Wikipedia:GLAM/Expeditions/Maastricht University

This course is part of the project Expedition Wikipedia.
Maastricht University Library, inner city branch. Entrance on Grote Looiersstraat 17.

At Maastricht University (NL), a bachelor research course titled On Expedition was organized from February till June 2014. In the scope of the project Expedition Wikipedia, Wikipedian in Residence Sandra Fauconnier assisted participating students in contributing some of their acquired knowledge to Wikipedia.

Project background

edit

At Maastricht University (NL), a bachelor research course titled On Expedition was organized from February till June 2014. This course fell into the scope of the university's MARBLE programme, which focuses on research-based learning.

The course On Expedition was open to students from the university's Faculty of Art and Social Sciences (Cultuurwetenschappen/Arts and Culture and European Studies) and the University College Maastricht, as well as from other faculties.

During the course, students were assigned to read and analyze a travel report from the rich collection of the Maastricht Jesuit Library. Goals of the course were:

  1. Teaching students to study reports of expeditions with utmost care, taking into account
    • the heterogeneous agendas of the explorers
    • their cultural perceptions and prejudices
    • their scientific frames of reference
    • how and why they wrote about the results of their travels
  2. Helping students gain a better understanding of the exchange of knowledge in the past
  3. The exploitation of the wealths of the Maastricht Jesuit Library

Students wrote a research paper about their chosen travel report. In addition, they were invited to contribute some of their acquired knowledge to Wikipedia (the English Wikipedia or other) and, if relevant, donate digitized illustrations from the books to Wikimedia Commons. Sandra Fauconnier, Wikipedian in Residence for the project Expedition Wikipedia, tutored and assisted the students in this process.

Contact info

edit
  • Sandra Fauconnier, Wikipedian in Residence, provides introduction to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons to course participants
  • User:Taketa gives an introductory Wikipedia course at Maastricht University in February-March 2014, which participating students are invited to attend
  • Annemieke Klijn, lecturer/assistant professor, Department Arts and Social Sciences/History and curator Arts and Heritage Commission of University Maastricht
  • Ernst Homburg, professor History of Science and Technology, Department Arts and Social Sciences/History at Maastricht University
  • Odin Essers, conservator Special Collections and e-learning expert, Maastricht University Library
  • User:Romaine, experienced Wikipedia user who can help you with various questions.

Timeline

edit

March 2014

edit
  • Each student selects one book and does first research.
  • 19 March: Wikipedia introduction by Sandra.

April 2014

edit
  • Books are discussed in weekly class.
  • Students start working on their bachelor theses.
  • Students write short proposals on their Wikipedia contributions.

May 2014

edit
  • 7 May 2014: Wikipedia edit-a-thon at Maastricht University.
  • First steps writing on Wikipedia.
  • 18 May 2014: draft thesis submitted
  • Last weeks of May: further Wikipedia editing

June 2014

edit
  • Wikipedia contribution finished and assessed
  • Final version of bachelor thesis due.

Resources for students

edit
 
Brochure on editing Wikipedia, which includes a very handy cheatsheet
 
Intro presentation On Expedition course, Maastricht University, 19 March 2014

Wikipedia: getting started

edit

Three great starting points for beginners:

  1. By all means, do the online Wikipedia Training program, which is specifically designed for students! It takes approximately one hour to complete, and gives you your first hands-on experience writing on Wikipedia.
  2. You can also watch this very informative video, which focuses on academic writing on Wikipedia (also one hour): http://vimeo.com/64973792
  3. Download and print the brochure on the right and keep it next to you while you work. It is extremely concise and covers all the basics very well.

Further tips and tricks

edit

Five Pillars

edit

Wikipedia's Five Pillars:

  1. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia
  2. Wikipedia has a neutral point of view
  3. Wikipedia is free content
  4. Wikipedians should interact in a respectful and civil manner
  5. Wikipedia does not have firm rules
edit
  1. Verifiability
  2. Topics on Wikipedia must be notable
  3. Cite reliable sources
  4. No original research

How to write Wikipedia articles about books and authors

edit
Wikiproject:Books
edit
Biographies
edit

Reading list

edit

Every student is assigned one book from this list. There is also a longlist with many more titles.

Region Images Student Travel timespan Year of publication Author Citation Further info
(North) America
 
Title page of Vol. I

More images: Commons category

Pie7 1492 1782-1788 Joachim Heinrich Campe Campe, Joachim Heinrich (1782). Kolumbus oder die Entdekkung von Westindien, ein angenehmes und nüzliches Lesebuch für Kinder und junge Leute. Tübingen: Wilh. Heinr. Schramm. ...
(North) America
 
Title page

More images: Commons category

ZDellink 1671 1671 Arnoldus Montanus (1625-1683) Montanus, Arnoldus (1671). De nieuwe en onbekende weereld: of Beschryving van America en't Zuid-land: vervaetende d'oorsprong der Americaenen en Zuidlanders, gedenkwaerdige togten derwaerds ... t'Amsterdam: by Jacob Meurs ... ...
(North) America
 
Noticia de la California
Maurmink 1739 1757 Miguel Venegas Venegas, Miguel (1757). Noticia de la California y de su conquista temporal, y espiritual hasta el tiempo presente sacada de la historia manuscrita, formada en Mexico año de 1739. por el padre Miguèl Venegas ... añadida de algunos mapas particulares ... dedicada al rey N.tro señor por la provincia de Nueva-España SJ. Madrid: En la imprenta de la viuda de Manuel Fernandez ... ...
China
 
Title page

More images: Commons category

PaulVanO 1655-1657 1665 Johan Nieuhof (1618-1672) Nieuhof, Johan; Jacob van Meurs (1665). Het gezantschap der Neêrlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie, aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, den tegenwoordigen Keizer van China: waar in de gedenkwaerdighste geschiedenissen, die onder het reizen door de Sineesche landtschappen, Quantung, Kiangsi, Nanking, Xantung en Peking, en aan het Keizerlijke Hof te Peking, sedert 1655 tot 1657 zijn voorgevallen, op het bondigste verhandelt worden : beneffens een naukeurige beschryving der Sineesche steden, dorpen, regeering ... [etc.] : verçiert met over de 150 afbeeltsels, na 't leven in Sina getekent, en beschreven. t'Amsterdam: Jacob van Meurs.
China
 
Eberhard Isbrand Ides: Dreyjaehrige Reise nach China - Title page
Equinox78 1692-1694 1710 Evert Ysbrants Ides (1657-1708/09) & Nicolaes Witsen (1641-1717) Ides, E. Ysbrants; Nic Witsen (1710). Driejaarige reize naar China, te lande gedaan door den Moskovischen afgezant, E. Ysbrants Ides, van Moskou af, over Groot Ustiga, Siriania, Permia, Sibiriën, Daour, Groot Tartaryen tot in China ...: hier is bygevoegt, eene beknopte beschryvinge van China, door eenen Chineesen schryver t'zamengestelt,. T'Amsterdam: Gedrukt by Pieter de Coup ... ...
Japan ... ThomasGidney 1811-1813 1818 Vasily Golovnin, Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès (trad) Eyriès, Jean-Baptiste Benoît (1818). Voyage de m. Golovnin ... contenant le récit de sa captivité chez les japonois, pendant les années 1811, 1812 et 1813, et ses observations sur l'empire du Japon suivi de la relation du voyage de m. Ricord ... A Paris: Gide fils. ...
Japan
 
Title page of part 1

More images: Commons category

Anikoch91 1819-1820 1824-1825 Isaac Titsingh (1745-1812) Titsingh, Isaac; Johannes (wed Allart, 's-Gravenhage) (1824). Bijzonderheden over Japan, behelzende een verslag van de huwelijks plegtigheden, begrafenissen en feesten der Japanezen, de gedenkschriften der laatste Japansche keizers, en andere merkwaardigheden nopens dat rijk. 's-Gravenhage: Wed. J. Allart. ...
Africa ... Elinamarble 1843-1846 1868 Mansfield Parkyns Parkyns, Mansfield (1868). Life in Abyssinia : being notes collected during three years' residence and travels in that country / by Mansfield Parkyns. London: John Murray.
Africa
 
Illustration: Roi de Tchoumbiri

More images: Commons category

EMMA_HINE 1886 1886 Charles de Martrin-Donos (1858-1904) Martrin-Donos, Charles de (1886). Les Belges dans l'Afrique centrale: voyages, aventures et découvertes d'après les documents et journaux des explorateurs. Bruxelles: P. Maes.

Student work

edit

Course participants

edit
  1. Pie7 (talk) 11:41, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Anikoch91 (talk) 11:42, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Maurmink (talk) 11:44, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Elinamarble (talk) 11:43, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  5. ThomasGidney (talk) 11:43, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  6. ZDellink (talk) 11:47, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  7. PaulVanO (talk) 11:47, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  8. Equinox78 (talk) 11:48, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  9. EMMA HINE (talk) 11:49, 7 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Project results

edit

Authors

edit
  1. Joachim Heinrich Campe, improved by Pie7
  2. Arnoldus Montanus (English) and Arnoldus Montanus (Dutch), improved by ZDellink
  3. Johan Nieuhof (English) and Joan Nieuhof (Dutch) improved by PaulVanO
  4. Mansfield Parkyns, new article by Elinamarble
  5. Isaac Titsingh, improved by Anikoch91
  6. Miguel Venegas, improved by Maurmink
  7. Andrés Marcos Burriel, improved by Maurmink

Books

edit
  1. An embassy from the East-India Company and in Dutch: Het Gezantschap Der Neerlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie, new articles by PaulVanO
  2. Illustrations of Japan, new article by Anikoch91
  3. De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld (Dutch), new article by ZDellink
  4. The Discovery of America, new article by Pie7 - featured on the homepage of the English Wikipedia, in the Did you know... section, on 10 July 2014

Other Wikipedia articles

edit
  1. The Golovnin Incident, new article by ThomasGidney
  2. Habesha people, improved by Elinamarble
  3. Jacob van Meurs (Dutch), prominent publisher, new article by ZDellink
  4. Cornelis de Pauw (German), improved by Pie7

Images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons

edit

For a general overview, see the Commons category Images from Universiteitsbibliotheek Maastricht.