Tools built edit

 
The Proofread Page extension in action.

A MediaWiki extension called ProofreadPage was developed for Wikisource by developer ThomasV to improve the vetting of trancriptions by the project. This displays pages of scanned works side-by-side with the text relating to that page, allowing the text to be proofread and its accuracy later verified independently by any other editor.[1][2][3] Once a book, or other text, has been scanned, the raw images can be modified with image processing software to correct for page rotations and other problems. The retouched images can then be converted into a PDF or DjVu file and uploaded to either Wikisource or Wikimedia Commons.[1]

This system assists editors in ensuring the accuracy of texts on Wikisource. The original page scans of completed works remain available to any user so that errors may be corrected later and readers may check texts against the originals. ProofreadPage also allows greater participation, since access to a physical copy of the original work is not necessary to be able to contribute to the project once images have been uploaded. Thus it enhances the project's commitment to the Wikimedia principle that anyone can contribute.

ThomasV built other tools as well: when the choice of whether publishing annotations or not was discussed, he made a gadget to offer the choice between texts alone or annotated texts. When the choice of modernizing or not the texts was discussed, he made another gadget to modernize the original text only when it was wished, so that it could be decided then that the texts themselves would be the original ones.


Example with old ſ for s and other old spellings modernized on French wikisource

 
Original text
 
Action of the modernizing tool





  1. ^ a b Bernier, Alex; Burger, Dominique; Marmol, Bruno (2010). "Wiki, a New Way to Produce Accessible Documents". In Miesenberger, Klaus; Klaus, Joachim; Zagler, Wolfgang; Karshmer, Arthur (eds.). Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Springer. pp. 22–24. ISBN 978-3-642-14096-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |displayeditors= ignored (|display-editors= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Proofread Page extension at MediaWiki. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  3. ^ ProofreadPage at Wikisource.org. Retrieved 2011-09-29.