Week16 - HONG HAOTIAN : Reflection and Insights on Writing Wikipedia Articles

 

Summary（Nanko Historical and Geographical Society - Wikipedia，Taiwan Biancha Liuyu - Wikipedia）

I created and published two English Wikipedia articles: Taiwan Biancha Liuyu and Nanko Historical and Geographical Society. These were original entries that required not only writing and structuring the content but also conducting source validation, inserting citations, categorizing properly, and linking relevant concepts within Wikipedia. I drafted both articles offline first, carefully reviewing the notability and verifiability standards before uploading them. Throughout the process, I ensured compliance with Wikipedia’s manual of style, and I continue to monitor the articles for community edits and feedback.

Interesting Points

Creating new articles rather than translating existing ones was both challenging and rewarding. It was exciting to contribute original entries to a global knowledge platform like Wikipedia. I particularly enjoyed the research phase—sourcing reliable references for relatively under-documented topics and turning fragmented information into coherent, encyclopedic writing. What made the process truly meaningful was realizing that these entries might be the first English-language introductions to these subjects for many readers. It felt like building bridges between overlooked cultural or historical topics and the wider world. Applying what I learned about information ethics, citation, and knowledge organization from class made me realize how theoretical knowledge could turn into practical contribution.

Questions and Discussion Points

I’m curious about how these articles will be received by the Wikipedia editor community over time. Will they be expanded, improved, or even challenged? I would also like to know which parts of the article could be strengthened—perhaps the references, neutrality of tone, or structure. Looking back on this semester, I think this Wikipedia writing experience was the most impactful activity for me because it combined independent research, writing, editing, and the sense of contributing to something much bigger than a classroom assignment.

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