Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Spring 2024 #CiteNLM Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

The Spring #CiteNLM Wikipedia Edit-a-thon will be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 from 2pm - 4pm EST (find your time zone). 

Join NNLM Staff for the virtual event as we work to make Wikipedia a better health and medical information resource!

Register on NNLM.gov to attend the live event, April 24, 2024.

*You do not need to attend live event to participate. You can follow the directions below and your edits will count during the #CiteNLM Edit-a-thon!

How to Participate

Step 1: Create a free account on Wikipedia

Step 2: Register on our campaign dashboard

Step 3: Find an article that needs a citation. Here are some strategies:

  • Choose one of the pre-selected articles on the program dashboard
  • Find an article with sourcing or other problems
  • Select an article while browsing pages related to the campaign theme

Step 4: Cite a source

  • Find a source from NLM or other reliable website to support the article
  • Add a citation using Wikipedia Style (learn more about adding citations from 1Lib1Ref)
  • Add the project hashtag #CiteNLM in the Wikipedia Edit Summary

Step 5: Share!

  • Include the hashtag #CiteNLM in your tweets about the event and follow the hashtag to interact with fellow Wikipedians
  • Drop a pin of your location on our participant map.

#CiteNLM Wikipedia Edit-a-thons

Wikipedia’s health topics pages are visited a staggering 7 billion times a year, making it possibly the world’s most popular health information resource. The objective of #CiteNLM is to improve the credibility and content of medical and health-related articles on Wikipedia by adding citations and information from National Library of Medicine (NLM) sources.

NLM is actively engaged in reaching a major strategic goal to “reach more people in more ways through enhanced dissemination and engagement pathways.”

By holding #CiteNLM Wikipedia Edit-a-thons, we can:

  • Make it easier to get credible, evidence-based health information online
  • Disseminate NLM sources and increase their reach
  • Leverage network members’ expertise, experiences, and audiences
  • Engage NNLM members nationwide

Our NNLM #CiteNLM campaigns run twice per year, in the Fall and Spring. Join NNLM staff members and Wikipedians virtually during our twice yearly one-day edit-a-thons, or host an event at your institution anytime during the campaign period. Check-out our Organizer’s Guide to learn how.