Help:Authors of contributions
Introduction
Note : The following text is a 'martyr' text, the objective of which is to provoque your reactions!
The concept of author is crucial in the scientific community. It lies at the base of a researcher reknown and carrier. It is equally important for amateurs, the social recognition of their contribution bringing them a strong moral benefit.
Mentioning an author has another interest. Once he is known, every reader is able to value which level of confidence he can give him. Everybody knows which author is reliable or not, and in which domains.
Let us be clear: by "amateur", we mean any person who has developed expertise and knowledge without being paid for that. There is no intrinsic difference between amateurs and professional teachers or researchers, inasmuch amateurs adhere to the basic rules of scientific knowledge development. Through their motivation and passion, amateurs largely contribute to entire sections of knowledge, when such knowledge is (momentarily?) neglected by research, which follows its own contraints.
How to quote authors ?
Authors are acknowledged by Wikipedia, but the history of each page has to be consulted in order to identify them. On the other part, use of pseudos dosen't allow to know the identity of authors.
In Pl@ntUse, we can distinguish two caes:
- An author puts on line an original contribution, which he signs down the page. Any modification of this contribution is then submitted to acceptation by the author. If the author becomes inactive and if other persons wish to modify his contribution, logics is then that a distinct page is created.
- An author initiates a text that he wishes to see completed or amended by others. The multiplicity of authors must then be regulated. Here is a proposal:
- every person contributing to more than 20% of a text is mentioned as author, in the order of importance of his contribution;
- every person contributing to less than 20% is mentioned as contributor, as far as his contribution deals with new text elements;
- every person contributing by improving orthography, style or page setting, is not quoted as author or contributor, but as editor if he has done significant corrections.
- every person contributing to the translation of a text is quoted as translator, with the same rules as authors.
- every person contributing to digitization and editing of a resource put on line is indicated by a mention such as : "put on line and revised by X". In the case of a set of linked pages (e.g. book chapters), this indication is put only on the introductory page.
