On March 13, 2024, the Code for Africa’s Wikipedia Alliance (AWA) hosted its 4th edition of the WiR bi-weekly webinar series titled “Adding Images to Wikipedia.” facilitated by Bukola James, the Community Coordinator for CFA-AWA. Eleven project leads and volunteers from Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda participated in the webinar. The goal of the workshop was to enhance the skills of Wikimedians in improving the visual appeal of Wikipedia articles by including relevant images.
Webinar trainer and title slide
Key highlights
The session opened with a recap of the previous webinar on adding Wikilinks and Categories to Wikipedia articles and then explored the importance of adding images to Wikipedia articles to enhance user engagement, provide visual context, and enrich content.
Participants were first guided through the process of sourcing images from Wikimedia Commons, including how to effectively search for and select appropriate images while adhering to the Creative Commons licensing requirements. This foundational knowledge was crucial for participants to grasp the legal and ethical implications of image use on Wikipedia.
The webinar then provided a walk-through on the following features:
- Adding images on Wikipedia using a visual editor
- Adding meaningful captions
- Positioning images for optimal impact.
Participants were also instructed on how to incorporate images, adjust captions and align images to enhance the article’s layout using the source editor.
Additionally, attendees were instructed on how to use Wikimedia Commons Upload Wizard to upload images. This section of the training aimed to equip participants with the tools they needed to improve the Wikimedia Commons repository with a variety of eye-catching content, increasing the number of media files that can be used on Wikipedia articles.
The session also focused on introducing participants to the streamlined process of adding images to Wikipedia and Wikidata using the following tools:
- WikiShootMe: The utility of this tool was highlighted, demonstrating how it assists contributors in identifying Wikipedia articles and Wikidata items that require images based on geographical location, facilitating targeted and meaningful contributions.
- Exploring the functionalities of File Candidates, CC Search, and WDWP Tool to empower participants to discover and integrate relevant images to enhance the content quality of Wikipedia articles.
Benefits to participants:
By participating in the training session on adding images to Wikipedia, participants gained practical skills to contribute meaningfully to Wikipedia’s visual content landscape, which empowered them to continue in their roles as active contributors to Wikipedia’s visual content through initiatives like Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos (WPWP). Participants were also armed with the expertise to simplify the process of adding images by learning how to select and integrate relevant images to Wikipedia articles using on-wiki and off-wiki tools such as WikiShootMe,WDWP, File Candidates, and CC search, making the content more accessible and comprehensible. Additionally, having mastered how to select and add images to Wikimedia Commons for a global audience, webinar attendees can contribute to a shared open repository of multimedia resources accessible worldwide.
Conclusion
The session concluded with a Q&A session emphasising the importance of continuous practice and participation in campaigns like Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos (WPWP). This encouragement aimed to motivate participants who are new to adding images to Wikipedia articles to practise what they have learnt, thereby contributing to the richness and diversity of Wikipedia’s visual content.
For those interested in revisiting the session or those who might have missed it, the recorded version is available on the community programmes page. Test your knowledge on our academy Africa site and register for the upcoming AWA Bi-weekly webinar and immerse in our vibrant community. To stay abreast of our initiatives, complete this form, and let’s shape the future together!
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