Help:Analysis, Synthesis and Insight (ASI)

Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight sections (ASI) are special articles that are linked to each case study.

These sections are in a special namespace, ASI, where documents can only be edited by the document creator and administrator-level accounts. Case studies and other articles can be edited by anyone with an account, but ASI articles allow the original author to retain control over their contributions. This allows for nuanced points of view, including multiple and conflicting viewpoints to be incorporated into a case study.

Criteria

ASI articles are designed so that a single user can contribute a content that is specifically related to a particular case study, but is

• affiliated with the author/co-authors of the content
• not editable by other users

The appropriate content for these articles include:

• original analysis of or synthesis (of other research/work) regarding the case or a significant aspect of the case,
• well-researched opinion pieces regarding the case study or aspect of the case study,
• reflections on personal experiences from someone involved closely with the topics and events discussed by this case study

Any content a user wishes to add to a specific case that is particularly nuanced or potentially contentious probably belongs in an ASI article. If a user wants to add some thoughts or research to a case and be able to exercise control over edits to that portion of the case, it may be advisable to shape that content into an ASI article.

Policies

AquaPedia administrators have the ability to edit any ASI article. These edits are recorded on the article’s “History” page. Generally speaking, Administrators will only make changes that improve readability of the article without changing the article’s meaning or intent

ASI articles are meant to provide analysis, synthesis, or insights that help increase knowledge, understanding, and informed discourse on the case study topic. This is not the place to provide disinformation, propaganda, or unfounded remarks. Articles should be written using factual sources, informed opinions, and high quality references. These articles can be considered to be analogous to Op Ed pieces, published personal essays, research reviews, or concluding statements that examine and evaluate evidence presented in the case study.

A user who submits an ASI article should properly acknowledge others who have helped with the opinion piece and should not present the ideas of others as his/her own. The articles should be prepared with the same care and attention to detail as any item that would be published through more traditional means.

Creating and Editing an ASI Article

ASI articles should be started from within the case study it concerns. There is a tab within the editing window specifically for adding ASI articles. After an ASI article has been created, the user who created the article can edit it like any other article.

Article Structure

• Title - Each ASI requires a unique title. While it will always be linked from the case, it may be found through other links. We suggest a descriptive title that includes the "what and where" aspects of your contribution -- similar to a newspaper or magazine headline..

• Contributors - In some instances, the user account contributing the ASI may be presenting information based upon multiple contributors work or on behalf of another person. This section allows the user to list a name and url for each contributor. If you are the contributor, you may link the section to another website or your user page on AquaPedia. We'd recommend that you link to a page that will remain stable for the foreseeable future.

• Perspectives and Contribution Types - You can choose to indicate the perspective your contribution takes. You may provide multiple perspectives within a single contribution or separate your contributions into multiple ASIs for the same case. Additionally, you should indicate the type of contribution: whether your article is providing strict analysis or a personal reflection on your experiences working within a case, or if this is a hybrid-type document.

• Article Content - ASI articles can include the same formatting, references, images and other supporting materials used in other articles. However: due to the limitations of MediaWiki software, images and files added to ASI articles can still be edited by other users.

• Summary - You can provide a short summary that you would like to have appear when your ASI section is included on the Case Study page. You want this summary to be brief and express why a reader would want to view the full ASI contribution. If you do not provide a summary, an administrator may add a summary on your behalf, to help case study readers to decide whether to "click-through" to read your entire ASI contribution to a case.

How Administrators edit these articles

Administrators will often edit these articles specifically for major grammatical issues, formatting concerns (e.g.: formatting references and links) and other minor changes that are largely cosmetic. These pages announce the name of the last user who edited the page, and the "History" tab will show you when and how the page was edited last. This is to maintain the largest amount of transparency possible.

What Shouldn't go into an ASI article

These articles are meant to expand the discourse related to a case by allowing differing (but still informed) opinions and viewpoints to reflect or analyze an aspect of a case study. They should be written in a professional tone and refer to published supporting evidence where possible. If an ASI article is purely defamatory, shares an opinion based entirely on hearsay or conjecture, or is otherwise not useful to expanding the understanding of case it may be proposed for deletion.