This document discusses guidelines for pharmaceutical companies and their employees editing Wikipedia articles. It advises that individuals rather than companies should make edits, using their own user names. Editors must declare any conflicts of interest relating to their employer. They should not directly edit articles about their own organizations but rather work with the Wikipedia community by suggesting edits on talk pages and requesting that others make changes. The guidelines emphasize transparency, neutrality, and working collaboratively with other editors.

1. WIKIPEDIA
Should Pharma Edit?

2. Introduction
• The largest Encyclopedia in the world
• Anyone who can access the site can edit it
• From „Wiki‟meaning quick in Hawaiian and “Pedia‟from Encyclopedia

3. Definition
‘Wikipedia is a collaboratively
edited, multilingual, free
Internet encyclopedia that
is supported by the non-profit
Wikimedia Foundation’

4. Some figures
30
million
global
articles
articles in
English
287
Languages
4.4
million
unique visitors
per month
500
million
unique
editors per
month
300,000

5. Is it accurate?
‘A 2005 investigation in Nature showed that the 42 science articles they
compared came close to the level of accuracy of Encyclopædia Britannica’

6. The 5 Pillars of
Wiipedia

7. The 5 Pillars of Wikipedia
The fundamental principles by which Wikipedia operates can be
summarized in five "pillars”:
Wikipedia is an
encyclopedia
Wikipedia is written
from a neutral point
of view
Wikipedia is free
content that anyone
can edit, use, modify,
and distribute
Editors should treat
each other with
respect and civility
Wikipedia does not
have firm rules
1 2 3
4 5

8. 1. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
• Wikipedia is not a soapbox, an advertising platform, a vanity press,
an experiment in anarchy or democracy, an indiscriminate collection
of information, or a web directory. It is not a dictionary, a newspaper,
or a collection of source documents
Do not write for specific audiences, e.g.
patients or doctors

9. 2. Wikipedia is written from a neutral
point of view
• All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, citing
reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is
controversial
or is on living persons. Editors' personal
experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong.
Write so it's impossible to tell that someone
who works for the company wrote it

10. 3. Wikipedia is free content that anyone can
edit, use, modify, and distribute
• Since all editors freely license their work to the public, no editor
owns an article and any contributions can and will be mercilessly
edited and redistributed. Respect copyright laws, and never plagiarize
from sources.
Be careful what you share

11. 4. Editors should treat each other with
respect and civility
• Respect your fellow Wikipedians, even when you disagree.
Don't engage in personal attacks. Seek consensus, avoid edit
wars, and never disrupt Wikipedia to illustrate a point.
• Act in good faith, and assume good faith on the part of others.
Be open and welcoming to newcomers. If a conflict arises, discuss it
calmly on the nearest talk pages and follow dispute resolution
Stay calm!

12. 5. Wikipedia does not have firm rules
• Wikipedia has policies and guidelines, Their principles and spirit
matter more than their literal wording, and sometimes improving
Wikipedia requires making an exception.
• Be bold but not reckless in updating articles. Every past version of a
page is saved, so any mistakes can be easily corrected.
Act in the spirit of Wikipedia

13. How should
Pharma
approach editing
Wikipedia?

14. Individuals not companies
• Individual user names only
• Does not have to be your real name
• May mention your company if not promotional e.g. ‘John at Pfizer’
• User page should be clear e.g. ‘I am John, I work for Pfizer’
• Multiple people are not allowed to use this account
• Breaching this may result in your account being blocked

15. Declare your conflict of Interest
If you work directly or indirectly for a Pharma company you have a
conflict when making Pharma related edits
• Declare your conflict of interest (COI)
• On your user page
• On article talk pages related to your COI
• On other users and project talk pages when you have a COI
• As a link to your signature
• Consider declaring on the COI noticeboard
• This will help gain the community‟s trust and their help
• It will help avoid embarrassing revelations of misconduct

16. Do not edit articles about yourself, your
family or friends, your organisation, your
clients, or your competitors
Let others make the changes!

17. Work with the community
The
Village
Pump
Articles
for
creation
Peer
Review
Article
Talk Pages
User
Talk Pages
Project
Talk Pages

18. The village pump

19. Articles for creation
A good way to work within a
conflict of interest by getting others
to create the article

20. Peer review
You can get your article peer
reviewed to reduce the likelihood
of bias

21. Article talk pages Interact on the articles talk page
and suggest edits

22. Project talk pages Many active related project pages
exist where you can discuss edits

23. User talk pages
Interact with users on their talk pages.
Many will be very happy to discuss
things, if they believe you can help
improve Wikipedia

24. User talk pages
Many of these users are very vigilant
and will pick up on anything done in the
wrong way so be aware

25. And to start with!
The teahouse is a great place to
get started and ask any early
questions

26. Apharma
example

27. GSK/Stiefel
A nice example of how to declare
conflicts of interests

28. User contributions
The edits here were almost all
made via the talk pages (apart
from some minor ones)
Changes to corporate pages are
likely to be less contentious than
brand changes

29. Requesting edits
The suggested edits to Stiefel
were implemented by someone
else

30. Conclusions
• Do not edit pages directly where you have a conflict of interest
• Create content that is neutral and suitable for a broad audience
• Work with the community
• Ask questions on the relevant talk pages
• Suggest edits and content
• Always consider foremost what will increase the value of Wikipedia
• Be bold but not reckless

31. @garymonk
garywmonk
gary@garymonk.com
www.garymonk.com
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