Step One is to understand what the charge is of the organization/company who is hosting the content. They should describe what types of content they are collecting, their methods of acquiring it, and the standards they use in displaying, organizing, sharing, and managing the content they acquire.
For this class you are using wikiedu.org's training modules.
Since Wikipedia is designed to be a free encyclopedia, that allows users to contribute, use, edit and redistribute the data, one must be sure that your contributions can ethically and legally be included into the entries. It is developed to have a neutral point of view. As students in a Design History and Typography class, you may be equally interested in the designs used for displaying your contributions. Wikipedia has specific rules about writing about living people.
Wikipedia requires verifiable information . This means any claims have to be backed (or referenced) by reliable sources. Included in their definition of reliability is that the source has been published. So, archival materials that have not been published could not be used. This also means that you won't find original works in Wikipedia. So, wearing your user hat (not your contributor hat), you would realize that new, late breaking innovations will not be posted in Wikipedia first.
Popular Magazines vs. Scholarly Journals
Magazines and journals are both types of periodicals.
A periodical is any publication produced periodically, in regularly recurring intervals.
Periodicals are made up of articles.
They exist in both print and electronic format.
To locate articles in a periodical, use a database or index.
To determine which type of publication is most suited for your research, consult the chart of characteristics below.
The nature of your information need will impact which types of periodicals are most appropriate for your research.
Popular Magazinesalso known as the "popular press"
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Scholarly Journalsalso known as the "academic press"Usually preferred by faculty
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Articles accepted in scholarly journals generally undergo one of two review processes before being accepted for publication.
Some databases provide filtering options to limit your results to either magazines or academic journals. You may still need to do additional filtering of your results to locate journals which are peer-reviewed.
Andruss Library at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania diagrams the scholarly review processes like this:
and popular magazines vs. scholarly journals, like this:
Two other types of periodicals you may encounter in your research are professional and trade publications. Periodicals of these types are usually produced by either the professional or trade association to which a member belongs. Examples include: American Libraries, a membership publication for professional libraries and library staff, or Construction News, a membership publication for the building and construction trade. Professional and trade publications are useful for reading membership news and catching the pulse of people working in a field.
For library research we suggest you consider these questions when reviewing the source. Wikipedia's rules may vary from these.
Who creates/maintains/sponsors the site? Is this information easily located?
Who is the author(s)?
An individual(s), an organization, a business, a government agency, something else?
For personal authors:
What are their credentials/education and qualifications/experience?
With what instititions or organizations are they affiliated?
What is their reputation? Are they known within or beyond their field?
For organizations and other entities:
What is their purpose? Are they credible? How are they funded? How long have they been in existance?
What is the subject of the site? Is it focused on one issue or many? Is the purpose, goal, or mission of the site stated?
Why was the site created?
To persuade (or profit)?
To inform?
To entertain?
To self express?
To sell a product?
What is it?
In what format(s) is information presented (e.g., text, graphics, video, statistics, maps, etc.)?
A report of primary research (survey, study, etc.)?
An original analysis or commentary?
A complilation of information gathered from other sources?
A blog, an online journal/magazine, an organization/agency report, etc.?
Is evidence or supporting documentation given?
Can reference citations be verified?
Who is the target audience?
General public?
Academics?
Professionals?
Students?
Is the page current?
Does the page tell you when it was created?
Has it been updated?
Does it need to be updated?
Does currency matter to the subject covered?
What point of view does the site emphasize?
Does it support its arguments with facts or with rhetoric?
Is this type of website a resource allowed by your professor?
