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Submissions/A Gateway to Peer Review Science: Wikipedia and Young Researchers

From Wikimania 2013 • Hong Kong

After careful consideration, the programme committee has decided not to accept the below submission at this time. Thank you to the author(s) for participating in the Wikimania 2013 programme submission, we hope to still see you at Wikimania this August.

Submission no.
2017
Subject no.
B5
Title of the submission
A Gateway to Peer Review Science: Wikipedia and Young Researchers in the Global South
Type of submission
Presentation
Author of the submission
Aliyu Salisu Barau
Country of origin
Nigeria
Affiliation
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor 81310, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
E-mail address
aliyubarau@yahoo.co.uk
Username
Alyubarau
Personal homepage or blog
Abstract
Young researchers resident in many developing countries do not have access to most for fee peer reviewed scientific journals. Many young undergraduate and graduate students do not even know some top journals in the category of their interest and research. Thanks to Wikipedia through whose system of supporting contributions with citations. Now a huge of body of bibliography is built by Wikipedia. This paper aims to identify the potentials of Wikipedia in facilitating scientific in institutions of low income countries. The Wikipedia is full of citations which could help young researchers without access to commercial publications to build a research bibliography from which they can design their research proposal or approach their institutional libraries for interventions or supervisors for possible grants to acquire some of the most important literature for their study. This paper is of the opinion that Wikipedia is is beneficial to young researchers particularly in respect of research preparations, organisation and transparency.
Detailed proposal
Access to soft and hard infrastructure is the main problem that hinders education and research development in low income economies. When we consider soft infrastructure in particular, libraries are in poor shape and packed with hard copies of outdated books. This is in sharp contrast with developed and high income economies where educational and research are equipped with digitized information retrieval system. Thanks to the increasing internet connectivity in poor developing countries. Thanks to the fact that Wikipedia - is a free encyclopedia and its seamless focus on unhindered, participatory and peer reviewed knowledge. There are multitude of poor yet highly intelligent and brainy young persons that dream to make positive impact to development of science and technology. Young researchers resident in many developing countries do not have access to most for fee peer reviewed scientific journals. Many young undergraduate and graduate students do not even know some top journals in the category of their interest and research. Thanks to Wikipedia through whose system of supporting contributions with citations. Now a huge of body of bibliography is built by Wikipedia. This paper aims to identify the potentials of Wikipedia (English version) in facilitating scientific among students attending institutions in low income countries. In preparation for this paper, the author takes a rapid assessment of published literature in leading world repositories -Web of knowledge/science (Reuters) and Scopus (Elsevier). Based on this rapid survey the participation of countries of sub-Saharan Africa in insignificant. This justifies the need to seek for cost effective measures to help young researchers to re-position themselves. The Wikipedia is full of citations which could help young researchers without access to commercial publications to build a research bibliography from which they can design their research proposal and can as well approach their institutional libraries for interventions or supervisors for possible grants to acquire some of the most important literature for their study. Young researchers also have another option of contacting some authors and publishers directly for the possibility of acquiring copies or version of their published materials. Wikipedia English in particular has the potentials to contribute in this direction because English is unarguably the language of modern science and research development. This paper is of the opinion that Wikipedia is most instructive for young researchers particularly in respect of research preparations organisation and management of multiple literature. In conclusion, this paper celebrates Wikipedia as a platform for excelling in sharing knowledge across the human society. Wikipedia is above most paid encyclopedia because it as all what they have, but it what they lack-quick updating, participatory peer review and emphasis on ethic. This makes it a perfect for poor young researchers to depend on in floating their careers in science, technology and humanities.
Track
  • Cultural and Educational Outreach
Length of presentation/talk
25 Minutes
Language of presentation/talk
English
Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
No
Slides or further information (optional)
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Interested attendees

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  1. Aliyubarau
  2. Amire80 (talk) 13:22, 20 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Kavya Manohar (talk) 09:08, 17 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  4. See also WP:WikiProject Open Access. Daniel Mietchen (talk) 09:27, 21 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  5. CT Cooper · talk 19:25, 1 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  6. Ijon (talk) 08:17, 2 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  7. Ocaasi (talk) 15:19, 7 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  8. Your name here
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