Woodbury Chair Becomes Wikipedia Fellow
Wikipedia has become everyone鈥檚 go-to reference source and now, Woodbury鈥檚 got an official hand in ensuring its accuracy and relevance. Professor Joye Swan, chair of the Psychology and Social Sciences program in the School of Media Culture & Design, has been named a , joining a new team of interdisciplinary scholars bringing their expertise to the ubiquitous online encyclopedia.
The interdisciplinary Wikipedia Fellows program leverages the subject-matter expertise of scholars to substantially improve Wikipedia articles. Participants are encouraged to collaborate both as learners and contributors, sharing insights from their backgrounds and perspectives. Bridging academia and Wikipedia is Wiki Education, which has a track record of supporting new editors as they contribute to Wikipedia. Through the Wikipedia Fellows program, Wiki Education trains participants as Wikipedia contributors.
鈥淥ur newest Wikipedia Fellows are addressing a wide array of topics, including chemistry, psychology, mathematics, linguistics, and women鈥檚 studies,鈥� said Wiki Education鈥檚 Will Kent. 鈥淪o far, cohorts are improving Wikipedia鈥檚 coverage of聽science,聽mid-term elections and聽more.鈥� 聽To help make that happen, Wiki Education partnered with the American Chemical Society, Association for Women in Mathematics, Linguistic Society of America, National Women鈥檚 Studies Association and the Association for Psychological Science.
鈥淏ecause Wikipedia remains a highly collaborative platform, I鈥檓 also excited at the potential benefits for Woodbury students. The Wikipedia Fellows program may well open some doors for students, perhaps as 鈥榡unior editors,鈥� where they can use their knowledge to edit Wikipedia for more scholarly, fact-based content as part of our civic engagement duties.鈥�
Dr. Swan is one of 11 experts in the psychology section, which has drawn scholars from such institutions as the City University of New York, the University of Nevada and the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as Woodbury. To orient the cohort, Wiki Education is hosting a three-month online course, which will meet virtually once each week and present an opportunity for professional development and public scholarship, equipping scholars with the tools they need to expand the impact of research in their discipline.聽 According to Wiki Education鈥檚 Kent, Dr. Swan will contribute to articles about basic psychological principles and theories.
鈥淭his is a remarkable opportunity to both learn and contribute, and the initial commitment will be substantial,鈥� Dr. Swan said. 鈥淏ecause Wikipedia remains a highly collaborative platform, I鈥檓 also excited at the potential benefits for Woodbury students. The Wikipedia Fellows program may well open some doors for students, perhaps as 鈥榡unior editors,鈥� where they can use their knowledge to edit Wikipedia for more scholarly, fact-based content as part of our civic engagement duties.鈥�
Dr. Swan received her Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. Her areas of expertise include applied research on sexual risk-taking, intimate relationships, and political influence. 聽She writes 鈥淯p Close and Personal,鈥� a monthly column in Psychology Today that focuses on sexuality and intimacy. 聽Her book, Understanding Bisexuality: Theories, Research, and Recommendations for the Invisible Sexuality, is co-edited with her former student Shani Habibi.