Call for Editor – Wikipedia Epilepsy

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) invites applicants and nominations for the position of Editor-in-Chief of its new Wikipedia Epilepsy initiative.

The ILAE's mission is to ensure that health professionals, patients and their care providers, governments, and the public world-wide have the educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy.

Wikipedia is the most commonly accessed source of health information by professionals and the lay public worldwide. This presents the ILAE with a unique opportunity to convey through Wikipedia the most authoritative and up to date information in epilepsy, with the widest possible penetration and range, and in many languages. It will also build an awareness of the ILAE.


Qualifications and Responsibilities

• A strong commitment to promote epilepsy education on a global scale
• An established record of scholarship and leadership in the epilepsy field
• Strong interpersonal, organizational and managerial skills
• Ability to meet the time demands of the Editor position
• Ability to work on electronic media
• Experience as an editor, associate editor or productive editorial board member is an asset.

This is an honorary, non-compensated position, but a stipend for administrative support will be available.

The scope of work of the Wikipedia Epilepsy initiative will involve two equally important activities:        

• Edit existing epilepsy-related entries – this is a central aspect of the initiative. The goal is to make entries accurate and authoritative, applying extensive references/links to appropriate publications, especially those that involve ILAE-related materials on www.ilae.org or from ILAE’s three journals, and including open access articles, and applying language that is, as much as possible, understandable by non-professionals, in keeping with Wikipedia policy
• Create/solicit new epilepsy-related entries – these can take two formats: 1) Standard Wikipedia entries. 2) Full-featured professional quality articles that can be simultaneously published in Wikipedia and in open access journals such as Epilepsia Open, PLoS or other Creative Commons-licensed journals. The latter are preferred when possible, as they provide the authors opportunity for recognized authorship and contribute to their Curriculum Vitae.

Responsibilities will include:

• Reporting to the ILAE Executive Committee
• Forming an editorial board – Associate Editors will be selected by the Editor-in–Chief to represent topic areas of importance and taking into consideration the representation of the wide constituency of the ILAE
• Participating in Wikipedia editing training tutorials and coordinating same for Associate Editors
• Working collaboratively and maintaining regular communication with the Editors of Epilepsia Open, Epileptic Disorders and Epilepsia to determine which articles or portions of articles may be suitable for publication
• Developing agreed upon deliverables in conjunction with the Publications Task Force and ILAE leadership

Application Process
Interested individuals should submit the following via e-mail to Priscilla Shisler (pshisler@ilae.org).

• Letter of application that describes your qualifications for this position and your vision for Wikipedia Epilepsy including how you would assemble a team and implement your vision in accordance with the two main activities described above.
• Curriculum vitae

The deadline for applications is January 6, 2017. Interviews for final candidates will begin in late January. If you would like to nominate someone for consideration, please provide that person’s name, contact information and a brief statement of your reasons for the nomination no later than December 15, 2016.

The ILAE Executive Committee is responsible for the selection of the successful applicant(s). Candidates will be notified of the Executive Committee’s decision in March 2017.