The document describes wikis being used at NASA. It discusses three specific wikis - the AETD wiki at Goddard Space Flight Center, the JPL Wired wiki, and the Mechanical Systems wiki. It provides an overview and background of each wiki, examples of content, and results of their implementation. The document encourages the use of wikis to share knowledge across NASA and makes the case for their benefits.

1. Wikis at NASA Panel
PM Challenge 2012
Jon Verville & Jeff Bolognese/GSFC
Mark Rober/JPL
Haley Stephenson/HQ
For more information, visit: http://go.usa.gov/8mC

2. ASK Magazine
Winter 2011 Article
– Overview of wikis for Project
Mangers
– 2 Case Studies, Links to growing
Case Study Library (8 currently)
– Link: http://go.usa.gov/8mC
– Mailing list:
nasa‐wikis@lists.nasa.gov
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 2

3. Jon Verville/GSFC
AETD Wiki
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 3

4. AETD Wiki ‐ Overview
The AETD Wiki is a technical information and knowledge web repository established as a pilot in early 2010 and
official launched June 2011. It is a site which is accessible by anyone at NASA Goddard. It is built and
owned by the employees of the Goddard engineering directorate (AETD), but managed centrally for
quality and consistency. The goal is to provide a central location for any AETD employee to effectively
share internal information. In this way, the barrier is lowered for collaborating and contributing to this
ever‐evolving knowledge base. If information living in expert's email inboxes, binders, loose papers, and
brains is even partially transferred to this Wiki, it will free the knowledge and enhance collaboration.
Started pilot in March 2010
• Chose 5 branches for pilot (one per division)
• Process
– Met with leadership of each branch to identify
material best leveraged by wiki
– Trained a group of key contributors
– Seeded initial material
– Encouraged/promoted use to
Wiki Page Hits By Day
entire branch 500
• Pilot completed end of November 2010 400
300
Results
200
• Over 1,000 (content) pages in Wiki
100
– Developed 200 help pages
0
– Materials/541 created nearly 400 pages9/19 9/29 10/9 10/19 10/29 11/8 11/18 11/28 12/8 12/18
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 4

5. Code 541 Materials Selection Guide
• Transferred 300 page handbook developed in 1990 into Wiki
• Centralized location for guidance on material, moved other repositories
• Over 1800 edits and 350 pages on materials
Integrate – attach “lessons
learned” to relevant
material page
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 5

6. Integrate – link to
external site
Comments and Integration
Architecture – prompting for
typical content
Interact - user comment and
adding attachment
Discoverable –
easy navigation
to similar
material Wikis at NASA - PMC2012
6

7. Code 584 ‐ Mission Director’s Handbook
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 7

8. Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 8

9. Motivation for Wiki
Antenna Page
• Information and data in
many different places,
with many different
people
• Delivering antennas for
LCROSS, assembled spec,
heritage, material in one
place
• New long term platform
enables rich sharing of
knowledge and history
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 9

10. Mark Rober/JPL
JPL Wired
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 10

11. JPL Wired Wiki ‐ Overview
JPL Wired is a Wikipedia‐style, online resource customized for and written by JPL employees. It is completely open and
ready to be used by anyone on lab (except for Foreign Nationals due to not wanting to deal with ITAR restrictions). JPL
Wired is a place to document concise explanations for common JPL engineering, scientific and general subjects of
interest from a JPL point of view. Articles also may include links to standards, useful websites, book references and good
JPL points of contact if further clarification is needed. The "big picture" goal is to capture all the great information that
people have stored on their hard drives, in their file cabinets or in their heads and put it “in the cloud” so everyone can
have access to it. It doesn’t replace official document repositories, rather it provides some context and links to those
repositories. Think “Grand Central Station” as opposed to “Mecca”
Results since inception
• Over 762 stand alone
articles
• Over 200 unique
contributors
• 170,000 article views
• 43,000 site visits
• Average time of 4 minutes
per visit
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 11

12. What it IS: • What it is NOT intended to be:
•A place to document concise explanations for common • A place to document official standards or procedures. Wired does
JPL engineering, scientific and general subjects of provide context for the content you might find there and then links
interest from a JPL point of view. Articles also may to the official documentation. "Grand Central Station" as opposed to
include links to standards, useful websites, book "Mecca".
references and good JPL points of contact if further • A substitute for experience. It's a map drawn by other experienced
clarification is needed (eg: Drop tests) JPL engineers but you still have to move your own feet to gain the
•For those behind the JPL firewall, it is an openly wisdom only experience can provide
accessible site to give access to all the great information
that currently exists isolated in file cabinets and on hard
drives across the lab.
•An excellent way to transfer lessons learned and to pass
on subject matter knowledge. It's allows the JPL engineer
to more efficiently leverage off the research and
experience of his/her peers
•"The first place you go" when needing to find out more
about a subject as a JPL engineer. It's a jumping ground,
guiding you in the right direction for your specific
application. Think "Grand Central Station"
•(take a deep breath) Open for editing by almost all. A
Web 2.0 mentality for encouraging collaboration
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 12

13. Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 13

14. HOT Wired is a regular email publication and highlights all the new
articles on Wired
December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 14

15. December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 15

16. December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 16

17. December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 17

18. December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 18

19. Jeff Bolognese/GSFC
Mechanical Systems Wiki / AETD Wiki
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 19

20. Mechanical Systems Analysis & Simulation Branch
Wiki Overview
The Mechanical Systems Analysis and Simulation Branch (GSFC Code 542)Wiki pages reside in the AETD. The
pages build on a knowledge capture effort within the branch started back in 1994 – The Finite Element
Continuous Improvement (FEMCI) group. As part of that effort a series of web pages were produced with
information on structural analysis and modeling techniques. Those “static” web pages have been
transferred to the Wiki and new content added. The Wiki format allows all members of the branch to
more easily and rapidly add content and continue to grow the branch storehouse of knowledge. The Wiki
has made it easier to add more dynamic and interactive content such as surveys, videos, and other multi‐
media content.
Branch Wiki pages established in October 2010
• Transfer of FEMCI web pages to Wiki
– Additional pages added to expand that base content
– Beginning to record presentations and post that multimedia content in addition to
“static” presentation content
• Used extensively for branch retreat and “continuous improvement” activities
– Capture of notes for retreat
– Notes and information on future planning activities
• Results
• 184 pages in Code 542 Wiki
• ~25 % of the branch has contributed content
• Not including heritage FEMCI pages
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 20

21. Mechanical Systems Analysis and Simulation
Branch Wiki “home”
December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 21

22. Sample FEMCI Presentation Archive
Documentation linked to
Wiki pages
Presentations are
recorded and made
available on Wiki
December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 22

23. FEMCI “Knowledge” Article
Knowledge content has
extensive use of
formulas using LaTeX
December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 23

24. Interactive Content – FEMCI Survey
Interactive content such
as surveys used to
encourage active use
December 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center • Enabling the “Reality of Tomorrow” 24

25. Haley Stephenson/HQ
OCE APPEL
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 25

26. Overview
Individual Competence Team Performance Organizational Knowledge
Courses Forums Training Workshops
???
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 26

27. The Challenge
You’ve been selected to be a
Principal Investigator at NASA.
How do you learn to do your job?
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 27

28. An Experiment
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 28

29. For Example
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 29

30. Beyond PI Forum
Course Materials & Instructor Support Workforce Collaboration Tool
Knowledge Taxonomy
Wikis at NASA - PMC2012 30