Wikidata:Development plan/archive2022

Development plan

Usability and usefulness

Status updates

Development input

Contact the development team

You will find below the roadmap of the Wikidata development team (Wikimedia Deutschland) for Wikidata and Wikibase for 2022. If you have any question or comment, feel free to use the talk page or write on Wikidata:Report a technical problem. Please note that the roadmap presents the main projects that the development team will work on during 2022. Development may continue for some of these projects beyond that period. At the beginning of each quarter this page will be updated to include the development estimates for that quarter. Required tasks such as maintenance and bug fixes are not mentioned in the roadmap, but will be included in the workflow over the year. The roadmap is based on estimations and will evolve during the year. The roadmap doesn't contain events we're attending or organizing.

Wikidata as a platform

Empower the community to increase data quality

We must ensure that our socio-technical system helps editors increase the quality of Wikidata’s existing data and contribute new high-quality data.

Feedback loops with data re-users

Objective:

We want to build up feedback loops with data re-users to get them actively involved in improving the data on Wikidata.

Description:

We are developing the Mismatch Finder as a base for setting up these feedback loops.

Upcoming Activities:

• Release Mismatch Finder (Q1)
• Work with data re-users and researchers to get mismatches to load into the Mismatch Finder (Q1, Q2)
• Make adjustments to the Mismatch Finder based on feedback we are receiving on the first version (Q2, Q3)
• Start work on v2 of Mismatch Finder (Q4)

Entity Schema build-out and integration

Objective:

We want to better integrate the existing Entity Schemas so that they become more central to data maintenance processes and can codify modeling decisions.

Description:

We have Entity Schemas on Wikidata that are not well integrated to existing workflows and community processes. We need to decide what the next steps are.

Upcoming Activities:

• Run a team workshop to get everyone up-to-speed with Entity Schemas (Q1)
• Decide on a technical way forward for Entity Schema development (Q1, Q2)
• Plan the development of version 2 of EntitySchemas (Q3)

Data quality and data utility processes

Objective:

We want to better understand the different processes and tools that help with increasing/maintaining data quality and utility to improve them together where needed.

Description:

There are a lot of tools and processes around data quality and utility in Wikidata. We need to thoroughly understand them and have conversations about how to improve them and where improvements are most necessary.

Upcoming Activities:

• Collect information and understand the current landscape (Q2)
• Evaluate the input from the Data Quality Days (Q3)

Data Quality Days

Objective:

We want to continue to provide a platform for the community to have discussions that are focusing on improving the usefulness of the data in Wikidata. We will run a follow-up event to the 2021 Data Quality days.

Description:

The sessions will take place online from July 8-10, with a flexible program allowing people to propose and schedule sessions on topics related to making Wikidata’s data more useful and maintaining its high quality. More information about the topic of the event, ways to contribute to the sessions and the date will be communicated in Q2.

Upcoming activities:

• Communicate about the event (Q2)
• Organise and run the event (Q3)
• Share a summary of the conversations (Q3)

Strengthen underrepresented languages

More people need access to knowledge and technology presented in their own language, and content in that language should be accessible to all. Language data is a fundamental building block in reaching that goal.

Lexicographical Data UI improvements

Objective:

We will make it easier for editors to create new Lexemes.

Description:

We will improve Special:NewLexeme.

Upcoming Activities:

• Development of a new version of Special:NewLexeme (Q1, Q2)
• Roll-out of the Special:NewLexeme page and addressing feedback from testing (Q3)
• Set up interviews with editors for testing and to collect additional feedback (Q3)

Setting up a Wikidata Software Collaboration (I)

Objective:

The decision around who will be the partners in the shared software collaboration with another movement partner has been made, communicated to the movement and questions have been answered.

Description:

Wikimedia Deutschland wants to create a new partnership with another movement partner to start sharing responsibilities and resources for Wikidata software development.

Upcoming Activities:

• Discussing possible partnership with interested groups (Q1)
• Setting up the partnership and the necessary infrastructure and paperwork for this (Q2)

Setting up a Wikidata Software Collaboration (II)

Objective:

A movement partner has committed to the planned Software Collab and all contractual/ financial documents.

Description:

We are setting up the necessary infrastructure for a software team to start their work in another movement organization: Hiring staff, communication channels WMDE and movement partner, definition of roles and responsibilities of the partners.

Upcoming Activities:

• Update the community about which movement partner is selected for the collaboration (Q2)
• Setting up the infrastructure for comprehensive onboarding to Wikidata software development (Q2)
• Staff at Wikimedia Indonesia are onboarded and have the necessary information and resources to start scoping their work on Wikidata/ Lexeme software (Q3)
• The Igbo Wikimedians User Group have the necessary information and resources to implement Wikidata:Wiki Mentor Africa (Q3)

Increase re-use for increased impact

We want to make sure that anyone can use the data in Wikidata to make the world a better place. While everyone can re-use our data, we give priority to organizations and projects that align with our values and have a high impact.

REST API

Objective:

We want to improve our APIs to make it easier for programmers to access our data.

Description:

We will implement the REST API proposal.

Upcoming Activities:

• Start implementation of the REST API (Q1)
• Continue implementation of the first version of the Wikibase REST API (Q2)
• Deploy a first version for testing and feedback during development to beta Wikidata (Q3)

Data Reuse Days

Objective:

Following the “X Days Event” format (after 30 Lexicodays and Data Quality Days in 2021), the Data Reuse Days 2022 is a series of online events taking place on March 14-24 and focusing on applications using Wikidata’s data.

Description:

The sessions will take place online from March 14 to 24, with a flexible program allowing people to propose and schedule sessions on the topic of using Wikidata’s data.

Upcoming activities:

• Run the event (Q1)

Improved documentation for data re-users

Objective:

We want to help more people to be able to build applications and services on top of Wikidata.

Description:

We want to improve the documentation for data re-users so they have an easier time building applications on top of Wikidata’s data.

Upcoming activities:

• Improve documentation for deciding which access method to choose for accessing our data (Query Service, dumps, action API, …) (Q1)

Wikibase Ecosystem

Wikibase makes it easier than ever before to create, connect, and grow a collaborative linked knowledge base. We are enabling the co-creation of the world’s largest knowledge graph of free and open data which will be used to create new knowledge.

Empower knowledge curators to share their data

Increase the number and diversity of Wikibases that can eventually be connected to the LOD web.

Wikibase.cloud Launch (Initial)

Wikibase.cloud is a Wikibase as a Service platform based on open-source WBstack code, but owned and maintained by Wikimedia Deutschland.

Objective:

Users can onboard into the Wikibase ecosystem without a complex installation and set-up process.

Description:

We will prepare a "minimum launchable platform" consisting of technical infrastructure, required processes, and plans for maintenance so that we can begin onboarding new users.

Upcoming activities:

• Prepare and launch a closed beta version of Wikibase.cloud, including a managed waiting list. The waitlist will be considered after WBStack migration has completed (Q1)
• Wikibase.dev staging area is online (Q1)
• Wikibase.cloud initial infrastructure deployment (Q1, Q2)
• Actually launch the closed beta version of Wikibase.cloud. If you want to apply to get closed beta access once the migration of the first users is over, please fill out this form. (Q2)
• Upgrade Wikibase Suite and Wikibase.Cloud so they are up to date with MediaWiki releases (Q3)
• Release security updates for Wikibase.Cloud (Q3)

WBstack Migration

Objective:

Users can onboard into the Wikibase ecosystem without a complex installation and set-up process.

Description:

Devise a migration path for WBstack users to Wikibase.cloud, offer this option to user base, and move them to the cloud platform so that WBstack.com can be sunset.

Upcoming activities:

• Current users of WBStack receive an email with details on how you can opt-in to a migration to wikibase.cloud in March (Q1)
• Migrate all WBStack users who opted in to being migrated to Wikibase.cloud (Q2)

Wikibase.cloud Launch

Objective:

Users can onboard into the Wikibase ecosystem without a complex installation and set-up process.

Description:

Ensure technical reliability and data-driven insights of Wikibase.cloud to support further growth.

Upcoming activities:

• Onboard 50 waiting list users (Q3)
• We have an inventory of any and all technical issues blocking essential user experience, and solve them as we go (Q3)
• We have monitoring in place for essential metrics related to the platform performance and user experience (Q3)
• Investigated the provision of a suitable search experience and drafted a solution (Q3)
• Conducted user research to understand Wikibase.cloud target users and problems we want to solve going forward, to establish a roadmap (Q3)

Establish a process for expanding into new regions and onboard new non-EU/NA partners

Objective:

A truly global LOD web requires truly global connections and increased access to marginalised knowledge. This requires partnerships to move beyond North America and Europe.

Description:

We have already begun pushing into India and are beginning to make connections there.

Upcoming activities:

• Formalise connections with the community and leveraging those into GLAM connections (Q1, Q2)

Wikibase Market Research

Objective:

Better understand which organisations want to use Wikibase in the future and for what

Description:

We want to better understand where there is potential for the Wikibase Ecosystem to grow and how, both in existing areas (GLAM, sciences, and digital humanities) as well as new areas in which there are no established Wikibase projects yet. This foundational research will focus both on researching alternatives to Wikibase as well as understanding how organisations adopt software.

Upcoming activities:

• Work with an agency to investigate new use cases for Wikibase and existing alternative solutions to Wikibase (Q1)
• Share report with the community (Q2)

Ecosystem enablement

Enable an ecosystem of extensions as well as tools and custom interfaces based on WB APIs to emerge around Wikibase, extending the functionality of the software for more use cases.

Ecosystem enablement conversations

Objective:

External developers have a clearer picture of which possibilities for tools and extensions are in line with the development of the Wikibase software.

Description:

We will establish a successful exchange of information between the Wikibase team and external developers and other stakeholders building extensions and tools so that we understand their plans, challenges, and requirements when extending the functionality of Wikibase.

Upcoming activities:

• First steps toward “A successful exchange of information between the Wikibase team and external developers and other stakeholders building extensions and tools” is established. E.g. workshops or other systems for facilitating this exchange (Q1)
• At least one workshop has happened (Q2)
• Generate workshop documentation for developers (Q3)

Connect data across technological & institutional barriers

Ensure Wikibases can connect more deeply with each other and Wikidata to form an LOD web.

User testing of Federated Properties in combination with local properties

Objective:

Wikibase instances outside of Wikimedia use Wikidata to augment and enrich their own data.

Description:

Federated Properties v2 is an experimental version of federation that enables a Wikibase to use Wikidata's properties in combination with a local data model. We will facilitate testing of the feature by institutions and projects to gather valuable feedback, with the goal of later implementing improvements to the user interface and experience.

Upcoming activities:

• We’ve set up an environment on Wikibase.dev where the version of Federated Properties 2 that existed at the end of our 2021 hike can be tested by institutions being recruited from the WBSG (Q1)
• This feature is tested by at least 3 projects (Q1, Q2)