wikiproject medicine: breaking down barriers to save lives
TRANSCRIPT
Intelligent Content Conference 2014San Jose, California
February 27-28, 2014
#ICC2014
WikiProject Medicine Breaking Down Barriers to Save Lives
Val SwisherCEO, Content RulesBoard Member, Translators without Borders
TranslatorsWithoutBorders.orgContentRules.com
@TranslatorsWB@ValSwisher
How do We Accomplish this Enormous Task?
It Takes a Village (and a plan)
(and technology)
1. Accuracy2. Readability3. Local Language
Translation4. Access for All
UCSF Medical Students
Acrolinx / Medical Terminology
Database
Content Rules Editors /
Volunteer Physicians
ProZ Translation Workspace
Translators without Borders
Volunteer Translators
Service Providers /
Wikipedia Zero
Technology
People
Accuracy
Readability
Translation
Access
Problem: • Most Wikipedia medical articles are not at GA/FA status
Solution:• UCSF Medical School – fourth year student rotation• Pioneered by Dr. Amin Azzam• Participants:
• Dr. Evans Whitaker, UCSF Medical School• Dr. Jack McCue, UCSF Medical School• Lauren Maggio, Stanford Medical School • Dr. James Heilman, Medical Wikipedian • Jake Orlowitz, Wikimedia Foundation Ambassador• Val Swisher, Content Rules
Accuracy
ReadabilityProblem:
• Medical articles are too complex to read in English• Medical articles are to complicated to be translated
Solution:• Simplify Wikipedia medical articles prior to translation• Create database of simplified medical terminology• Translators without Borders Simplified English Program
• Content Rules• Acrolinx• Countless volunteers from the writing/editing
community
Simplified English Medical Terminology
DatabaseBy the numbers:
10,000+ Medical terms31 Volunteer editors15 Volunteer physicians from around the world1 Database of all terms1 Year100 Planned languages
Local Language
TranslationProblem:• Need articles in local languages• Need to maintain accuracy in translation
Solution by the numbers:• 100 Translate top 100 medical articles into 100
languages• 4 eyes Translation by one translator and verification by a
second• 40-50 Languages currently processed• Future Hoping to expand to all 286 languages and beyond
Accessibility
Problem:• Developing world has limited access to computer
and the internet• Cellphones widespread, but data charges very
expensive
Solution:• Convince service providers to allow Wikipedia
access without data charges• Provide SMS access free of charge for feature
phones – Wikipedia Zero
SUCCESSES
2.2 million words translated into 50
languages Some articles reached Wikipedia GA / FA
status in local language 10,000+ simplified medical terms
But there is SO MUCH more work to be done…
Thank You to ICC 2014 for
Selecting Translators Without Borders as
Your Charitable Organization