As part of the Honours course “Writing a Historical Book Review” at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), students in Spring/Summer 2025 have created a new series of Wikipedia entries based on psychology-related works from Maastricht University Library’s Special Collections. Each student selected a unique or rare book, studied it in depth and translated their findings into an accessible, encyclopaedic book review for a broad online audience.
Collaborating with Wikimedia Netherlands
The course is organised in close collaboration with Wikimedia Netherlands and UM’s Special Collections. Over the span of five meetings, students are introduced to historical psychology ‘classics’, learn how to work with primary sources, and receive hands-on training in searching specialist databases. A guided tour through the Special Collections offers a closer look at some of the highlights that form the basis of their assignments.
List of reviews
Building academic and communication skills
By writing for Wikipedia, students don’t just practice academic reading and critical analysis, they also learn to communicate scholarly knowledge clearly, accurately and neutrally. They work with referencing guidelines, source citation and open access principles, gaining a deeper understanding of how reliable knowledge is built and shared online. Their reviews help make UM’s Special Collections more visible and usable to researchers, students and interested readers worldwide.
Special Collections in teaching and research
This recurring collaboration with Wikimedia Netherlands underlines Maastricht University’s commitment to innovative, open education. The Special Collections play a key role in this: these rare and valuable works are actively used in teaching and research across disciplines.
Would you like to know more about integrating Special Collections into your own course or research project? Visit the Maastricht University Library website or contact Odin Essers, curator of Special Collections, via Ask Your Librarian.
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