WikiMathCom:About
Welcome to WikiMathCom, a wiki aimed to collect all projects and resources about math communication, such as math museums, exhibits, books, films, fairs, performances, etc.
WikiMathCom is a project supported by IMAGINARY, as part of its actions towards the math outreach community. WikiMathCom is an open project and it belongs to the community.
What is the goal of WikiMathCom?
The main goal is to collect all projects on math communication worldwide, structured and organized for the use of professionals of math dissemination (although it is public and open to any enthusiast).
One purpose of this collection is to encourage the interaction and collaboration between different projects. It can serve to compare and establish relations (e.g. first authorship of an exhibit and derivated exhibits, tracing back ideas, comparing different approaches on the same topic, etc). This way, a second purpose is to be a base for research in didactics and in science communication.
How does it work?
WikiMathCom works pretty much as Wikipedia does. However there are diferences.
- The subject of this wiki is Math communication, which means any project devoted to transmit, display or explain mathematics to the general public, outside the formal education. This is not a place for school, technical or research textbooks in mathematics, but divulgation materials are appropriate.
- The information must be public. Anybody can write and edit articles, which means that the collaboration of a particular project is not required to appear on this wiki. This allows to collect potentially all projects, just as quick as one person knows about a project and is willing to write a description.
- However, unlike Wikipedia, there is no need for external or third party references if the primary source is reliable. That means that, if needed, an article about certain project can be protected in basis of the authoritative opinion of the person in charge of this particular project. This can only happen to prevent unaccurate information, not to avoid appearing in the wiki, since all the information is already public.
- The information must be objective and neutral. The projects are described in third person, and not like an advert. Whereas this wiki is aimed to give projects visibility, an objective description is fundamental to make the information reliable. No statements like "Join us!" or "the most awesome project in the world". This is not a place to express opinions, however argumented inferences from credited sources are appropriated.
- This is not the official website of any particular project. Links to similar and related projects are strongly encouraged. A desirable goal is to have the ability of tracing back ideas to its origin, establishing authorships, distinguishing originals and derivatives, and comparing projects.
- IMAGINARY manages this wiki with the aim of supporting the connection and interaction of projects in the math community, and in the good faith that it will be welcomed. However, these guidelines and the project may change according to circumstances.
- This is not a place to display one's content, but to have a reviewed list of projects. However, IMAGINARY provides a platform for hosting free open content.