However, it is not easy and a big challenge to link scientists and practitioners in a continuously growing global context.
With this in mind, the Osteology Foundation has set up the novel Global Osteology Community Platform, The Box, which on the one hand provides information and tools, and on the other allows scientists and practitioners to link up and interact worldwide, as well as also supporting all existing activities of the Osteology Foundation online.
The Box will be launched at Osteology Monaco 2016, and will play an important role during the symposium itself, making it also an ‘online event’ by offering additional online content and benefits for participants as well as everybody else who has signed up for the platform.
The box – what is inside?
In the run up to the congress, Hector Rios, USA, project leader of The Box, said that it was the goal of the project team to create the one place to go in oral regeneration, connecting everybody in this field, and providing new and unique benefits for scientists and practitioners.
“Practitioners can use a tool called the Case Box to document and evaluate clinical cases in oral regeneration”, explained Rios. The user decides whether he wants to share his cases with his network, discuss it with a colleague or keep it private. Users can also browse the public case collection.
Furthermore, The Box offers a novel tool for young and unexperienced scientists, the Research Wizard. “It guides the user step by step through the process of setting up a research project and redirects him to relevant resources”, explained Rios. Further information about protocols and scientific background is available in the online versions of the Osteology Research Guidelines.
“The Box will offer real additional benefits to the Foundation’s live symposia, not only during, but also after the event”, said Rios. At Osteology Monaco, users will be able to access the programme online, browse all abstracts and they can also find all posters here in an online poster exhibition. The poster authors can be contacted directly, and questions to the speakers and experts will be submitted online via The Box during the congress. A true novel development directly linked to The Box is the ‘Audience Poster Award’, which will be awarded to the poster that receives the most votes online during the symposium.
Rios explained further that The Box also provides great networking possibilities, making it possible to interact with researchers and practitioners worldwide, to extend the personal network, to find new contacts, and join discussions with experts. Furthermore, in the personally customisable part of ‘My Box’ the users find the latest news and updates from their network and everything they have saved, contributed, or where they were involved with the Osteology Foundation.
Rios announced that continuous development of the platform is planned. The Foundation will create more tools and content, and also work on educational material. Rios invited every scientist and practitioner working in oral regeneration to sign up, to become part of the global Osteology community – not only for Osteology Monaco, but to help it grow and to turn it into the one place to go in oral regeneration. “And the best thing”, concluded Rios, “is that the use of The Box is free”.
www.box.osteology.org