The ILAE Wikipedia Epilepsy Project is a project that attempts to increase and improve the coverage of epilepsy related articles on Wikipedia, the most commonly accessed source of health information by professionals and the lay public worldwide. The project is a collaboration between ILAE, Wikipedia:WikiProject Medicine and Wikipedia:WikiProject Epilepsy

The ILAE Wikipedia Epilepsy Project presents an unique opportunity to convey through Wikipedia, the most authoritative and up to date information in epilepsy, with the widest possible penetration and range, and in many languages. The project aims to engage young people and build an epilepsy community on working on Wikipedia, and to engage physicians to contribute high quality content about epilepsy on Wikipedia.[1]

Although the project is currently running on English Wikipedia only, it is a multilingual project and can operate from any other language base, subject to availability of volunteers.

Contributions to the project are tracked through this dashboard.

Goals edit

  • The purpose of the Journal is to further the mission of the ILAE, which is to ensure that health professionals, patients and their care providers, governments and the public world-wide have the educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy
  • The target audience of the Journal includes both professionals and the lay public
  • The material to be developed by the Editor and published in the Journal will consist of two equally important types:
    • Edits to existing epilepsy-related entries to make them accurate and authoritative, applying extensive references/links to appropriate publications, especially those that involve ILAE-related materials and applying formatting and language in keeping with Wikipedia policy
    • Create new epilepsy-related entries which can take the form of standard Wikipedia entries, or full-featured professional quality articles that can be simultaneously published in Wikipedia and in Open Access journals

Aims edit

The scope of work of the Wikipedia Epilepsy initiative will involve two equally important activities:

  • Edit existing epilepsy-related entries - this is a central aspect of the initiative. The goal is to make entries accurate and authoritative, applying extensive references/links to appropriate publications, especially those that involve ILAE-related materials on www.ilae.org or from ILAE’s three journals, and including open access articles, and applying language that is, as much as possible, understandable by non-professionals, in keeping with Wikipedia policy.
  • Create/solicit new epilepsy-related entries - these can take two formats: 1) Standard Wikipedia entries. 2) Full-featured professional quality articles that can be simultaneously published in Wikipedia and in open access journals such as Epilepsia Open, PLoS or other Creative Commons-licensed journals. The latter are preferred when possible, as they provide the authors opportunity for recognized authorship and contribute to their Curriculum Vitae.

Benefits to contributors edit

You could participate in the project in various roles. Participating in the project would offer several benefits.

  • The project would pool top experts in the field from all over the world. This could provide you with an enriching experience.
  • You would be able to improve your skills as you would get specific inputs on what needs to be improved as the articles get systematically reviewed by academic reviewers and experts.
  • A scope to get author credits with the Wikipedia article being co-published in various open access academic journals with established impact factor.
  • You get to be a part of a unique community that is going to make a difference.
  • A recognition certificate from ILAE acknowledging the good work you have done.
  • ILAE will offer specific perks to top contributors from time to time. It could be awards (specifically reserved for contributors to the project), bursaries, registration discounts, specific privileges, or something else that get defined from time to time.
  • Chances to be competitively advanced from peers by actively participating in editathons and competitions periodically held as a part of this project.
  • Ability to display a badge or userbox denoting the level of involvement in the project.
  • Recognition as top contributors in various drives that the project will periodically announce.
  • Many others...

References edit

  1. ^ ILAE Wikipedia Project.