Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
I have supported many editathons and advised many academics on COI. Most academics are keen to edit openly, using their real identity, some have expressed the view that this is how to behave ethically on the internet. If they are likely to be a long term contributor, I strongly advise them to be pragmatic and use an anonymous account. If they make early blunders, or have a long break from editing, they can even throw away the account and have a clean start. This leaves them free to be frankly judged for NPOV as any other editor, without colouring their contributions by a preemptive COI statement. Academics are always going to want to edit in their field of research and contribute to articles about their projects, past projects and colleagues. Though we want expert editors[1] there is always a risk that they will be pestered by a wiki-gnome for adding a reference to a work they were part of editing, or contributed a paper to. I have seen articles languish as drafts for months because an expert in this situation was worried about being publicly challenged by COI claims, and so asked for others independently to review and make the go-live decision. A well run workshop will emphasize what COI is, and how difficult it is to write neutrally. Given that, I have almost always been impressed by how academics wanting to tart up their topic on Wikipedia are able to perfectly well stick to sources and write in a neutral style (I cannot say the same for undergrads!). * Key tip: Wikipedia is not academia.net or similar, so university/college profiles are almost never suitable to be cut paste as stub biography articles. It is worth walking through creating a stub BLP as an early example in any academic editathon. Links 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Expert_editors P.S. the date this email is posted to wikimediauk-l may be several days after being sent. On 16 April 2015 at 09:58, Charles Matthews charles.r.matth...@ntlworld.com wrote: As has been implied, the COI guideline is nuanced, and so the best advice is to keep on the safe side. The terms of use of the site in respect of paid editing are, on the other hand, clear cut. The former relates to intention, the latter to factual matters that are easier to discuss. I would approach the topic from the direction of paid editing, making the point however that COI need not arise from a financial interest. Charles ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk -- fae...@gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
On 16 April 2015 at 10:15, Fæ fae...@gmail.com wrote: A well run workshop will emphasize what COI is, and how difficult it is to write neutrally. I agree. The kind of emphasis does depend on audience, though. Comms people seem to react very well to being shown a worked example: for example an institutional page, and a diff that takes out puff while leaving facts intact. For a more academic audience you need to go a bit more into what the guideline is trying to achieve. I tend to use the phrase good survey article, versus a survey that falls down by being slanted towards one school of thought. Charles ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
As has been implied, the COI guideline is nuanced, and so the best advice is to keep on the safe side. The terms of use of the site in respect of paid editing are, on the other hand, clear cut. The former relates to intention, the latter to factual matters that are easier to discuss. I would approach the topic from the direction of paid editing, making the point however that COI need not arise from a financial interest. Charles ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
Whilst I agree and gave exactly that advice yesterday to someone who then wrote a review of an article on a talkpage explaining where her publication contradicted it, another editor promptly responded with the suggestion that of course she didn't have a COI and she should amend the article citing her own work. We need to be frank about the differing interpretations of COI in the community. Regards Jonathan Cardy On 16 Apr 2015, at 02:17, Joe Filceolaire filceola...@gmail.com wrote: The first rule of COI editing is DON'T If an article really needs to be changed then post a comment on the talk page then ask for help on the COI noticeboard IMO no new editor should try anything more complicated than that Joe On 16 Apr 2015 00:33, Richard Symonds richard.symo...@wikimedia.org.uk wrote: I'll get someone to drop you an email or call with advice tomorrow Rod, notwithstanding Andy's (welcome) advice! On 15 Apr 2015 20:48, Rod Ward rodw...@plus.net wrote: I have agreed to do a workshop on behalf of Wikimedia UK on 15th July and would appreciate some advice about the best ways to deal with topics around Conflict of Interest, Biographies of Living Persons and possibly Paid editing. This will be at the University of Exeter and the expected participants are web people and possibly other comms people from universities in the south west of England. Their objective is to improve the wp articles on academics from their institutions (eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Academics_of_the_University_of_Exeter ) This was originally discussed with Daria in 2013 and then was going to be held in 2014 (Chris McKenna, HJ Mitchell, Martin Poulter etc were copied into the planning). I emailed various experts in March and added it to an email to Richard – but have not had any response from any of them I have looked at: · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view and feel reasonably comfortable with the content, but would appreciate any advice on the best way to get these across to this target group, as beyond basic editing I think these will be the most useful areas for the participants to engage with. Rod ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
I'll get someone to drop you an email or call with advice tomorrow Rod, notwithstanding Andy's (welcome) advice! On 15 Apr 2015 20:48, Rod Ward rodw...@plus.net wrote: I have agreed to do a workshop on behalf of Wikimedia UK on 15th July and would appreciate some advice about the best ways to deal with topics around Conflict of Interest, Biographies of Living Persons and possibly Paid editing. This will be at the University of Exeter and the expected participants are web people and possibly other comms people from universities in the south west of England. Their objective is to improve the wp articles on academics from their institutions (eg *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Academics_of_the_University_of_Exeter* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Academics_of_the_University_of_Exeter ) This was originally discussed with Daria in 2013 and then was going to be held in 2014 (Chris McKenna, HJ Mitchell, Martin Poulter etc were copied into the planning). I emailed various experts in March and added it to an email to Richard – but have not had any response from any of them I have looked at: · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view and feel reasonably comfortable with the content, but would appreciate any advice on the best way to get these across to this target group, as beyond basic editing I think these will be the most useful areas for the participants to engage with. Rod ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
The first rule of COI editing is DON'T If an article really needs to be changed then post a comment on the talk page then ask for help on the COI noticeboard IMO no new editor should try anything more complicated than that Joe On 16 Apr 2015 00:33, Richard Symonds richard.symo...@wikimedia.org.uk wrote: I'll get someone to drop you an email or call with advice tomorrow Rod, notwithstanding Andy's (welcome) advice! On 15 Apr 2015 20:48, Rod Ward rodw...@plus.net wrote: I have agreed to do a workshop on behalf of Wikimedia UK on 15th July and would appreciate some advice about the best ways to deal with topics around Conflict of Interest, Biographies of Living Persons and possibly Paid editing. This will be at the University of Exeter and the expected participants are web people and possibly other comms people from universities in the south west of England. Their objective is to improve the wp articles on academics from their institutions (eg *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Academics_of_the_University_of_Exeter* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Academics_of_the_University_of_Exeter ) This was originally discussed with Daria in 2013 and then was going to be held in 2014 (Chris McKenna, HJ Mitchell, Martin Poulter etc were copied into the planning). I emailed various experts in March and added it to an email to Richard – but have not had any response from any of them I have looked at: · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons · *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view and feel reasonably comfortable with the content, but would appreciate any advice on the best way to get these across to this target group, as beyond basic editing I think these will be the most useful areas for the participants to engage with. Rod ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Advice re wp workshop - COI, BLP ? Paid editing
On 15 April 2015 at 20:48, Rod Ward rodw...@plus.net wrote: the expected participants are web people and possibly other comms people from universities in the south west of England. Their objective is to improve the wp articles on academics from their institutions I think you will definitely hit CoI issues. I would suggest that you make *certain* that everyone declares their affiliation on their user page. Other than that, the best you can do is to explain WP policies at length and encourage them to refrain from anything too promotional. Also, post a list of the articles here (or on-wiki) so we can all watch over them and assist any newbies who are hounded. Also, please ask them to give the academics' ORCID iDs, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:ORCID -- Andy Mabbett @pigsonthewing http://pigsonthewing.org.uk ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
