Running an edit-a-thon
How to create and run an edit-a-thon.
If you are thinking of running an edit-a-thon and need more information you can contact Ewan McAndrew (ewan.mcandrew@ed.ac.uk) for advice.
The programs and events dashboard is a good tool for managing events. It is:
- easy to use
- tracks contributions during the event so you can see how many edits or new have been made
- tracks the progress of the event
- works with many languages
- is compatible with any Wikimedia project
There are three different types of programs
- Basic Program
- Edit-a-thon
- Article Scoped Program
How to set up an event:
- Navigate to the programs and events dashboard.
- Log in to your Wikipedia account (if you do not have one you need to make one).
- Give permission for OAuth and the Dashboard to interact with pages using your account.
- You can select your language by clicking on the dropdown in the top right hand corner next to your username.
- Click on ‘Create an Independent Program’.
- Select ‘Create New Program’.
- Choose from:
- Basic Program.
- Edit-a-thon.
- Article Scoped Program.
- Fill out the form.
- Program title.
- Institution.
- Home Wiki - this is the main Wiki for your program.
- Tracked Wikis – Wikis to track edits.
- Program description.
- Select whether you want your program to be private or not.
- Fill out the next form including:
- Choose the start and end of activity time when contributions will still be counted.
- Specify if your start and end times are different to activity tracking.
- Click ‘Create my Program!’
The Programs and Events Dashboard - a staging area to manage Wikipedia assignments and events
- Video: The Programs and Events Dashboard - a staging area to manage Wikipedia assignments and events
- This ten minute walkthough introduces you to how to begin with the Dashboard, how to create a new event/course program and how to populate the Dashboard with student editors and articles for them to create/improve.
Further Resources
-
Running an editathon training library on the dashboard.
© Ewan McAndrew and Hannah Rothmann, University of Edinburgh, 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, unless otherwise indicated.