Like Wikipedia, Wikidata is a collaborative online community that organizes knowledge and presents it to the world for free. This global repository is important for so many reasons, chiefly among them that the data stored in Wikidata is machine readable. That means when you ask Alexa or Siri a question, it’s likely that the answer is coming from Wikidata. By engaging in Wikidata’s community, you have the power to equip millions of people with accurate and comprehensive information.
Wiki Education is offering online courses and in-person workshops for those interested in learning how to contribute to Wikidata and answer their own research questions utilizing its analytical tools. Take a course or attend a workshop with us this July! Enroll one participant for $800, or, enroll two or more participants from your institution for $500 each. To reserve your seat, please fill out your registration by EOD June 17th. The payment deadline is June 24th.
Wikidata as a platform allows librarians (and researchers in general!) to do things we’ve all only dreamt of before. What’s so great about it is that once you have a grip on linked data practices and the mechanics of working within Wikidata, the applications are endless. The repository is only expanding (there are already 56 million items). Soon, thousands of institutions around the world will have connected their collections where we can all query them. Here are just a few applications you can pursue after taking our Wikidata course(s):
- Elevate the visibility of your collections by mapping your items in the global repository that is Wikidata.
- Draw new insights about your collections using Wikidata’s customizable visualization and query tools.
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of existing research by tracking and linking faculty publications.
- Develop an equitable and inclusive ontology for linked data.
- Teach students data literacy by incorporating Wikidata / metadata practices into the classroom.
If you’re new to linked data, check out our beginner course. If you have some experience with linked data (not necessarily Wikidata), check out our intermediate course. And if you’re in the DC or New York area, sign up for one of our in-person workshops!
So much is possible with Wikidata. We’ll help you discover how it can best work for your goals.
To explore more options or to sign up to receive updates about future courses, visit data.wikiedu.org.
