840.119:Help

Developing your project webpage at openwetware.org

1. Generate your project start page by using the course template for 840.119 by adding the code {{Template:840.119}} to the first line of your page. If you don't want to use the course template, please provide a link back to the course homepage at the bottom of the page.
2. Begin adding content by typing in a short project description. This is usually called an “Abstract”. Label this section with a header called “Abstract” or “Project description” (chose one).
3. Generate the following additional section headers:
   • State of the Art
   • Objectives
   • Scientific approach
   • (Potential) Impact
   • Associated risks
   • Ethical issues
   • References
4. Start developing your project by adding content to the sections.
5. Optional: Although it is not required by the project, I would appreciate if you would introduce yourself in a few words on the “people” page of the course homepage. If you do this, please add a new page named “840.119:people_name” where name should be your name. This small exercise helps you also to understand how new pages are added – which might be useful later. If you do not want to appear there at all, you can also delete your name from the list. It’s all open source!

A few remarks and hints

• Don’t wait! Start editing your pages soon and continue working at least every other day. This is important in order to develop and shape your project idea. Writing is the best way to get your thoughts straight and identify problems. If you read your previous writings and think about what you wrote, you will find out soon what makes sense and what not – thereby improving your project.
• Start editing now without caring about grammar, wording, or the logic of your arguments. You can edit everything later, delete, modify, move or add content as you wish. Just get the facts in and build a good collection of references. Sort out the wheat from the chaff later.
• Please be aware that your partner will probably also edit the page. Currently I don’t know what happens if both of you edit a page simultaneously – just be aware of potential problems while doing this.
• Please follow the outline given above to build your project website. All the top level section headings listed under 2) and 3) should be included in your project. Please fill all sections with at least some content. If you find it necessary to divide any of these sections further, please do so. But please don’t add further top level headings.
• You may use the course template. But you don’t have to. Anyway, don’t care too much about the design of your pages. It’s the content and the logic of your arguments that matter. Nothing else!
• Discuss any problems you have with your project or OWW with me or your classmates. Please also use WebCT to do this. I set up a discussion topic for each project in WebCT that you can use.
• Further Feedback welcome any time!