How to Edit Wikipedia - Women of Wikipedia Editathons

Congrats on taking your first step to learning how to edit Wikipedia! The information you need to get started is included in the Wikipedia Editing Startup Guide, linked below. Here you’ll find the basic principles, values, and practical skills you’ll use to successfully contribute to the world’s biggest encyclopedia. 

• The Wikipedia Editing Startup Guide

A great way to get involved is to make changes other users on Wikipedia have compiled or highlighted. 

Lists of stub (short, incomplete) articles: 
(sampling of links here. Browse other themed projects by clicking "Back to table" and using the search box)
Women Artists
Women in Music
Women's History
Women Scientists
Women's sport articles

Women Emory Art and Social Justice Fellows 
 

If you decide to create an account on Wikipedia, you will have access to a "sandbox."  Your sandbox is a space designed to let you "test and experiment with wiki syntax" (See About the Sandbox). You can access your sandbox using the link at the top right of the Wikipedia homepage once you've logged in.

Remember, while your sandbox is not searchable, it is also not private.  If other people know your username, they can access your sandbox.  Do not include any personal information that you would not want the world to see.

Still not sure that you want to create an account?  Feel free to play around in the RIT Libraries sandbox for this event using the Infobox and Citation templates included on this guide (no login required!).

Check out the RIT Libraries Wikipedia Sandbox

While you do not need to create an account to edit Wikipedia, having an account allows you to track your contributions, "watch" articles of interest, and take ownership of your work. 

If you prefer not to have an account, your IP address will be automatically recorded for edits. 

1. Step 1: Open Wikipedia's English-language homepage: https://en.wikipedia.org and click "Create account" at the top right corner of the page. 
    
2. Step 2: Choose your username and password. Think carefully about your username and password: 
   • Your username will be tied to each edit that you make and is publicly-visible in a page's edit history
   • Your password should be strong and unique for optimum security
   • Note: You do not need to provide an email address (it will never be publicly displayed), but an email address is helpful for potential password recovery in the future
      
3. Step 3: Explore features. Once you have an account, you can take advantage of features like your user profile, user sandbox, and personal watchlist...and you can track your contributions!
    
4. Step 4: Share your username with us (optional)
   Sharing your Wikipedia username will allow us to track our collective contributions at the event. We will not track your contributions anytime outside this event. Submit your username at http://bit.ly/WikiUsers2021