Human ResourcesCategory Archives

Development in the Role of Human Resources Leadership

In order to be recognized as a successful HR leader, there are three roles you must manage. The first is the ability to implement organizational strategy. The second is controlling the strategic planning process by sorting through the positive and negative outcomes associated with making a decision. Lastly, one must manage the formulation of a strategy to protect against the negative effects caused by unexpected outcomes.

Working to obtain a human resources certificate, you will learn what it takes to become an efficient manager. You will be able to understand and explain the three major roles of HR. Additionally, you will learn how to control business strategy and make alterations to current strategy. This will lead to more successful business activity. As an HR leader, it is important to be able to be conversant about issues that may delay positive decision making and develop solutions “on the fly” to these problems.

This agility is a common benchmark of successful human resources leadership.

Human resources leadership as a theory has been changing and reinventing itself over the past 30 years. HR started as a very conformed and structured area of business and has developed into a strategic and open-ended one. In circumstances of constant change, it is crucial to understand what HR leadership means right now, at this very minute, and what it means to be a successful HR leader today. Being a good strategist and leader are the first steps toward becoming a role model of human resources leadership.

These days we hear a lot about the concept of human resources leadership and many are unsure what it actually entails. In order to understand how HR has developed, we will take a look back through the history books.

During the 1970s, the job of an HR leader was to act like a police officer and make sure the managers did not make illegal or discriminatory decisions. This was in response to the equal-employment opportunity legislation of the 1960s. It was during the 1970s that the Supreme Court was deciding what was legal within the employment context, especially with regard to employment discrimination.

Around 1980, the recession in the US forced many companies to cut back and lay off employees. Traditionally, HR had been one of the first groups to get downsized. HR leaders were forced to decide what role they should be playing and what changes had to be made in order to ensure that next time a downsizing came along that they would not be the first ones cut off. Their job role had to be viewed by others as important and necessary to the running of a business. Therefore, the idea of strategy in HR was developed and put into action. Originally, strategic HR was heavily based on functionality. Every role and job related to HR had to somehow work into the overall strategy of the business model.

Once 1990 came along, another recession occurred which led to yet another rethinking of the role of HR. Dave Aldrich wrote two books entitled Organizational Capability and Human Resource Champions. These books became models that would redirect HR thinking during the 1990s. Within these examples was the idea of a strategic partner; this meant that HR should partner with business leaders to help the company develop its strategy. Additionally, Aldrich recommended restructuring HR to make it more effective and efficient through the three-legged-stool concept. The first leg was the HR manager out working with the businesses in the field. The second leg was the corporate centers for excellence, which consisted of the training function, the staffing function etc., located largely in the corporate headquarters. The third leg was the transactional aspect of the employee relations, and the handling of day-to-day transactions that take place within HR.

Another global recession and rethinking of the role of HR occurred during the beginning of the 21st century. During this time, the three roles of HR leaders were determined: implementer, controller, and manager. From this point on, future HR leaders will learn what it takes to be an ultimate director in the field by completing a human resources certificate training.

admin
December 15, 2011
Human Resources
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Facts about Blood Donation

From a single blood donation there are 13 components that can be availed. All serves a vital function to others in need. Those who receive blood from donation include: Patient suffering from severe blood loss, Leukemia, Hemophilia, Childbirth, Major trauma and major transplants. People can donate blood within minimum interval between two donations in 12 weeks because iron stock which is mainly present in the blood has to be restored.   Human blood for transfusion is the only form of treatment that cannot be manufactured by factories. It can only come from kindhearted people whom we call modern heroes who care enough to share their blood and top spend some of their time in order to save another person’s life. Blood is a valuable human resource, and so far, incomparable.

Blood donation qualification. One can donate blood it you are at least 100 lbs (45 kgs) in order to be qualified for a 250 ml. blood donation and  at least 110lbs (50kgs) for a blood donation of 450ml. Your pulse rate must be between 60 to 100 beats/min. with a regular rhythm. You blood pressure should be between 90 to 160 systolic and 60 to 100 diastolic. And lastly, your hemoglobin is at least 125g/L.

One must also follow these steps if you want to donate your blood.

Before Blood Donation. You will be asked to fill up a Donor’s Form upon arrival at the blood collection site. Questions regarding your heath history will be asked by a trained professional staff. Pre-donation education and counseling will be given by a trained professional staff. You will be examined by a physician. Your weight, blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature will be checked. A small sample of your blood will be taken to check your blood type and the hemoglobin level. Screening and selection procedure will usually take about 10 – 15 minutes. You are encouraged to give accurate data for your safety and that of the patient. All information gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality.
During Blood Donation. You will be asked to lie down on a bed for blood collection done by a skilled medical technologist or nurse. The amount of blood which will be taken be determined by the doctor and will be depend mainly on your body weight and never exceeds 450ml. This will take another 10 – 15 minutes.
After Blood Donation. You will be advised to rest for 10 minutes to allow your body to readjust. You will be given a Blood Donation Record Card, a beverage and simple snacks. You will be advised to drink more fluids. Post-donation education and counseling will be given by a trained professional staff. The volume of fluid taken is completely replaced by the body within 3 to 5 hours.

There are also several factors why a person cannot donate blood. These includes; pregnancy, acute fever, recent alcohol intake, ear or body piercing and tattooing, and recent surgery. Also, person with the following conditions are not allowed to donate blood such as cancer, cardiac disease, severe lung diseases, viral hepatitis, HIV infection, AIDS or sexually transmitted Diseases(STD), high risk occupations( e.g. prostitution), prolonged bleeding, unexplained weight loss of more than 5kgs over six months and chronic alcoholism.

admin
December 13, 2011
Human Resources
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Geography Resources – Atmosphere, Biosphere, Development, Hydrosphere, Industry, Lithosphere, Population, Rural And Urban

1. General Links

BBC Bitesize: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bi…phy/index.shtml
NB: This is an excellent resource that covers the basics for most of the topics. However, you do not need to learn the content relating to derelict land vegetation on Page 3 in the Biosphere section as this is no longer in the syllabus.

http://www.highergeogblog.blogspot.com/ is a site produced for pupils of the High School of Dundee. It has a lot of info relevant to the Higher Geography syllabus. Be warned however, it is heaped into one page so it can take a long time to load.

http://www.main-vision.com/richard/geo.htm seems a decent and fairly relevant general resource.

Geocast (podcast) downloads from excel (definitely worth a look): http://www.exc-el.org.uk/content/index.php…graphy_geocasts

The Bitesize “Ask a Teacher” Service also has a good number of responses to queries from Higher Geography students:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bi…/ask/geography/

GeoResources is aimed at the A and AS Level courses but has some useful stuff: http://www.georesources.co.uk/

‘Geography at the Movies’ is a site with numerous videos of topics relating to Higher Geography (many at a very basic level but others more useful): http://www.geographyatthemovies.co.uk/index.html

The Geography Zone has a ‘Geography Challenge’ page with a number of fun online quizzes to test your knowledge of where the countries of the world actually are or what their capital cities are: http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=1

The National Qualifications Online site has numerous resources available for download:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/resources/…aphy+-+Higher

The SQA Arrangements Documents, updated August 2008 (most recent as at 03/02/10): http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/Geography_Higher_3rd_edition_August 2008.pdf

Texts available for purchase:

John Geddes’ “How to Pass Higher Geography”: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pass-Higher-Geogra…s/dp/0340815817

Leckie & Leckie’s Higher Geography Course Notes: http://www.leckieandleckie.co.uk/catalogue…213&id=1733

Official Higher Geography Past Papers: http://www.leckieandleckie.co.uk/catalogue…213&id=1659

2. Topic Specific Links

Atmosphere

Coriolis Principle:

Source: http://www.uwsp.edu

As shown in the above diagram, due to the Earth’s rotation winds are deflected to the right when travelling south, and to the left when travelling north. This is the Coriolis Principle. Please also see the animation here.

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ):

http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/tropics/itcz.htm

http://web.idrc.ca/IMAGES/books/793/fig3.gif

Global Heat Budget:

Source: www.nasa.gov

The amount of solar energy reflected by the Earth is known as the Earth’s albedo. As shown by the diagram above, on average around 70% of solar energy is absorbed, and 30% reflected. >80% of solar energy is reflected by fresh snow while <10% is reflected by dense forest areas.

Animated version: http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownlo…esourceID=40445

For an animated image showing global short wave radiation see here.

Global Warming:

http://library.thinkquest.org/J003411/causes.htm

Effects: http://www.climatehotmap.org/

In the past there has been controversy over how much global warming is down to natural temperature cycles and how much is anthropogenic global warming (AGW) – i.e. global warming caused by humans, due to greenhouse gas emissions from industry, vehicles etc. Today, the scientific consensus is that anthropogenic global warming is real. The greenhouse gas which has the most forcing on our climate is carbon dioxide (CO2). Water vapour is the most abundant greenhouse gas but changes in water vapour are feedbacks to changes in temperature rather than forcing mechanisms (causes). Please see this animation: here.

Cartogram showing the world in terms of carbon emissions (year 2000 data):

© Copyright 2009 SASI Group (University of Sheffield)

Glossary of Meteorology:

http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary

Oceanic Circulation:

Source: http://www.bigelow.org

An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water that flows in one of the Earth’s oceans. Ocean currents can flow for thousands of kilometres. They are very important in determining the climates of the continents, especially those regions bordering on the ocean. Perhaps the most striking example is the Gulf Stream, which makes northwest Europe much more temperate than any other region at the same latitude. The North Atlantic Gyre is also known as the Sargasso Sea as in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean there are no significant currents, whilst on the periphery there are currents of warm and cool waters.

Rossby waves are formed when polar air moves toward the Equator while tropical air is moving poleward. A large symmetrical undulation develops in a jet stream’s axis of flow and separates cold, polar air from warm, tropical air. These waves are named after Carl-Gustaf Arvid Rossby, who first identified them and explained their movement.

http://geography.sierra.cc.ca.us/booth/Phy…ssby/Rossby.htm

The (simplistic) three cell model of atmospheric circulation:

http://www.unc.edu/courses/2005fall/geog/0…_Cell_model.jpg
 

Biosphere

Soil Types:

Map of world soil types: http://www.isric.org/isric/webdocs/Dominant_soils_WRB.gif

Map of world soil degredation/erosion levels: http://www.povertymap.net/mapsgraphics/gra…world-soils.jpg

Brown Earth Soil:

Click here to see the Brown Earth Soil profile

Brown Earth soils can be found in the region of East Lothian in Scotland.

Gley Soil:

Gley soil shows few plant roots or earthworms entering the grey coloured and water logged soil. Water logging has been a severe problem with this soil, and may not be curable by drainage. There is likely to be poor grass growth and severe poaching in the winter. A mottled grey colour indicates the soil is water logged for part of the year.

Gley soils can be found in Siberia.

See here for more information including a diagram of the gley profile: http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownlo…esourceID=96128

Podzol Soil:

Click here to see the soil profile of the Podzol

Podzol soils can be found in western regions of Scotland (regions of Scotland that get more precipitation).

A soil profile exposed in West Lothian as part of an Advanced Higher Geographical Study:

Source: Brendan Howard
 

Sand Dunes:

http://www.georesources.co.uk/csd1.htm
 

Development and Health

BBC Higher Still home page for Development and Health:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/in…lth/index.shtml

The Scottish Association of Geography Teachers’ Development and Health links page:

http://www.sagt.org.uk/50

Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis):

http://www.escargot.ch/personel/schisto.htm

Development Indicators:

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a social welfare index which is calculated by giving each country a score based on:

Adult literacy rates

Average life expectancy

Average income per person adjusted to reflect local spending power (this can be called purchasing power parity, or PPP).

The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) is another common development indicator which averages the following influences:

Adult literacy rates

Average life expectancy

Infant mortality rate

NB: The only difference between these two indicators is that the PQLI uses the infant mortality rate rather than the PPP. There are many other indicators that can be used individually or combined to give some sort of insight into a nation. However, indicators can sometimes be misleading. For instance, a large portion of Saudi Arabia’s population lives in relative poverty while there are also a minority of millionaires and billionaires that have struck rich thanks to the oil industry. This inequality leads to a GDP/capita statistic paints a picture of relatively moderate wealth and obscures the fact that much of the population lives in poverty. There is a similarly high level of inequality within Brazil, with the more urban South-East region (including the “Golden Triangle” region of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte) having a much higher GNP/capita figure than the North.

The adult literacy rate or newspaper circulation per capita are both good indicators of a country’s education system, while doctors or hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants would be good indicators of a country’s healthcare system. The percentage of a population below the poverty line will indicate the general extent of poverty within a country.

The Pit Latrine:

Source: http://www.wateraid.org

Primary Health Care links from the World Health Organisation (WHO):

http://www.who.int/topics/primary_health_care/en/
 

European Regional Inequalities

http://www.sagt.org.uk/53
 

Source: Mapscroll.blogspot.com

Hydrosphere

The hydrological (water) cycle:

http://waterknowledge.colostate.edu/hydr_cyc.htm

Source: www.scran.ac.uk

Water in the oceans is evaporated and forms clouds, these clouds then condense and precipitate (make it rain or snow), especially at higher altitudes (over mountains, for instance).

The cumulative total of evaporation (from water on surfaces and through soils) and transpation (from plants) is known as evapotranspiration. Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is the amount of water that could be evaporated and transpired if there was plenty of water available (i.e. if water was “in excess”).

A meander:

Source: Jeffrey F. Mount

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/geo…cles/rivart.htm

– Some animation showing how levees are formed during a flood can be viewed here.

– Ox-bow Lake formation animation can be viewed here.

Drainage Basins:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10aa.html

River Landforms:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10z.html

Rivers Glossary:

http://www.zephryus.demon.co.uk/geography/…sion/river.html

You should know that urban areas drain quicker due to impervious surfaces such as roads and organised drainage whereas rural areas have open land and forests which absorb moisture and cause greater lag times in terms of flooding and peak discharge between the rainfall and the water reaching the river – you should also know how to identify these points on the storm hydrograph.
 

Industry

Industry Glossary:

http://www.geographyfieldwork.com/Geograph…CSEIndustry.htm

South Wales case study:

http://www.page-net.com/swansea.localhisto…iningtrail.html

Industries are attracted by the following:

A skilled or unskilled labour force (nearby universities may indicate a skilled labour force)

Large urban areas for labour and for a market to sell manufactured goods to

Transport connections such as motorways and airports for rapid transportation of goods (railways or docks in the past)

Proximity to raw materials such as coal, iron ore, and limestone for the manufacture of iron (in the 1st half of the 18th Century) and steel (from the 2nd half of the 18th Century)

Flat land so goods can be transported quicker and easier

Room for expansion

Today many multinational industries are choosing to go abroad to find their labour force as wages demanded are often less and there may be less or no influence from trade unions. Modern, high-tech industries and the advent of the aeroplane have made this possible as well as these industries being less reliant on a specific area for their raw materials.

Sources: Liverpoolmuseums.org.uk and Investjiangmen.gov.cn
 

Lithosphere

Coasts (including longshore drift):

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co…ition.html#long

http://www.hsn.uk.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4073

A demonstration of the process of longshore drift involving the swash and backwash of waves that break at an oblique angle in relation to the coastline: http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownlo….asp?file=21386

Machair is coastal grassland that develops on calcareous sands that have been blown inland from beaches and dunes. The term “machair” only relates to the flat sand plain that develops behind coastal dunes. Most of the world’s machair is found in Scotland (13,300 hectares) and some also exists in the west of Ireland. Most of it is in the Western Isles – mainly in North and South Uist.

Glaciers:

http://www.nsidc.org/glaciers/

http://www.hsn.uk.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4072

Formation of corries, arêtes and pyramidal peaks: http://www.scalloway.org.uk/phyl13.htm

Landscapes of glacial erosion on an OS Map: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bi…apes5_rev.shtml

Annual glacial budjet animation: Click Here.

Crevasses – The following animation shows how crevasses widen over steeper slopes but can close up on flat slopes: Click Here.

Mass Movements:

http://www.hsn.uk.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2298

Stalactites and Stalagmites:

“Cave structures formed by the deposition of calcite dissolved in ground water. Stalactites grow downwards from the roofs or walls and can be icicle-shaped, straw-shaped, curtain-shaped, or formed as terraces. Stalagmites grow upwards from the cave floor and can be conical, fir-cone-shaped, or resemble a stack of saucers. Growing stalactites and stalagmites may meet to form a continuous column from floor to ceiling…Stalactites are formed when ground water, hanging as a drip, loses a proportion of its carbon dioxide into the air of the cave. This reduces the amount of calcite that can be held in solution, and a small trace of calcite is deposited. Successive drips build up the stalactite over many years. In stalagmite formation the calcite comes out of the solution because of agitation – the shock of a drop of water hitting the floor is sufficient to remove some calcite from the drop. The different shapes result from the splashing of the falling water.” – Research Machines plc 2005.

In the above photo a stalactite has joined a stalagmite to form a pillar. Source: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rawhyte

NB:
– When stalactites join stalagmites they form pillars.
– Calcite is the same as Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3).

U-shaped valleys:

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/lemke/alpi…s/u_valley.html

V-shaped Valleys with Interlocking Spurs:

Please see the animation here.
 

Population

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co…pics/popn1.html

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has a significant impact on populations in middle age. AIDS is a problem across the world but is worst in Africa and SE Asia. In Botswana one child is born with AIDS every hour.

Outbreaks of other diseases (e.g. malaria), civil war, migration, and natural disasters can all cause fluctuations in country or region’s population.

Migration can be forced or voluntary, and long term or short term. An example of forced migration would be the movement of slaves from West Africa to the USA or of Jews from their homes to concentration camps in WWII. An example of voluntary migration would be a family moving from Scotland to Australia to live in a drier and warmer climate, or even anyone who takes a short break from work abroad.

The world’s population is becoming increasingly urban (currently about 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas), predominantly due to the urbanisation of developing nations. In many developed nations such as Britain, the USA and Australia there has been a trend in recent years for urban populations to actually move back to rural environments, or at least suburban environments. This was initially due to the overcrowding caused by the mass movements to the cities and the possibilities new transportation technologies have created (i.e. being able to commute long distances to work each day in a relatively short period of time).

For an interactive map of the growth of major cities of the world (and the emergence of new ones) since 1955 see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/worl…rbanisation.stm

Population pyramid differences between Europe and Africa:

Source: Answers.com
 

Cartogram showing the world in terms of total population:

© Copyright 2009 SASI Group (University of Sheffield)

Note that large countries like Russia and Canada appear very small whereas countries like China and India appear larger than usual.

River Basin Management

http://www.sagt.org.uk/54

Powerpoint on the management of the lower Colorado basin: http://www.unitar.org/hiroshima/programmes…/kabir2_ppt.pdf

Priorities for the Nile River Basin:

http://www.waterforfood.org/conceptnotes/prioNile.asp

MP3 on the benefits of the Three Gorges Dam in China: http://www.archive.org/download/The_Benefi…1/benefits3.mp3

The Three Gorges Dam in China:

Source: Li Ming/ChinaFotoPress

Rural

Extensive Commerical Farming:

Where

Great Plains of the USA

Prairie Provinces of Canada

Areas of FLAT land

Originally land divided up, but as people left amalgamation of farms occurred.

Characteristics

Large areas of land available for cultivation

Large scale grid iron road pattern with small settlements at road junctions and larger town at centre of grid (e.g. Parker, Kansas – for more information on the example of Parker see http://www.rootsweb.com/~kspchs/parkercity.htm)
Low crop yields, but very high scale production

Monoculture of cereal crops in huge fields CASH CROPS (maize/wheat)

High reliance on machinery and technology permitted by the large flat areas of land.

Relatively low labour requirement

Planted in Autumn, growth in summer months

Harvested in late summer, contractors may be used

Harvest stored in silos before being distributed

Marginal climate not suited to more intensive types of farming.

Land is cheap enabling large areas to be purchased

Low population density

Little pressure on land for other needs

Changes
Steps being taken to tackle soil erosion:

Strip cultivation

Contour Ploughing

Shelter belts

Rows of sunflowers

Diversification of farming

Reduction in the monoculture of wheat

Introduction of organic farming which helps reduce mono culture
Diversification can provide job security, although there is still a declining farming population

New crops means greater dependence on contractors to harvest the new crops introduced into this farming system.

The farming landscape around Parker, Kansas:

Source: Google Earth

Wet Rice Farming:

Wet rice farming is a major source of income in many SE Asian countries (e.g. China, Malaysia, and Vietnam).
The Green Revolution has made much larger yields of rice possible but has resulted in large corporations being able to sell at cheaper rates than the small-scale farmer can afford.

http://www.geographyfieldwork.com/RiceFarm.htm

A cross section showing the typical layout and land use of a wet rice farm. Source: www.fao.org

A wet rice farmer in the Philippines. Source: www.painetworks.com

Shifting Cultivation:

http://www.hsn.uk.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1679
 

Rural Land Degradation

http://www.geographyhigh.connectfree.co.uk…egradation.html

Severe soil erosion:

Rural Land Resources

Association of National Park Authorities:

http://www.anpa.gov.uk/template_home.asp?P…mp;LanguageID=1

Cairngorms National Park Authority:

http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/

The Cairngorms in winter:

Source: Brendan Howard

Lake District National Park Authority:

http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority:

http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority:

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/
 

Urban

Urban Geography Glossary:

http://www.geographyfieldwork.com/urban_ge…hy_glossary.htm

http://www.geographyhigh.connectfree.co.uk/s5urban.html

http://www.hsn.uk.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=5756

 

Urban Change and its Management

http://www.sagt.org.uk/58

For a suburbanisation and counter-urbanisation take a look at http://www.stpetershigh.org.uk/DEPARTMENTS/GEOGRAPHY_DEPT/AS_level/module_2b.htm

Gentrification: normally associated with a traditionally poor inner city housing/industrial area which has undergone redevelopment (quality of housing, transport networks, etc.) to the point where it attracts well paid people to move there. The result is that rents in the area increase and existing residents are forced to move out to cheaper areas. Examples of areas which have undergone gentrification can be found in all British cities e.g. Glasgow – Merchant City ; Leith Docks ; London Docklands. Major events and festivals, such as the Olympics, tend to encourage gentrification.

On the ‘Caltongate’ gentrification in Edinburgh: http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/5286/index.php

New Edinburgh Tramways: http://www.edinburgh-tram.co.uk/index.html

 

Source: Stuart Robertson Reynolds

“Regeneration – into the new Millenium” (urban change and management in Glasgow): http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/…egeneration.htm

Audio to accompany a field trip around housing areas in Glasgow (you may want to recommend this site to your teacher): http://www.dass.stir.ac.uk/sections/hous-p…/tour/index.htm

admin
December 12, 2011
Human Resources
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Lords of Wikipedia: How the World’s Most Popular Online Resource Really Gets its Content

Wikipedia is the free online encyclopedia that, as of January, 2008, comprises of over 2,700,000 articles. The revolutionary concept behind Wikipedia, though, is not that it is a free Internet dictionary, or that it contains such a vast amount of information. 

Wikipedia is the encyclopedia “that anyone can edit.” As a result of this new concept, many studies have been conducted regarding the accuracy of Wikipedia. Most studies conclude that Wikipedia is roughly as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica. For example, a December 2005 study by the science journalism magazine Nature concluded that there were 1.3 errors in Wikipedia entries for every one error in Britannica entries. However, when considering only “serious” errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, the study found a 1 to 1 ratio of errors in the competing encyclopedias.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Wikipedia, though, lies in the question of where the information actually comes from. Who, exactly, is responsible for the majority of Wikipedia’s entries? Are there really millions of anonymous users contributing tiny bits of information to articles, eventually amounting to the Wikipedia we have come to know? Surely there must be millions of entries in Wikipedia written by folks who lack the writing skill God gave pistachio nuts.  How, then, does Wikipedia’s content maintain such high levels of accuracy?

Wikipedia founder and Auburn University alumni Jim Wales recently spoke to Stanford University on this subject. It turns out that, yes, millions of different users are responsible for Wikipedia’s content. Yet, there is an “insider” community of users, a “Lords of Wikipedia,” who believe themselves responsible for Wikipedia’s success. For example, the Wikipedia article on Alan Alda has a history of over 1,700 edits. Despite so many edits, less than 100 edits actually added substantial information to the article. Most of those edits were, as Jim Wales described, made by different people. The remaining edits (about 1,600) only dealt with formatting and grammar, and they were made by less than a dozen different users.

In fact, if you take the 10 users who edited the Alan Alda article for grammar and formatting the most number of times, these same users are responsible for a collective 100,000 edits across the entire Wikipedia site.

The sordid world of Wikipedia becomes clear: a user makes an edit to an article to add a chunk of information, and a die-hard community of insiders then makes several edits for grammar and clarity.

Jim Wales admits that, despite some 60 million Wikipedia users, over 50% of the edits are done by only 524 users.

Thus, within the world of Wikipedia, there exists a small group of rogue editors who, quite literally, have dedicated themselves to editing all human knowledge. Wales even closed his speech at Stanford with this remark: “I spend a lot of time listening to those four or five hundred editors.”

The major force behind the success of Wikipedia, the most advanced collaborative project in the history of the World Wide Web, is a clandestine group of keyboard-beholden editors, forever writing and editing the history (and, maybe, the future) of the world.

admin
December 11, 2011
Human Resources
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