Wikipedia Science Conference/Planning/CFP

This is a draft for discussion. Please don't treat it as final

How to propose a session for the Wikipedia Science Conference

Note that the conference will feature a large unconference block, so even if your proposed session is not accepted, it will be possible to shape the conference just by turning up.

Please send an email to m.l.poulterbristol.ac.uk giving the information specified below. Proposals will be shared and commented on here on this wiki before the choice of sessions for the programme.

Personal details

• Full name
• Affiliation (this might be an educational or research institution, a charity or other organisation, or could be a Wikimedia project that you are involved in)
• Contact email address (if not the email you are using to send the expression of interest)
• Where will you be travelling from to attend this conference?
  • Since we are aiming to pay speakers's travel costs, preference will be given to people travelling from within the UK. However, geographical location within the UK will not count for or against the proposal.

Themes

Please identify one or two themes from the following that your session is most relevant to:

• Wikipedia and/or Wikimedia as platforms for promoting informed public discussion
• Wikipedia and/or Wikimedia as a platform for research (including citizen science)
• Wikipedia and/or Wikimedia as a model for scientific publishing
• Wikipedia and/or Wikimedia as platforms for scientific education
• Under-represented groups in STEM subjects

See Wikipedia_Science_Conference#Themes for more details and links.

Type of session

Indicate the format of session you are proposing, and then given additional information required by that format:

Presentation (20 mins + 10 mins questions)

• This format is suitable for reporting on substantial work in the area defined by the conference themes, or taking an overview of work done.
• The audience will include some non-scientists, non-coders, and experts from outside your specialism, so please bear this in mind. If you want the audience to work with you on technical detail, it is fine to use your session to ask them to join you in an unconference group.
• Please provide a one-line title and 100 to 150-word abstract.

Lightning talk/demo (10 mins)

• This format is suitable for, but not limited to; floating ideas, giving personal perspectives, highlighting research that is in progress, demonstrating tools or resources.
• Please provide a one-line title and 100 to 150-word abstract.
• Note that talks will be kept rigorously to time and that you will need to rehearse the talk to make sure it fits in the time limit.

Panel (at least 3 speakers, 50 mins)

• Each panel will have at least 3 speakers and a moderator. The moderator will be chosen by the conference organisers.
• Please provide a 100 to 150-word biography of each speaker in the proposal (at least two), showing why their experience is relevant to the selected conference themes.
• It is fine to send a proposal involving just two speakers: the conference organisers will look at other proposals to find additional speakers for the panel. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to make a full panel, however.

Availability

The conference will take place on Weds 2nd and Thurs 3rd of September. Please indicate if you are available for both of those days. We reserve the right to give priority to speakers who can attend the whole conference.

Notes for speakers

• The audience will include some non-scientists, non-coders, and experts from outside your specialism, so please bear this in mind. If you want the audience to work with you on technical detail, it is fine to use your session to ask them to join you in an unconference group.
• The conference centre is equipped with modern audio-visual equipment and internet for slides, video, live demos etc.
• Any speakers using original presentation materials will be expected to make them available openly and under a free licence for sharing on Wikimedia Commons. Free licences include Attribution (CC-BY), Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA), and No Rights Reserved (CC 0). If non-free material is needed to make your point, then go ahead, but inform the conference organisers that this slide/ video/ other material is an exception.

Timeline

• End of February: CFP made public and disseminated
• End of April: deadline for submissions
• 4th May: Martin posts submitted proposals on wiki
• 18th May: Deadline for feedback
• End of May: Final programme decided and announced