Wikimedia UK and Wikimedia Medicine are creating a joint initiative to help
tackle the issues around information about Covid-19 on Wikipedia, and we
need your help.
There are three "top-level" articles:
- The pandemic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic
- The condition:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_disease_2019
- The virus:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus…
as well as over 750 related articles. These related articles are where we
want to concentrate our support efforts. Coverage changes very rapidly and
there is considerable concern about ensuring that the information provided
is factual and accurate, as well as up-to-date.
There are many dedicated editors involved in WikiProject Medicine and the
recently created WikiProject COVID-19, but the task of keeping myths,
misinformation and poorly-sourced content out of the large number of
articles is huge.
We are therefore asking our regular editors in the UK to do what you do
best. We need help fact-checking and editing the Covid-19 articles. Whether
you feel able to spare fifteen minutes from your regular editing, or bold
enough to make it a regular task, every bit helps.
We have a wiki page to coordinate efforts, share resources, and have
discussion:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_COVID-19/WMUK-WPMEDF_Jo…
So please add it to your watchlist.
One starting point is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic
from
where you can find something that interests you. Just picking an article,
reading its references, and correcting text that needs it would help. As a
useful extra step (though hardly compulsory) once you’ve gone over an
article it would be useful to add a note in this section:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_COVID-19/WMUK-WPMEDF_Jo…
If anybody needs familiarity with the sourcing standards for medical
articles, take a look at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources_(medic…
-
although most of the content will only need to meet the usual standards for
sourcing that you're used to.
*Richard Nevell, on behalf of Wikimedia UK*
*Doug Taylor, on behalf of Wikimedia Medicine*
--
Dr Richard Nevell
Project Coordinator, Wikimedia UK
020 3372 0765
*Wikimedia UK* is the national chapter for the global Wikimedia open
knowledge movement, and a registered charity. We rely on donations from
individuals to support our work to make knowledge open for all. Have you
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