Appearing at the top of most Google searches, Wikipedia has become a go to source for information. However, the information found on the site is not always accurate and a group of dental students from the University of Aberdeen have joined a concerted effort to change this.
The Wikipedia Collaboration of Dental Schools is an initiative spearheaded by the University of Dundee. It is wholly student led and strives to improve articles relating to dentistry on Wikipedia. The project now includes the Cairo branch of the University of Dundee (who edit in both English and Arabic), Glasgow, Aberdeen and Manchester dental schools in the UK as well as Tufts and Harvard Schools of Dental Medicine and New York University College of Dentistry in the USA. At the end of each semester, groups present their edits before peers and lecturers, giving editors an opportunity to showcase their work and to discuss the chosen topics and any challenges faced in the process of editing.
The Collaboration’s long-term vision is to facilitate a large online community of editors who will work collectively to maintain, update and expand information on Wikipedia. If any individuals or schools wish to join please get in touch at ngeres@dundee.ac.uk or through the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WikiCollab/.