Description

In our weekly Research Culture Uncovered conversations we are asking what is Research Culture and why does it matter? This episode is part of Season 3, hosted by Nick Sheppard, speaking to colleagues from both the University of Leeds and from other universities and organizations about open research, what it is, how it's practiced in different disciplines, and how it relates to research culture.

Episode 5 is a little different from usual, with Nick joined by a co-host, Dr Chris Hassall (Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Leeds)  and not one but two guests, Post Graduate Researchers Hira Khan and Bethan Soanes, all from the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Hira and Beth have been contributing to a project as Wikimedia Champions, working with Nick, Chris and Senior Learning Technologist Joanna Brown, learning about Wikimedia, examining Wikipedia in their subject area, identifying areas of need and making contributions.

In this episode we talk about:

• Their previous experience and preconceptions about Wikipedia
• Their previous knowledge of other Wikimedia platforms such as Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata
• What general skills they developed or were required during the project
• The potential of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia suite of tools for the public communication of science
• The power of diagrams and images to convey scientific concepts, and how these are often lacking on Wikipedia
• Any specific areas of biology they identified that need more work on Wikipedia
• Inequality in Wikipedia, with a lack of representation of women and people of colour, both generally and in the context of science; the role of Wikipedia on promoting diversity in STEM

Links:

• Wikimedia UK
• File:Cryogenic electron microscopy workflow.svg
• Poems championing free knowledge inspired by University of Leeds students
• A physicist is writing one Wikipedia entry a day to recognize women in science (CNN, 2018)
• An editathon for Black History Month citing African scholars on Wikipedia (event dashboard)
• Female Nobel prize winner deemed not important enough for Wikipedia entry (Guardian, 2018)
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Women in Red