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Article Introduction
From Sci-Mate Wiki
| Authors : 10.03.2010 - Christopher Dyer - Sci-Mate 24.10.2009 - Christian Mandery 25.11.2008 - |
Researchers can use articles within sci-mate to very easily maintain a summary review of their work or to publish original content. A review can help increase citation and impact of published work, and copyright of original content can help protect ownership of unpublished work.
[edit] Why is this different - or better - than traditional publishing?
While there are some strengths of the current system of publication, there are also some major weaknesses. Articles on sci-mate is a way to build on the strengths of the current system, while covering the weaknesses.
One simple example of an advantage of using sci-mate is that content is instantly published and it remains under the control of researchers. Not only can researchers edit and update what they have previously published, but they also maintain control of the copyright of their contribution (although Article Editors make decisions regarding a collective article).
[edit] How does publishing something in sci-mate benefit me the researcher?
Any clear and accessible description of your research will make it more accessible and attractive for others to engage with. If you want other researchers to invest time in your work, and would like others to invest money in it, then make it available and understandable. An article that can be continously updated and adapted in response to online discussions can help make difficult to understand concepts clearer to increasingly more people. All of this can help initiate collaborations, secure jobs or projects, and has been shown to increase citations of published work.
[edit] Are articles prepared by individuals, groups or openly with all users?
Working alone, an open access article is a good way for researchers to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise openly to the research community.
Working with colleagues to prepare an article using these tools is infinitely easier than emailing various versions to collaborators. Not only do all collaborators have one-click read access, and two-click write access, but there is also an associated discussion page, where important information about the direction of the article is centralized.
Inviting other researchers to edit an open article on the Sci-Mate is a good way to stay engaged with and informed of new applications or developments in a field of research- much quicker than waiting for the final publication. The benefits of a united approach to research are to coordinate research efforts even between competitive labs. This not only reduces wasteful repetition of experiments, but also results in more comprehensive results that can be combined and published in higher impact journals.
[edit] If articles can be edited by anyone, how would I stay in control of my article?
Each article in sci-mate is controlled by an Article Editor. This individual has control over the content and collective copyright of the article. They are also given software tools to prevent unwanted edits. The article editor should define at the bottom of the article or in discussion if they would like others to assist them in preparing the article.
[edit] Can articles be worked on privately, or do they have to be shown publically?
Article Editors can define a password, so that only other users who know the password can access the article, see Private articles.
[edit] How is this different to wikipedia or any other wiki?
While wiki-software is used to allow users to quickly control content, articles in sci-mate draw upon lots of other software with the central purpose of satisfying the needs of academic researchers. Unlike a simple Wiki, for example, authorship is recorded and displayed for all major contributions, and a single article editor is defined to ultimately control content. Articles are also placed into a relevant context to help readers and potential contributors find relevant academic material, and understand the intended purpose of a manuscript.
[edit] How hard is it to use these new software tools?
Editing is done through a familiar Word like editor that requires no prior training or experience to use. Furthermore, you can't break an article. Anything can be fixed or improved.
If you're nervous, then do some test editing with the Play-Mate:
- Register and login;
- Click Play-Mate;
- Type some text (at the end if text exists); and
- Save Article.
If you need further instructions, read Getting Started.
[edit] More Information:
Wiki-textCheatsheet (for emergencies)
