Wiki4WorldHearingDay2023/Write new Wikipedia articles

Create a new Wikipedia article

Step 1: Create an account and register

Create a Wikipedia account
Register for the event

Step 2: Chose who to write about

We have created a special area for new contributors to create draft articles that can worked on with experienced contributors before being published onto Wikipedia.

Chose a hearing topic to write about.
Type the topic you want to start an article for in the box and press Start article draft

Note: If you are an experienced Wikipedia editor, please create articles the normal way

You can see all articles in the draft space.

Step 3: Learn how to use the editing tool

Learn how to add text, links and do formatting.
If you see code when typing click to switch to the Visual Editor
Don't forget to save the page often

Step 4: Read the tips on writing an article

Below we have created 9 simple rules for writing scientific articles on Wikipedia that will help you get started

9 simple rules for writing scientific articles on Wikipedia

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This set of guidelines is intended to help editors who are trying to create medical and scientific articles for the first time. It summarizes the bare essentials of how to write articles which stand a good chance of becoming part of the encyclopaedia.

One of the best ways to gain experience is to look at how existing scientific articles have been written on Wikipedia. Try to find a few articles on other people with backgrounds or interests similar to those you wish to cover.

Rule 1. Choose carefully

For Wikipedia, notability depends on recognition by third parties in reliable sources. Scientific and medical topics are generally notable, but avoid creating a new article that overlaps too much with existing articles. Avoid writing about yourself, your colleagues, or your organization because you have a conflict of interest. Don't promote your own work.

Rule 2. Research

Use reliable medical sources such as review articles in peer-reviewed journals or books, guidance documents from national health and safety agencies, and technical news articles from scientific societies. You should avoid writing directly from primary research articles, because they lack neutrality about their own importance and relationship with other research, although this isn't an overall ban and the can be used with discretion. Avoid using popular media sources such as newspapers, even if they are otherwise reputable.

Rule 3. Write why they are important

The introduction, the first couple of lines of the article should summarize text cited in the body and tell why your subject is important. The body of the article should explain this in more detail with references.

Rule 4. Reference everything

The article needs references to your source material. At a minimum, one source for each paragraph must be given. You can learn how to add references. Add a section called References at the end of the article.

Rule 5. Write in your own words

Plagiarism is unethical and could be illegal if you use copyrighted material without properly attributing your source. In general, you should rewrite everything you find in your own words. If you include quotes, you should identify them clearly, citing the author and the source and formatting them as quotes.

Rule 6. Linking to other articles

An article should contain many links to other articles so that it is easy for people to learn more about the subject.

Rule 7. Layout

Ideally, articles should run to several hundred words although informative stubs articles are also welcome. Make sure to include a "References" section at the end of the article, you can also add an External links section to provide URLs to the person's website or to primary sources.

Rule 8. Images

Articles can be enhanced with images. But you should not add images you find on the web unless they comply with ???copyright rules??. On the other hand, you are free to use photographs you have taken yourself. (It's not too difficult to upload them on Wikimedia Commons.) To be absolutely safe, you should not add photographs or paintings of people unless the author has been dead for over 70 years. If you are in doubt, you should ask for advice.

Rule 9. Ask for help and talk to people

The WikiProject Medicine is here to help, if you have a question please ask there.

Step 5: Add more information

Keep coming back to add more information, to get back to a page you have created click Contributions at the top of the page.

Step 6: Join the community

There are several ways to be involved with writing about hearing on Wikipedia: