Help:Contents
Getting stuck with Wikigender? Encounterig problems in using this website? Please watch this tutorial to help you use the Wikigender website, or refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below to find help.
What is Wikigender?
Wikigender is your online resource for information on gender equality. This innovative website aims to gather experts and the general public with one clear objective: sharing knowledge on issues related to gender equality for a better understanding of the situation of women around the world.
What is a “wiki”?
Wikigender uses a specific technology (a “wiki”) that allows users to easily build, edit and link web pages. Think of a “wiki” as a large black board, where (authorised) users are given chalk and sponges to start writing up whatever they think is important to others, or to edit already existing articles as they deem necessary. This technology is emblematic of the Web 2.0, where content is generated by the users. In a “wiki”, information is organised into “articles”. These can be edited or new articles can be added by registered users, without going through an external webmaster.
How do I find articles on Wikigender?
There are several ways to find information on Wikigender. The easiest and most intuitive solution is to search for specific keyword/s using the search field on the left. If you don't know where to start, Wikigender choses an article of the week, which is featured on the main page. You can also find information by browsing through our categories. Click on the name of a category to see all articles related to it. Finally, you can see a complete list of articles by clicking on the all articles. However, the nicest and probably most interesting way to explore a topic is to follow the links that are provided in existing articles. A blue link takes you to another article. Red ones indicate wanted pages. Why don’t create an article following a red link?
How do I create an account?
Everybody can access the information on Wikigender. However, you need to be registered in order to edit or draft an article. Creating an account is easy:
- click on the link “log in/create account”
- choose a User ID and password and provide your email address and name.
- Personalise your "user profile"
- Receive monthly news from Wikigender and its gender community!
How do I log in once I have an account?
If you already have an account, logging in is easy:
- click on the link “log in/create account”
- fill in the form with your username and password
What does the "My Profile" toolbar on top of the page indicate?
Once you are log in to Wikigender as a registered user, you will have access to several features:
- "my user page" is the gateway to your user profile. Upload a photo, add information about you and connect with others!
- “my talk” keeps track of all your comments on the discussion pages.
- “my preferences” allows you to modify your name, email address, password and alerts preferences
- “my watchlist” tracks changes on any article/page you are interested in. You can add an article to your watchlist by clicking the “Watch”-tab on any page/article you are reading
- “my contributions” lists all contributions you have made so far and tracks changes that have been done by other users
The menu tabs at the top have some useful links that will help you find your way in Wikigender:
- Main page: Wherever you are, the Wikigender logo on the top left of the screen drives you to the Homepage
- About Wikigender: Find out more about this initiative by clicking on “About Wikigender”
- Random page: Don’t know where to start? Let the “wiki” choose for you
- Contact: Questions, comments, suggestions? Wikigender is looking forward to receiving your feedback
- Disclaimer: Find important legal information about Wikigender
- Help: Encountering a problem? This link will take you to this help section
Community
- Events Calendar: The Events section is your place to advertise and find events related to gender equality
- Community portal: This “chat room” allows you to bring specific topics to the attention of the Wikigender Community. It promotes open discussions on issues that may be interesting to all users of Wikigender
- New pages: Find the latest creations on Wikigender
- Wanted pages: Articles that do not exist yet and are waiting for your input.
How do I use the search box?
Search within titles and articles for specific keywords. The “Go” button drives you directly to the page with the exact name you entered in the search field. If the article does not exist yet, you have the option to create it. The search results list all articles in which your keyword appears.
Other links
- Recent changes: helps you track the most recent changes to the wiki
- What links here: displays all pages with a link to the current page
- Upload file: lets you upload images and other documents into Wikigender
- Special pages: is a useful resource to find even more facts and figures
How can I participate in the Wikigender Community?
Wikigender is there for you and welcomes your active engagement. You can participate in several ways:
- Finding and reading an article: search for a specific topic you are interested in and you will find all articles that mention the keyword that you put in the search box
- If your search returns some results that you would like to improve, modify the article or add new information
- If your search does not match any articles, this is the perfect occasion to create a new entry in Wikigender by clicking on the link “You can create this page”
- If you are interested in joining this project, please contact us
How do I create or edit an article?
Click here for a complete walkthrough. Log in or - if you haven’t already done so - create an account. Only registered users can create or edit articles. Others can just read what is on Wikigender.
Create an article
In order to create an article, click on an empty link (these appear in red), link to a page that you want to create, or use our article generator.
Editor box
If you choose to edit an article, an editor box will open that allows you to draft or modify the text under a tab called "Wikitext".
- Type your text in the textbox as if it was a word document. A toolbar helps you bring your articles into shape.
- Categorise your article by inserting [[Category:NAME OF CATEGORY]]. Categorising articles will help others identify your contribution and improve the overall navigation within Wikigender.
- Summarise your changes in the Summary box that is located below the article (e.g. what did you do and why). You may use shorthand to describe your changes. For more information, see How should I use edit summaries?
- With the "Preview" tab next to the new "Wikitext" tab you can preview your text before saving to see how your changes will look on Wikigender before making them permanent. Repeat the "wikitext/preview" process until you are satisfied with the outcome, then click "Save page" at the bottom of the page and your changes will be immediately visible in the article.
- If you go to the "Changes" tab, this allows you to see the changes you are making to an existing article.
Toolbar functionalities
If you edit an article, a toolbar helps you bring your text into shape. More advanced users may also use wiki markup to format the text and link content to other articles, which adds to the value of your contribution (for more information see Help:Editing).
- You can format existing text by highlighting the section you want to format and clicking the relevant button on the toolbar. In many cases, pop-up windows will help you achieve the desired results.
- Apart from simple formatting functions (e.g. bold text, italics, underline) you can also insert images or documents. However, all files must be uploaded into Wikigender prior to being used. Before editing a text, please upload all relevant images or documents by clicking on "upload file" in the left-hand menu. See "How do I upload a file?) for more information.
- Try to link to other articles in Wikigender by highlighting a relevant key word and clicking on "Insert/edit link".
Referencing
Please click on the following link for a quick guide on adequate referencing: References
How do I upload a file?
Wikigender allows users to upload images and documents that can be used or referred to in articles. You need to upload the respective file prior to editing the article. This is what you'll have to do:
- Click on "Upload file" in the toobox menu that lis located on the left of each page
- Browse for the file that you wish to upload
- If necessary, rename your file in order to facilitate finding it later on (e.g. replace names of image files such as "IMG2293.jpg" with something more meaningful such as "Wikigender_logo.jpg")
- Explain why you have the copyright for the file; e.g. you created the file or have the right of the coyright holder. You may not upload material for which you do not have the copyright.
- Give a brief summary of what this file is, e.g. what does a photo show, when and where was it taken, why do you have the copyright etc.
- Click on "upload file". As a rule we recommend to use small file sizes, but if it is unavoidable you may also upload large files
- Your uploaded file will appear in the list of "all uploaded files". However, ideally you use an uploaded file in an article, e.g. by inserting an image or referring to a document (see "How do I edit an article?" for more help)
What do the tabs on top of each article mean?
If you are logged into Wikigender as a registered user, you will find six taps on top of each page:
- “Article” is selected by default to display an article in a regular read mode
- “Discuss” lets you bring specific questions/comments related to the article you’re reading to the attention of the Wikigender Community
- “Edit” lets you edit the page
- “History” allows you to see previous versions of the article
- “Move” lets you rename a page, moving all of its history to the new name. The old title will become a redirect page to the new title
- “Watch” adds the current page to your watchlist. Future changes to this page and its associated discussion page will be listed here, and the page will appear bold in the list of recent changes. If you want to remove the page from your watchlist, click "Unwatch" in the sidebar.
- "Refresh" to refresh the page.
How can I comment on an article?
If you like to comment on an article, click on the "discuss" tab on top of each article. If other people have already commented on a particular article, you will find these entries on the discussion page that will open up. Feel free to participate in an ongoing discussion (by clicking on "+" to add a comment) or start a new discussion thread. Referring to the discussion page may be particularly valuable if you intend to make changes to an article, which you would like to discuss with the author (or other users) beforehand. Needless to say, you can also contact the author of an article directly by clicking on his or her name (which you can find by looking a the "history" of an article) and leaving a message on this person's talk page. In order to give your thoughts wider visibiliy, the discussion page may nevertheless be the better option.
No matter how you decide to voice your opinion, please let mutual respect be the guiding principle of your actions. Although all Wikigender contributors know that their writing may be edited mercilessly, it is easier to accept changes if the reasons for them are discussed beforehand.
How should I use edit summaries?
If you change an existing article, clear edit summaries and transparent explanations are highly appreciated. Other editors need to understand your actions, and sometimes writing a little summary even helps you determine if a specific edit was really justified. Please state what you changed and why. If the explanation is too long, elucidate on the discussion page. It is a fundamental principle of Wikigender that all registered users can edit articles, so there are a lot of changes to watch.
Wikigender policies and conventions
Wikigender is not a final product, but a continuous process to improve the knowledge on gender equality. All previous versions of an article and even deletions are recorded, so anything you do here remains an accessible part of Wikigender, available for future reference. But don't be anxious! When editing, keep following guidelines in mind and you will soon find yourself making effective contributions to the project and to the gender community.
The primary objective of Wikigender is to share knowledge on gender equality and to distil this knowledge into high-quality articles. Since Wikigender does not impose any official structure to control the quality of articles, it is paramount that the Wikigender community follows its own rules, procedures and values, which continue to evolve. Some of these values are informal and you will learn them from observing, asking, or being informed by other community members. Some are formal (and their page titles are preceded by "Wikigender.org:"). Some of these rules and procedures are really important and mostly follow common sense about respecting how Wikigender works and what it tries to do. Others reflect the accumulated experience of editors who are constantly learning and refining core values, which help us avoid or resolve conflicts over content, and which guide us in our constant effort to improve articles.
If you follow these guidelines, you will likely be treated with kindness and respect. As you gain experience, you might learn of additional style guides, handy ways to do things etc. But don't worry too much if you don't understand at first. Someone will clean up after you, and, as time passes by, you will learn the subtleties of how to be a great community member of Wikigender!
There is no strict set of rules. Instead, there is a set of policies and guidelines, the latter of which you can choose to follow. Should you see somebody do things that are plainly not in accordance with these guidelines, “be gracious” with them if their doing still serves the objective of the Wikigender project. In many cases, well-informed and well-intentioned editors need to sort out among themselves the most appropriate way to improve the article they are working on.
Many people get started on Wikigender because they are reading an article and they notice an omission, a factual error, or a typo. If you know how to make edits and changes, go ahead, and if you add or change information to an article, please include references, because all unreferenced material is subject to removal. But if you are not sure what to do, go to the discussion page associated with the article, hit the "+" tab, and make a comment on what you think needs to be changed. Remember to please end your comment with four tildes, which will sign and timestamp your comment.
Wikigender articles generally contain links to other articles. Blue (or purple, if you have already visited them) links represent pages that do exist. Red links (or tan, if you have already visited them) point to pages that do not yet exist, or have been deleted. Whoever created these links thought that an article on the topic should be included in Wikigender. If not many people agreed with these suggestions, the links may have been removed. It is also possible that a spelling error was made, or that they did not know the correct name for an existing page on the same (or a more general) topic. In this case, you could fix the link, and/or create a redirect page. If you decide there should be an article at the other end of the link, please start writing it!
In addition to searching for red links in articles, you can look at a list of wanted pages, and pick one to which you could make a contribution. Make sure that you submit information which is relevant to the specific purpose of the wiki, or your content might be deleted. You can always use the discussion pages to ask questions or check to see if your idea will be accepted. Please make note of the copyright and source information.
Make a list of everything you know. Do not include things that are not verifiable or not supposed to be covered by Wikigender. Then, find the proper places to write about the items that remain on your list. In order to integrate this new content to articles that already exist on Wikigender, click on "What links here" to also modify similar pages.
Wikigender.org was created by the OECD Development Centrebut neither the Development Centre nor any other part of the OECDis responsible for the messages that are portrait therein. In order to make Wikigender a useful information resource, we advise you to stick to following rules:
Neutral point of view
Write articles from a neutral point of view. This is a fundamental principle of Wikigender, which allows us to make a fair representation of the world around us. Even if material is verifiable, it is still important to put it into a balanced and representative form so that it conveys a fair impression of the views of the many significant viewpoints on a subject.
Verifiability
Articles should contain only material that has been published by reliable sources. Editors should cite reliable sources for any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged; otherwise it may be removed by another community member.
No original research
Articles may not contain previously unpublished arguments, concepts, data, or theories; or any new analysis or synthesis of published arguments, concepts, data, or theories that serves to advance a position.
Content Guidelines
The following steps outline the content checking process to guide all contributors:
- Contributions [data or text or comments] should refer to gender-related issues
- Contributions (articles) should be unbiased (there should be no opinions, except in discussions)
- Contributions should be different to other articles on the site, or directly related to other articles on the site (and should be linked)
- Basic grammar and spelling should be checked
- Graphs, charts and tables should be clearly labeled and readable
- Quotes, data etc., should be referenced
- Statistical language and jargon should be limited or directly linked to a definition or article explaining the terms (preferably on wikigender)
- Links embedded in the article should be checked
- Where articles fail to meet these standards the article (or text or charts in the article) will be flagged for general edit (to invite browsers to update references for instance)
- The article or comment should not include offensive material, advertising or links to external offensive or commercial websites.
What are safe behaviours on Wikigender?
The intent of these guidelines is to provide a safe set of rules. Following these behaviours will avoid any potential problems from the start.
- Be bold in updating pages. Go ahead, it's a wiki!
- Encourage others, including those who disagree with you, to share their knowledge
- Be civil to other users at all times
- Assume good faith: try to consider that the person on the other end of the discussion is a thinking, rational being who is trying to positively contribute to Wikigender. If you really do not agree with an edit to your article, revert once, with an edit summary stating something like "(rv) I disagree strongly, I'll explain why in talk" and immediately take the issue to discussion pages.
- Be gracious: be liberal in what you accept, be conservative in what you do. Try to accommodate other people's quirks the best you can, and try to be as polite, solid and straightforward as possible yourself.
- Signing: Sign on discussion pages (using four tildes
"~~~~" which gets replaced by your username and timestamp when you hit submit), but don't sign on main space articles.
- Use the Show preview button: it prevents cluttering up the page-history.
- Don't infringe copyright. Wikigender uses the GNU Free Documentation License. Everything you contribute must be compatible with that license.
