Social Contract

This social contract establishes the principles we follow when adding and editing material in our wiki. By honoring our social contract we retain the privilage to edit. This contract is enforced by our moderator team. Complaints about violations of this contract can be made on our Complaints Page.

(v. 2.3 May 2024)

1. The Scientific Ethos

We use the scientific method and careful describe our propositions using precise language, design experiments to test hypotheses, develop logical arguments, cite our evidence, and analyze probability when contributing to the platform. We avoid logical fallacies. When others appear to misunderstand our work we improve our writing. Our goal in critique is to identify alternative hypotheses and compare the weight of evidence. Evidence is not limited to peer reviewed publications, but we identify the sources of our evidence so that others way weigh our evidence using their own judgment.

2. Use Clear Neutral Language

Words designed to provoke an emotive response or conclusion (for example, words like 'ridiculous' or 'obvious') cloud our ability to accurately assess an argument and evidence. We use clear neutral language to describe evidence and uncertainty.

3. Keep Analysis Impersonal and Critique Civil

We do not use critique as an opportunity evaluate the character or intentions of others. If propositions are flawed, we challenge those ideas with evidence and logic. Each page has a discussion page (see tab on top), where the author can provide notes, and others can identify weaknesses in the text to provoke stronger and more precise analysis. Authors of text are encouraged to resolve strong critique on the discussion page through text revision or additional discussion page response.

4. Content Deletion Courtesy

Please consider carefully before removing a line or reasoning suggested by another author, and state your intent to complete a major edit in the discussion page. All pages are intended as collaborative space. Our purpose is to add useful and accurate information and to make information easy to find using our Style Guide. This may require substantive edit. We aim to organize, refine, and evaluate information, rather then discarding information.

5. Resolve Disagreement

Where two authors are unable to develop text that reflects a shared understanding, this requires that we develop a more detailed understanding of the disagreement. There are two alternatives: 1) one author presents their view in the page text, and the other author may provide a brief description and link to a new dissent page, or 2) the disagreement is identified using precise and neutral language in the text of the page, and the disagreement is further represented in one or more topic pages. In all cases, we will be careful to identify and focus on citation of evidence and precise conceptual arguments. Should two authors be unable to come to an agreement, the matter should be posted on the complaints page and an outcome will be adjudicated by the moderator team.

6. Post Documents Considerately

We only post documents, images or text that are the original work of the poster, or part of the public domain, or where the author has agreed that the materials are ready and appropriate for public distribution (such as in a public and official government publication). We will not infringe on personal copyright or other applicable law. We understand that Wiki text itself is governed by a Creative Commons Cite and Share Alike License.

7. Adhere to Style Guide

We generate clean, succinct, and accessible text and make content consistent with our Style Guide.

8. Avoid Socio-political Commentary in Page Content

Wiki content is not a forum for publishing sociopolitical philosophies, critiques or opinions. Our focus here is to archive and organize evidence that enriches our understanding of the processes, structures, and behaviors of systems, including human systems, by presenting sources of evidence. You may use the wiki to publish your opinions as attributed essays.

9. Refrain from Economic Self Promotion

While you may describe fee-based work on your workgroup or user page and link to a private web-page, and may share information about resources that are not free, this wiki is not intended for solicitation, advertisement, informational commercials, or funneling traffic to offsite commercial websites.

10. Take Personal Responsibility

We recognize that it is our personal responsibility to understand this social contract and work with our colleagues to demonstrate our good intentions. We identify on our user page our legal name and relevant organizational affiliation. We understand that if the moderator team has full discretion that if they find our conduct inconsistent with this agreement than our participation as an editor of this site may be brought to an end.

You can interact with other wiki editors on a discussion page. You can also "watch" a page so that you are notified of any future edits. Both Discussion Pages and Watch links are found in every page header. Discussion pages and watching are how you interact with other editors. Be sure to consider our Social Contract and Style Guide when collaboratively editing pages.