Project Details:
Updating Wikipedia: Synchronizing Polymer Definitions and Terminology
| Project No.: | 2011-013-2-400 |
| Start date: | 2012-01-01 |
| End date: | 0000-00-00 |
| Division: | Polymer Division |
Wikipedia has become a de facto tool for learning information about many technical fields. Yet no effort to date has been made to bring polymer terminology published there in accordance with IUPAC recommendations, and many terms defined by IUPAC are even missing. The project will involve identifying and assessing polymer terminology in Wikipedia, updating and correcting terminology as needed and linking it to IUPAC resources such as the Gold Book or other resources through prominent links.
A goal of this project will also be to establish best practices for: 1) long term assessment of Wikipedia and 2) best methods to provide new information and corrections to Wikipedia in close cooperation with active chemistry groups in Wikipedia.
There is not an active polymer chemistry group within Wikipedia, so this topic is poorly served at present, a situation that should be changed. In particular in a time where Wikipedia is looking for more authors and supporters, the chances for a fruitful cooperation that improves the impact of IUPAC documents are growing.
The project entails the incorporation into Wikipedia of IUPAC approved terminology related to polymer chemistry. This is a very timely project because of the growing importance of sources like Wikipedia in everyday use as a replacement for glossaries, reference books and dictionaries. The update will include linkage to IUPAC source material, and addition of a list of approved Wikipedia terms to the Polymer Education website. Finally, this project will develop best practices for the Polymer Division (and other divisions by example).
We plan on first assessing Wikipedia and identifying terminology found in the Div. IV publications that has been independently added to Wikipedia. Starting with the most important recommendations, e.g. The Glossary of Basic Terms in Polymer Science, PAC 68(12)(1996) 2287-2311, The Glossary of Terms Related to Kinetics, Thermodynamics and Mechanisms of Polymerization, PAC 80(10)(2008) 2163-2193 or Terminology for Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerization Previously Called “Controlled†or “Living†Radical Polymerization, PAC 82(2)(2010) 483-491 and determine how we can link them to the Gold or Purple book or other recent recommendations of Division IV. This implies several hundred terms to be checked.
Once this is established, we will prepare a report describing our best strategies for a Wikipedia update to be published in PAC, make the changes to Wikipedia and update the polymer education website with links to the appropriate Wikipedia page. Wikipedia also raises the interesting question of graphics and even videos. We will work to establish recommendations for such new media as both material for addition to Wikipedia and for IUPAC in general to consider as part of its own website(s). Languages other than English will be considered but it appears to be too early to incorporate these in this first approach to the problem. There is an already existing Division IV project on a Multilingual Glossary (2007-008-1-400 dos Santos) that might be suited for cooperation at a later stage of progress.