Collaboration Formed to Improve Online Health Information

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization that operates the Wikipedia online encyclopedia, are joining forces to make health and science information more accessible and reliable. This collaboration is the first of its kind for both organizations.

On July 16, the NIH will host Wikimedia staff and volunteers working in the sciences for an all-day event on its Bethesda campus. Participants will learn about the philosophy and mechanics of Wikipedia and will begin what is hoped to be a long-term dialogue aimed at improving public knowledge about health, science, and medicine. The international foundation has never before worked with a federal agency or a health sciences institution.

“Wikipedia Academies are public outreach events, usually lasting one or two days, aimed at engaging academics and other subject-matter experts who are not familiar with wiki culture or online communities,” says Frank Schulenburg, head of public outreach for the Wikimedia Foundation. “In presentations and workshops, experienced Wikipedia authors teach the participants how to contribute to Wikipedia and orient the audience to Wikipedia’s structures and community policies.”

Wikipedia contains nearly 13.5 million articles written in more than 250 languages. In May, it served over 315 million unique visitors. The site manages, on average, more than 14 million page views per hour.

To satisfy the public’s growing need for reliable health information, the NIH and the Wikimedia Foundation want to increase the availability of accurate medical and health information available to the public. At the same time, they hope to establish strategies to interlace the distinct cultures of Wikipedia and the research community.

After the Wikipedia Academy, NIH subject matter experts will be able to contribute to Wikipedia and also help develop best practices for future sessions. Instructions about how to contribute, including video of the Wikipedia Academy at the NIH, will be available on the NIH and the Wikipedia Web sites for scientists across the country.
 
Source: National Institutes of Health