Latest news with #WikimediaAotearoaNewZealand
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
‘Obsession' leads to Wikipedian placement
University of Otago researcher Dr Tamsin Braisher has become New Zealand's first Wikipedian in residence at a tertiary institution. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN What started out as a hobby quickly became "an obsession". Now it has gone one step further and become a profession for Dr Tamsin Braisher. The University of Otago researcher and editor of science papers has been named a Wikipedian in residence, making the university the first tertiary institution in New Zealand to have its own Wikipedian. Universities are home to experts on a variety of topics, ranging from the life cycle of a freshwater parasite or the inspirations behind a historic author, to the geological processes that shaped a specific mountain. They are places for people to discover and share the intricacies of their favourite subjects. Hosted by institutions such as universities, museums or libraries, the role of a Wikipedian in residence is to help their institution's engagement with Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects. They may assist with Wikipedia entries related to the institution's mission, releasing material under open licences and developing the relationship between the institution and the wider Wikipedia community. The role is funded by a grant from Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand, the New Zealand affiliate of the international Wikimedia Foundation, which aims to provide free open access to knowledge via projects such as Wikipedia. Dr Braisher was delighted with her new role. She first began editing Wikipedia pages in her spare time in 2018, and in 2022 she ran the New Zealand Thesis Project, which made dissertations from all New Zealand universities more visible and accessible, leading to them to being cited in more than 2000 Wikipedia articles, in 34 languages. Then in 2024, still in her own time, she achieved a remarkable feat by creating 367 new Wikipedia profiles on notable New Zealand women — more than one a day. Dr Braisher said she took on the mammoth task in response to the significant gender imbalance on the online encyclopedia website. "It started as a hobby, and then because I was only working part-time, it grew into, you know, rather more. "You could probably call it an obsession." Now that she was a Wikipedian in residence, her role had a different focus, she said. "I'll be spending my time helping staff and students understand how Wikipedia works, and how they can engage with it. "Some of the work will be about helping students to understand how to read Wikipedia critically, looking at the reliability of the sources that have been used on a page, the history of the writing of a page, thinking of what might be missing — what we call digital literacy skills." Graduate students might be extended into improving articles as a way of learning research communication skills, she said. "I've already worked with some anatomy students to examine how some Wikipedia articles on particular muscles could be improved. "And then there's looking at how information the university holds could be used to improve Wikipedia. "For instance, the Hocken Collections are a treasure trove of images and information about New Zealand, and I'm looking forward to working with the experts there to identify what could be released openly," she said.
Scoop
12-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
From Aotearoa To The World: Kiwi Wikipedia Editors Gain Global Recognition
A group of New Zealanders who edit Wikipedia articles have been officially recognised as a chapter of the international Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia, the 7th most-visited website on the internet, is hosted by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation based in San Francisco. The foundation isn't responsible for the content you read in Wikipedia articles however – that is written and maintained by a community of over 120,000 volunteer editors across the world. New Zealanders are doing their bit too, with over 400 volunteers across the motu. A number of these dedicated editors have joined forces to form Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand, or WANZ, a group which provides support to people and organisations to improve and increase contributions to Wikipedia and related projects. To become a chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation, members needed to run as a user group of active editors with well-documented activities for at least two years before they could apply. Local editors and WANZ members include people like Tamsin Braisher in Dunedin, who created a new Wikipedia article every single day for a year to help combat gender bias on the site, Siobhan Leachman in Wellington who was awarded Wikimedia Laureate in 2023 and works tirelessly to make scientific knowledge as open and connected as possible, and Axel Downard-Wilke in Christchurch, who led the battle to get macrons on Wikipedia. With WANZ President Victoria Leachman – who successfully led the group to this achievement – currently on sabbatical, the committee are fortunate to have knowledgeable editor Lisa Maule as Acting President. 'The committee is very proud of the efforts of volunteer New Zealand Wikipedians over the years that have led to this organisational milestone' shared Lisa. 'Chapter recognition gives us a clear mandate from the Wikimedia Foundation to keep building and growing our networks and projects throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.' Funding from the Wikimedia Foundation enables projects that support the Foundation's mission in Aotearoa New Zealand: To empower and engage people to collect and develop educational content under a free licence, so it can be shared and reused freely. This includes providing training to new editors, supporting experienced editors to continue to grow and develop their skills, running workshops and events, developing projects to address gaps and bias, and advocating for open access of knowledge. Projects such as the Wikipedian at Large help to develop Wikipedia content and engagement in communities across the country, while a Wikimedian in Residence position at Auckland Museum supports the museum's successful engagement with Wikimedia projects, including their efforts to increase coverage of local knowledge as a resource for the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum. 'We are grateful for the support we receive from the Wikimedia Foundation, and look forward to extending our connections with the East and Southeast Asia and Pacific region, and across the international Wikipedia movement. 'It's onwards and upwards from here for open and accessible knowledge contributed by the diverse groups of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand.'
Scoop
12-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
From Aotearoa To The World: Kiwi Wikipedia Editors Gain Global Recognition
A group of New Zealanders who edit Wikipedia articles have been officially recognised as a chapter of the international Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia, the 7th most-visited website on the internet, is hosted by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation based in San Francisco. The foundation isn't responsible for the content you read in Wikipedia articles however – that is written and maintained by a community of over 120,000 volunteer editors across the world. New Zealanders are doing their bit too, with over 400 volunteers across the motu. A number of these dedicated editors have joined forces to form Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand, or WANZ, a group which provides support to people and organisations to improve and increase contributions to Wikipedia and related projects. To become a chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation, members needed to run as a user group of active editors with well-documented activities for at least two years before they could apply. Local editors and WANZ members include people like Tamsin Braisher in Dunedin, who created a new Wikipedia article every single day for a year to help combat gender bias on the site, Siobhan Leachman in Wellington who was awarded Wikimedia Laureate in 2023 and works tirelessly to make scientific knowledge as open and connected as possible, and Axel Downard-Wilke in Christchurch, who led the battle to get macrons on Wikipedia. With WANZ President Victoria Leachman – who successfully led the group to this achievement – currently on sabbatical, the committee are fortunate to have knowledgeable editor Lisa Maule as Acting President. 'The committee is very proud of the efforts of volunteer New Zealand Wikipedians over the years that have led to this organisational milestone' shared Lisa. 'Chapter recognition gives us a clear mandate from the Wikimedia Foundation to keep building and growing our networks and projects throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.' Funding from the Wikimedia Foundation enables projects that support the Foundation's mission in Aotearoa New Zealand: To empower and engage people to collect and develop educational content under a free licence, so it can be shared and reused freely. This includes providing training to new editors, supporting experienced editors to continue to grow and develop their skills, running workshops and events, developing projects to address gaps and bias, and advocating for open access of knowledge. Projects such as the Wikipedian at Large help to develop Wikipedia content and engagement in communities across the country, while a Wikimedian in Residence position at Auckland Museum supports the museum's successful engagement with Wikimedia projects, including their efforts to increase coverage of local knowledge as a resource for the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum. 'We are grateful for the support we receive from the Wikimedia Foundation, and look forward to extending our connections with the East and Southeast Asia and Pacific region, and across the international Wikipedia movement. 'It's onwards and upwards from here for open and accessible knowledge contributed by the diverse groups of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand.'
