Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikiclub NT/Report
- Report accepted
- To read the approved grant submission describing the plan for this project, please visit Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikiclub NT.
- You may still comment on this report on its discussion page, or visit the discussion page to read the discussion about this report.
- You are welcome to Email rapidgrants at wikimedia dot org at any time if you have questions or concerns about this report.
Goals edit
Wikiclub NT was launched in Darwin in June 2016. It is a regular meet-up aimed at addressing the severe lack of Wikipedia pages about the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, one of the most culturally diverse but poorly represented parts of Australia through monthly edit-a-thons. This grant supported the growth of Wikiclub NT throughout the Territory, delivering the first-ever Wikipedia workshops and edit-a-thons in the remote outback towns of Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine.
The project was conceived and executed by creative producer and Wikipedian tenniscourtisland with the support of consulting historian Jared Archibald from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. 47 participants were trained in seven workshops, many of which are now active editors of Wikipedia, working together to fill in the blanks in the Northern Territory’s historical and cultural pages.
Outcome edit
Please report on your original project targets.
| Target outcome | Achieved outcome | Explanation |
| Alice Springs Edit-a-thon | 7 participants, creation of 5 new pages | The first ever Edit-a-thon was held in Alice Springs on 5 October 2016 at Alice Springs Public Library |
| Tennant Creek Edit-a-thon | 6 participants, creation of 5 new pages | The first ever Edit-a-thon was held in Tennant Creek on 6 October 2016 at Tennant Creek Public Library |
| Katherine Edit-a-thon | 4 participants, creation of 4 new pages | The first ever Edit-a-thon was held in Katherine on 8 October 2016 at Katherine Public Library |
| Darwin Edit-a-thon | 4 participants, creation of 4 new pages | This Edit-a-thon was held on 9 November 2017 at Northern Territory Library in Darwin |
| Darwin Edit-a-thon, International Women's Day | 9 participants, creation of 13 new pages | This special International Women's Day Edit-a-thon was held on 8 March 2017 at Northern Territory Library in Darwin |
| Darwin Edit-a-thon | 5 participants, creation of 10 new pages | This Edit-a-thon was held on 3 May 2017 at Northern Territory Library in Darwin |
| Darwin Edit-a-thon, NAIDOC Week | 10 participants, creation of 10 new pages | This special NAIDOC Week Edit-a-thon focused on developing new pages about Indigenous people. It was held on 5 July 2017 at Northern Territory Library in Darwin |
| TOTAL | 7 events | 45 participants, creation of 51 new pages |
All new pages created in all edit-a-thons are listed here.
Media coverage:
- ‘Wikipedia Workshop Comes to Tennant’, Tennant Creek Times - 30 September 2016
- Katherine Times - 5 October 2016
- ABC Radio Interview, Alice Springs, Mornings - 5 October 2016
- ABC Radio Interview, Darwin: Breakfast - 8 March 2017
- Wiki Club Revives Forgotten Northern Territory History, ABC World Today and Online - 7 July 2017
- Off The Leash (street press regular listings)
Learning edit
Projects do not always go according to plan. Sharing what you learned can help you and others plan similar projects in the future. Help the movement learn from your experience by answering the following questions:
- What worked well?
All nine workshops were very successful and resulted in the creation of 51 new pages. Participants were extremely grateful for a Wikipedia presence in their town and indicated they wish there was more of an ongoing presence in their regions. Even though there is not a Wikipedian present and contactable in their towns, staying in regular contact with participants from afar after the workshop, was critical in maintaining their interest. There are now editors across the NT who are continuing to contribute to Wikipedia and are good advocates for the movement. They understand it better and recognise its value for local stories.
Many participants (particular older participants) found Wikipedia a difficult platform to learn to use. Many continue to write new pages with references, but prefer to submit them to tenniscourtisland to upload. They are not interested in learning the technical aspects of Wikipedia but are really enjoying writing new pages and seeing them online. This is still a hugely valuable contribution to the movement.
Based on its success, it would be great to undertake this Wikiclub road trip annually, and at least have a presence in these towns once each year.
- What did not work so well?
Despite initiatives like the 'Visual Editor', it is still complex for new editors to learn to edit Wikipedia. Many participants, although passionate about the subject they're writing about, still struggle and tend to find Wikipedia difficult to use. 'Speedy Deletions' were a problem at every workshop - they're applied much too quickly, often within the first 5 minutes of the pages creation and are disillusioning for new editors. While 'Under Construction' tag is useful, it's just another thing that first time editors have to learn to add, which can be quite overwhelming. It could be good to make 'Under Construction' a simple button that they can press which automatically adds the tag, and then they un-click it upon completion of their editing session.
- What would you do differently next time?
Most of the participants in this series of workshops were first time editors. A major learning was that it worked best to divide the workshop into two parts. Most workshops were two hours. So for the first hour, it worked best when participants were given a basic template and were encouraged to draft a new Wikipedia page of about ten sentences and three references in Word (or similar word processing software). Then in the second hour, they logged into Wikipedia and uploaded their page. It meant they weren't trying to engage with the research and writing phase at the same time as attempting to learn how to edit Wikipedia, which is complex for a new editor. This also prevented 'Speedy Deletion' issues and other conflict edits as they were uploading decent start-grade pages. This workshop structure resulted in far stronger pages that were rarely deleted, making it a much more rewarding experience and increasing the likelihood that they will continue to edit.
Finances edit
Grant funds spent edit
| Description | Quick Response Grant Expenditure | Budgeted Expenditure |
| Food and beverage - Alice Springs Edit-a-thon, October 2016 | $68.91 | |
| Food and beverage - Katherine Edit-a-thon, October 2016 | $59.31 | |
| Food and beverage - Tennant Creek Edit-a-thon, October 2016 | $80.09 | |
| Food and beverage - Darwin Edit-a-thon, November 2017 | $18.58 + $10.80* | |
| Food and beverage - Darwin Edit-a-thon, International Women's Day, March 2017 | $153.00 | |
| Food and beverage - Darwin Edit-a-thon, NAIDOC Week, July 2017 | $41.30 | |
| Food and beverage (Subtotal) | $431.99 | $480.00 |
| Travel/Transport | $761.98 | $564.50 |
| Accommodation | $559.00 | $400.00 |
| Office supplies | $160.00 | $120.00 |
| TOTAL | AUD$1,689.62 (US$1283.92) | AUD$1,564.50 (US$1,178.73) |
All figures in Australian Dollars. Receipts available upon request.
[*] No receipt but bank statement provided showing expenditure.
Remaining funds edit
Do you have any remaining grant funds?
There are no funds remaining.
Anything else edit
Anything else you want to share about your project?
Thank you for supporting this project in outback Australia!