OpenOil Editors Scheme: Editing Basics

=1. Introduction=

A quick tour through our wiki platform. How is our platform like Wikipedia and how is it different?

=2. User profiles and text editing basics=

Introduction to the concept of user profiles and usernames + text editing basics: italics, bullet points and internal links that will use in the editing process, and how to create a new article.

''Exercise 1: fill out user profile.

Exercise 2: create a new article on subject of your choice.

=3. Page-level editing=

Introduction to the page-level structures of our wiki guides, including templates for the structure of articles on IOCs, oil/gas fields, infrastructure and other topics. Also, how to create subheadings in an article, include images and use blockquotes.

Exercise: go back to the page you created and go into

=4. Wikis and the value of collaborative work=

Introduction to the fundamental principles on which wikis are formed, including the use of free, open-source content, a collaborative editing culture, and the importance of neutral point of view.

=5. References=

References on conceptual and technical level. The conceptual component addresses why referencing is essential to the wiki concept - i.e. because wikis are not original research and references are necessary to ground text in fact.

Exercise: create a reference for in an article you have created.

=6. Research skills and sources=

What research comes into play over the development of a wiki, including the identification of reliable online sources, the role of Google searches and Wikipedia, and use of Google alerts.

=7. Editing, discussion pages and watchlists=

Introduction to discussion pages, comments, and watchlists as mechanisms for collaborative editing. What should they and should they not be used for? How to avoid the dreaded 'edit wars'/

Exercise: cross-editing exercise involving commenting on other trainees' articles, to simulate the collaborative editing process.

=8: Categorization and wiki structure=

Introduction to oil wiki categories, including our policy of multiple categories to identify each article by country and topic, as well as the technical aspects of category creation.

Exercise: assign categories to the article you created earlier.

=9. Book collection and videos=

How the oil wiki goes from online to print, demonstrating the book-collection function of the MediaWiki software. As well as introduction to how video works and what it adds to the project.

Exercise: export a selection of articles to PDF from the training wiki.

Lucy's practice page