Can you help Wikipedians collaborate with Harvard University?

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Today, the Wikimedia Foundation is pleased to announce a new opportunity for Wikipedians to reach out to scholars at one of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions. We’re seeking an experienced Wikipedia editor for a one year, full time fellowship based at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Located at the Harvard campus in Cambridge Massachusetts, this Wikipedian will have a unique role facilitating collaboration between the faculty, staff, and fellows at the Center and the Wikipedia volunteer community, with the aim of improving the quality of encyclopedia articles.
The Belfer Center is a focal point for research on international security and policy related to science, technology and the environment. It is also part of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. While some experience with the subject matter is preferred, the goal of this fellowship is for a Wikipedian to help unlock the expertise at the Center and see that it is shared with the world. While English Wikipedia alone may have nearly four million articles, the depth and quality of our coverage of international affairs and policy — such as on global nuclear security — is not well known. What we do know is that we are still a long way from Wikipedia’s goal of the “sum of all human knowledge,” and that having a liaison to work with experts and volunteers will do much to improve the free encyclopedia.
This position is funded by a generous grant from the Stanton Foundation. This philanthropic institution has supported both the Belfer Center and the Wikimedia Foundation in the past. Apply now!
Siko BouterseHead of Community Fellowships Program, Wikimedia Foundation

Archive notice: This is an archived post from blog.wikimedia.org, which operated under different editorial and content guidelines than Diff.

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Is this for wikipedia staff only? Or can someone outside of the family apply?

Hi T,
Technically Wikipedia has no staff. The site is administered in some important ways by the staff of the Wikimedia Foundation (whose blog this is), but when we say we’re looking for a Wikipedian, that means we are looking for someone experienced as a volunteer editor of the free encyclopedia.

Thank you for your response. And if one isn’t a volunteer editor but has editorial experience outside of the encyclopedia, is it still possible to apply for this?

I would not encourage anyone without substantial Wikipedia editing experience to apply, as the position requires a detailed knowledge of how the community that builds the content works.

I see. Thank you for your time. Better luck for me next time 🙂

[…] to run the Public Policy Initiative.) In April 2012, as if by magic, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that they were seeking “an experienced Wikipedia editor” for a full-time fellowship at […]