Collaborative Web-Based Collaborative Web-Based Radiation Oncology TextbookRadiation Oncology Textbook

A Paradigm Shift in the Writing, Editing, and Publishing A Paradigm Shift in the Writing, Editing, and Publishing of Textbooksof Textbooks

Brian C. CookBrian C. Cook11, Tomas Dvorak, Tomas Dvorak22, Michael D. Chan, Michael D. Chan22, and, andDavid E. WazerDavid E. Wazer22

11 Sampson Radiation Oncology, Clinton, NC Sampson Radiation Oncology, Clinton, NC22 Department of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA

SampsonRegionalMedicalCenter

Sampson Radiation Oncology

Sampson Regional Cancer Center

Collaborative Web-based textbook

• Purpose: To develop a free web-based radiation oncology textbook that can be written to, modified, and used by anyone, from anywhere

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Radiation_Oncology

Main Page

Wiki concept applied to radiation oncology

• Rationale: Uses the wiki concept to allow easy, collaborative editing by a multitude of users. This allows for the textbook to be updated quickly as new data emerges

*** The wiki book is dynamic not static ***

Editing Window

Multiple user advantages over traditional textbooks

• User Advantages:

- References to studies are all linked directly to their published articles via PubMed

- Content is virtually limitless (no size limit for text + pictures)

- Structure is web-like (hyperlinks), not linear – allowing for more intuitive organization

- Searchable (indexed by Google)

- Links to other related content on the web (e.g. ASTRO.org, NCCN.org, Cancer.gov)

Textbook Page With PubMed Link

Multiple editor advantages over traditional textbooks

• Editor Advantages:

- The power of cooperation – a large work can be built over time

- Dynamic review by multiple editors minimizes author bias

- Error discovery and correction is enhanced

- A history is kept of all changes

- Unwanted changes are easily reverted to original

Version Control

Current Status

- The wiki textbook was created in 9/2004

- So far, it has been edited by more than 150 unique users in the USA and internationally

- It has grown to more than 400 web pages (chapters) containing 356,000 words (equivalent to 460 full-text pages of the Red Journal)

- More than 3,000 papers are summarized and linked to via PubMed

- Separate listing of randomized evidence for a given disease/site

Embedded Images

Conclusions

• An online wiki-based textbook has been established

• This format allows unique advantages over traditional textbooks

• However, there are concerns about control of content and lack of formalized peer review

• Its utilization and acceptance by the radiation oncology community remain to be determined