Learning Chronobiology by Improving Wikipedia

Learning Chronobiology by Improving Wikipedia - scientific work related to Wikipedia quality published in 2012, written by C.D. Chiang, C.L. Lewis, M.D.E. Wright, S. Agapova, B. Akers, Tej D. Azad, K. Banerjee, P. Carrera, A. Chen, J. Chen, X. Chi, J. Chiou, J. Cooper, M. Czurylo, C. Downs, S.Y. Ebstein, P.G. Fahey, J.W. Goldman, A. Grieff, S. Hsiung, R. Hu, Y. Huang, A. Kapuria, K. Li, I. Marcu, S.H. Moore, A.C. Moseley, N. Nauman, K.M. Ness, D.M. Ngai, A. Panzer, P. Peters, Elizabeth Y. Qin, S. Sadhu, A. Sariol, A. Schellhase, M.B. Schoer, M. Steinberg, G. Surick, Connie Tsai, K. Underwood, A. Wang, M.H. Wang, V.M. Wang, D. Westrich, L.J. Yockey, L. Zhang and Erik D. Herzog.

Overview

Although chronobiology is of growing interest to scientists, physicians, and the general public, access to recent discoveries and historical perspectives is limited. Wikipedia is an online, user-written encyclopedia that could enhance public access to current understanding in chronobiology. However, Wikipedia is lacking important information and is not universally trusted. Here, 46 students in a university course edited Wikipedia to enhance public access to important discoveries in chronobiology. Students worked for an average of 9 h each to evaluate the primary literature and available Wikipedia information, nominated sites for editing, and, after voting, edited the 15 Wikipedia pages they determined to be highest priorities. This assignment (http://www.nslc.wustl.edu/courses/Bio4030/wikipedia_project.html) was easy to implement, required relatively short time commitments from the professor and students, and had measurable impacts on Wikipedia and the students. Students created 3 new Wikipedia sites, edi...