented, but they cannot be placed on Wikipedia.

Conclusions

The conclusions represent the state of progress of the entry (structure, quality, bibliography, word count, links, correlating articles) and identify the topics or aspects of the topic that can be improved or further developed at a subsequent stage.

What the Editors Do in the Meanwhile

The editors insert the contents that have been developed in real time on Wikipedia. Personal points of view and the discussion are not noted or recorded by the editors. The only material that the editors place on Wikipedia are specific contributions to the entry. During the keynote speakers presentation, the editors place on Wikipedia the texts and the bibliography. It should be kept in mind that more than one editor cannot work at the same time on the same entry or on the same section of an entry. For this reason, we recommend that:

• each editor should be assigned to transcribe the contribution of a specific person or a specific group of people;
• from the outset, an entry should be structured in sections and subsections, so that several editors can potentially work simultaneously on separate sections.

What the Video Camera Operator Does in the Meanwhile

The video camera operator films the discussion. The discussion constitutes the “discussion space” that is present in every entry on Wikipedia.