What's a wiki?
Wikis are interactive websites that are constantly edited and improved by their user base. Read more about wikis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
Why a BMP wiki?
In science, information and knowledge are never static. Every day, dozens of publications are released. The mass of information is almost too much for a single individual to keep track of. Reviews have been one approach to give a broad overview of a specific topic. Reviews are indeed great for reading into a new subject. However, as we all know, by the time a review is published, it's already outdated.
The advantage of a wiki is that new information can be added anytime, anywhere and by anyone. Anyone can leave links to new publications, ideas and feedback in the comments. Writers will pick up the new information and integrate it into the wiki. Editors will control changes made by writers, add commentaries or open new discussions. In other words, a wiki grows, develops and changes constantly and is much more flexible than a published paper or review.
Moreover, the wiki provides a space where conflicting results or contradictory interpretations of results can be discussed in detail. It's a platform for scientists to exchange news and views whenever they want.
Wiki vs. Review, what's better?
Neither is better than the other, both have their own advantages and wikis should not replace reviews.
Reviews can focus on a very specific aspect of a broad subject or give a general overview of a topic. The number of people working on a review is limited and the review may represent their very own view of what's important in the field. Reviews are limited in size and can easily be referred to.
Wikis can be edited by an endless amount of writers and may thus contain more than one view of a subject. They may be very detailed in some aspects and provide little information about another. A wiki is not a static piece of reference. Pieces of information may vanish from the visible surface once they have been disproved. Thus it's tough to cite a wiki.
How can I contribute?
Please feel free to add comments and suggestions to any page. If you would like to become a writer, please contact tsieber @ chemie.fu-berlin.de for details.
