WikiProject Chemicals is a daughter WikiProject of the WikiProject on Chemistry. It concerns writing and improving articles about chemical compounds in Wikipedia. So far, more than fifty members of Wikipedia have signed up to participate in WikiProject Chemicals.
A worklist of representative chemical compounds has been finalized. Progress on the articles in this list is monitored by participants. Also, templates for Lists of Properties for the compounds have been standardized, as has formatting and naming articles on chemical compounds. Presentation of chemical structures should also be standardized (to some extent). This WikiProject also serves as a forum on how best to present chemicals information and proceed with work on chemicals in Wikipedia.
If you would like to help, please inquire on the talk page and look at the worklist. To join, simply list yourself at #Participants by adding your name (and table format) to the section. If you would like to request a new chemistry-related article, please be referred to the WikiProject Chemistry requested articles list.
This WikiProject aims to provide high-quality, standardized articles in Wikipedia for all important chemicals, similar to the Merck Index. This comprises all organic and inorganic compounds, elements, reagents, commodities, pharmaceuticals, pollutants, and other large-scale and small-scale chemicals of interest. Additional focus is given to the selected articles about approx 400 representative chemicals, on the target worklist.
Other chemistry subjects, including chemical groups, ions, methodology of analysis, production, reactions, etc, are included in the Chemistry WikiProject, or in its other daughter wikiproject.
Assessment
First aim of the Chemicals wikiproject is quality improvement of the worklist. These articles are only quality classified, not importance classified. Note that for historical reasons this Wikiproject does not have a GA-Class.
Organic, physical-organic, reactive intermediates (esp. carbenes/stable carbenes), asymmetric catalysis. Lab techniques (esp. Air-sensitive handling). I can draw chemical apparatus, I may even take requests my talk page.
My knowledge is probably not specific or advanced enough to contribute significantly (I'm only in first year), but I enjoy improving existing articles. I also participate in the Spoken WikiProject, currently recording Acetic acid.
The following SMART items are defined as the project goals. Progress is monitored through the project worklist.
Write a full page for one significant compound of each non-radioactive element in the periodic table. For metals this will usually be an oxide or chloride.
Compile a list of 50 common reagents (inorganic and organic) used in chemistry, such as lithium aluminium hydride.
Write a full page for a selection of 30 small building block molecules used in simple organic reactions, such as iodomethane
Compile a list of 50 other important compounds of chemical interest, including commodities, pharmaceuticals, as well as environmental pollutants. Examples include NAD, fexofenadine, indole, prismane and dioxins.
Write a full page for 30 common polymers, such as PVC
Other goals are project oriented:
All articles resulting from this WikiProject should comply with the standard set for featured articles. As a minimum they should have an appropriate chemical infobox. The naming convention for chemicals should be updated, and subsequently complied within those articles.
Develop appropriate navigational aids to help users locate chemicals pages relevant to their needs, and which help identify those compounds that have complete pages written. These would help supplement the traditional searches, categories, and list of compounds by being tailored for the specific class of compound. All lists considered part of the wikiproject should be indexed, e.g., by chemical element, Hill system or otherwise.
Set up a means of keeping track of progress towards the above goals. An assessment is to be developed and deployed. This is on-going on the /Organization page.
These are not permanent goals, rather they set targets for us that are achievable in a reasonable timescale. One or two may already have been reached, and when we have all of them checked off we can set new goals.
Discussion forums
Several streams of discussion are on-going, among others:
The worklist of the Chemicals WikiProject is undergoing continuous updates, to be brought in line with the goals as presented above. Please assist in adding, completing, and otherwise improving it. Work is now in progress to actually update the listed compounds, all to a minimum of {{chem Start}} level
Worklist to A-Class level
Additionally, not necessarily sequentially, to the above target, all articles on the worklist be enhanced to {{chem A-Class}} level.
Style guide
Participants are working on developing a style guide for naming, writing and formatting articles on chemical compounds.
a Userbox {{User WPChem}} has been defined to show your support of the Chemicals wikiproject
A wikiproject template {{chemicals}} with options: core, class, and importance
Chemical Infoboxes
Additionally chemical infoboxes have been agreed on as guideline, and are available as templates. For this a {{chembox header}} specific table template has been defined. Three infobox formats have been defined, viz., the {{chembox}} template as a generic table, the {{chembox simple organic}} for organic coumpounds, and {{chembox simple inorganic}} for inorganic compounds.
For filling out the chembox templates, the project has made available a useful data book of gas densities, viscosities and solubility products. Other tables may be added in the future.