NIOSH Collaborating with Wikipedia
The organization is helping to improve Wikimedia content using its own resources
NIOSH has announced in a press
release that it has been working with Wikipedia for the last four months in
order to improve the encyclopedia’s content with its wide array of resources.
The collaboration makes NIOSH only the second federal
agency, and the first federal scientific agency, to engage with the
encyclopedia in this fashion. The partnership gives NIOSH the opportunity to
disseminate occupational safety and health information to a far greater group
of people.
Some of the NIOSH resources being used include Cochrane
reviews, literature reviews and epidemiological research and chemical data.
Currently, the two parties are in the process of updating the English Wikipedia
with United States-based chemical safety data, including recommended and
permissible exposure limits.
Dr. John Howard, director of NIOSH, said “The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is pleased to partner with
Wikipedia to extend our reach in communicating our research findings and
recommendations to the vast audience of Wikipedia readers. It is incumbent upon
us, as the agency designated by law to lead national research for preventing
work-related injury, illness, and death, to share our rich information with as
many people as we can so they can make informed opinions about their workplace
health and safety. Wikipedia provides a trusted, popular resource to do so in
today’s national, indeed global, virtual community.”