Wikipedia Affiliate
George Mason University
Fairfax

n conjunction with The Wikipedia Library project, the Roy
Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) at George Mason
University is seeking applicants for a "Wikipedia Affiliate." This is an
unpaid, year-long, remote research position beginning March 1, 2014 and ending
February 28, 2015 that entitles the affiliate to full library privileges at
George Mason University, including proxied access to all online materials to
which the GMU Libraries subscribe: more than 400 databases, thousands of
scholarly journals and mainstream periodicals, and hundreds of ebooks. The
position is designed to give research library access to a Wikipedia editor who
does not currently have such access or who has only limited access to
scholarly resources: the purpose of the position is to help improve
Wikipedia's reliability and accuracy by providing Wikipedia editors with
access to the best scholarly information resources while providing a model for
other universities to do likewise.

  
Qualifications

The affiliate will be an experienced Wikipedia editor with at least one year
of regular activity contributing to Wikipedia on historical topics in any
field, region, or period. The affiliate will also be a thorough researcher who
is committed to improving Wikipedia articles by consulting and citing
reliable, scholarly sources and who is a lucid writer of text for Wikipedia
encyclopedia articles on historical topics. An undergraduate or graduate
degree in History, Art History, or a related discipline is desirable but not
required.

  
Position Description and Duties

During the affiliate year, the affiliate will conduct scholarly research using
the library resources of George Mason University with the aim of significantly
improving the accuracy and reliability at least 25 Wikipedia articles on
historical topics, preferably articles within a particular historical scope
(for example: modern Russian and Soviet history, U.S. Civil War history, the
history of late imperial China). Near the end of the affiliate year, the
affiliate will write a brief report listing the Wikipedia articles he or she
has contributed to and improved over the course of the year, describing how
his or her access to GMU library resources has helped increase the reliability
of Wikipedia on this topic and analyzing whether the affiliate program could
serve as a model for other universities. The affiliate will also be asked to
give a brief talk on the same subject to RRCHNM, either in person or via a
remote technology such as Skype.

  
Application Instructions

To apply, please send the following documents to Dr. Amanda French at
[log in to unmask] by January 20, 2014:

  
1. A standard resume or curriculum vitae that also includes

  
a link to your Wikipedia profile and

at least three links to Wikipedia articles on historical topics that you have
contributed to.

2. A cover letter that includes

  
a description of your background, including why you contribute to Wikipedia
and what level of historical expertise and interest you have in which fields,
regions, or periods;

a summary of what access you currently have (or don't have) to research
materials such as databases and scholarly journals;

an explanation of why you want to become a Wikipedia Affiliate to RRCHNM; and

a brief outline of the historical topic(s) and/or specific Wikipedia articles
you would focus on during your affiliate year.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the search by the end of
February 2014. The affiliate year will begin March 1, 2014.

  
About the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Since 1994 under the founding direction of Roy Rosenzweig, the Center for
History and New Media (RRCHNM) at George Mason University has used digital
media and computer technology to democratize history--to incorporate multiple
voices, reach diverse audiences, and encourage popular participation in
presenting and preserving the past. The center itself is a democratic,
collaborative space where over fifty scholars, technologists, and researchers
work together to advance the state of the art.

  
RRCHNM uses digital media and technology to preserve and present history
online, transform scholarship across the humanities, and advance historical
education and understanding. Each year RRCHNM's many project websites receive
over 20 million visitors, and over a million people rely on its digital tools
to teach, learn, and conduct research.

  
George Mason University is a public research university located approximately
14 miles from Washington, D.C., with over 30,000 students. Global education
and research are a fundamental part of the university's mission to serve its
diverse and international student body. RRCHNM is part of the Department of
History and Art History.

  
About The Wikipedia Library

The Wikipedia Library connects Wikipedia editors with libraries, open access
resources, paywalled databases, and research experts. We are working together
towards 5 big goals that create an open hub for conducting research:

  

Connect editors with their local library and freely accessible resources


Partner to provide free access to paywalled publications, databases,
universities, and libraries


Build relationships among our community of editors, libraries, and librarians


Facilitate research for Wikipedians, helping editors to find and use sources

Promote broader open access in publishing and research

The Wikipedia Affiliate to RRCHNM position is based on the Wikipedia Visiting
Scholar idea suggested by Peter Suber at the Harvard Open Access Project.



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