About ERPinfo.org
Why this website exists and how it can be helpful to you.
Like the brain itself, the field of cognitive studies is simultaneously extremely diverse and highly interrelated. Currently, there is a multitude of disciplines in the field (linguistics, psychology, human development, neuroscience, etc.) that approach the study of the human brain with specific goals in mind. Despite these individual differences, all are inexorably linked due to the fact that one piece of biological machinery performs all of the specialized functions that researchers study. The different disciplines are united by a common goal of achieving a more complete understanding of the human brain and its functions.
Consequently, much can be shared amongst these disciplines especially in the way of measuring and observing the brain. Electroencephalography, "EEG", is one such technique and the topic of this website. Up until now, information regarding new research findings, experimental techniques, and product reviews has spread steadily via printed media (e.g. journals, books, etc.) and via person-person contact at conferences, in labs, and in classrooms. Ultimately, the purpose of ERPinfo.org is to utilize the fastest and most convenient mode of communication, the internet, to further the information-exchange among researchers, product developers, students, and enthusiasts alike.
Already there is a mass amount of information regarding EEG available on the internet. While this has served as a wonderful resource, there are always things to be improved upon. ERPinfo.org can remedy these problems because of one special feature: it can be easily edited by any of its users. First, as many people know, it is often difficult to judge the reliability of websites as a source for scientific information. ERPinfo.org essentially employs the same review process as many respectable printed journals: a peer review process. By having researchers edit and review information posted by other researchers on the website, the cognitive research community can work its way toward a significantly more reliable resource database. On the other hand, a significant portion of the information is held in article databases. While these portals can not be critiqued on accountability, they usually stand alone as databases. They do not serve to connect you to all of the other types of information available on the internet regarding the topic of interest. ERPinfo.org can organize all the currently available information by linking it centrally to this site which is entirely searchable. In this way, the ERPinfo.org holds significant opportunity to help make the information that is already available more reliable and more accessible to the cognitive research community.
Although, it must be remembered that such goals are always easier said than done. This website can only become successful as a result of the active participation of its users in the information-exchange process. Once more, by registering as a member of the site, any user can begin adding and editing content. To learn more about how you can add and edit content, visit the "How To" Guide.
The site is supervised by Steve Luck at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.
