Using the Knowledge Base on InformalScience.org

The Knowledge Base (formerly the ISE Evidence Wiki) is a collaboratively generated resource designed to streamline access to and share qualitative and quantitative evidence about the impacts of informal STEM learning on a range of audiences in a variety of settings. Articles in the Knowledge Base are intended to be data-supported claims that can be referenced when developing proposals or "making the case" for a strategy or approach to funders and stakeholders, as well as to see what is known and emerging in the field.

Browsing the Knowledge Base

Articles in the Knowledge Base can be sorted based on three sets of tags--Subjects, Audiences, and Experiences & Settings. To browse the Knowledge Base, select any of these tags, and scroll down to view your results.

Contributing to the Knowledge Base

Writing or editing content in the Knowledge Base is a way to share your project’s findings with the field, become aware of other projects’ work, and create a resource that can be cited on your CV.

If you would like to add your expertise, experience, and perspective to existing articles, or you would like to create new ones, please contact caise@informalscience.org so that we can give your account the necessary access. Once we have done so, you will be able to begin editing articles by using the Edit button that now will be displayed at the top of each article.

Some Criteria for a Useful Article

When writing or editing an article, here are some things to think about.

• Currency - Does the article reflect current thinking on and activity in the field related to the topic?
• Structure - Does the article have content in each of its sections? Is that content complete?
• Evidence - Are claims supported by data? Are there clear links to citations?
• Length - Does the length of the article get the point across in a concise manner while conveying the necessary information?

Article Structure

Each Knowledge Base article is divided into several sections. You are welcome to further subdivide these categories as appropriate.

• Overview - This is a brief introduction to the topic, and should include any necessary background information.
• Findings from Research and Evaluation - This section represents what is known about the article topic. Findings should be supported by research, evaluation, and/or wisdom from practice.
• Directions for Future Research - This section can be used to identify what we don’t know about a topic, including potential research questions or research agendas, current work that is in progress, relevant professional associations/listservs/communities of practice, and more.
• References - References are formatted in APA style and should include links as appropriate. If you have any questions about formatting your citations, contact CAISE Digital Librarian Grace Troxel (gtroxel@astc.org) for assistance.
• Contributors - This section lists each of the authors who have contributed to the article. As you contribute to articles, be sure to add your name in this section!

Once you have entered content into any of these sections, make sure to click the Save button in the bottom left corner of the page.