North American Hub Research Project/Research and findings

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Research and findings

Report and implementation plan

Research questions

We'll answer these kinds of questions in our report. We'll try to write clearly and in plain language. We won't be able to address every detail.

• Q1: What do larger WMF affiliates or hubs do? (And: What resources do they have? How are their staff organized? What lessons do they offer to us about what works and what to avoid?)
• Q2: What do North American Wikimedians want WMF affiliates to do? (What do they want the affiliates to avoid doing? What gaps are there between the WMF's activities, the existing affiliate activities, and what the Wikimedians want in order to advance the projects?
• Q3: How do partner organizations, and potential partners or funders, organize themselves, and how might we organize Wikimedia organizations to be good partners on projects of mutual interest? (What projects would they want us to do? How would they expect/need/want us to be structured? Do we need stronger admin/financial capabilities? Do we need to be able to make longer-term commitments, or have more staff or different skills?)

We expect recommendations to follow naturally from our findings. We'll seek to build consensus in our community of wiki organizers.

Research methods

• We are conducting focus groups, interviews, surveys, and regular old casual meetings with (a) North American Wikimedians, (b) managers of other WMF affiliates or hubs, or specialists with insight into them; and (c) with partners, and potential partners and funders. We committed to talk with (and taking notes on) at least 40 Wikimedians and at least 10 in each of the other groups.
• We shall report regularly to an Advisory Committee and ask their guidance. The Committee is made up of North American Wikimedia organizers of various activities. (For example: Editor training, conferences, software development, formal education links, research, and publications). We have about 14 members now, and might expand it further. These Advisors can rotate in and out. We want to include broad expertise and diverse points of view.
• We are both asking our questions above, and brainstorming as to what directions are suggested by our focus group participants and the Advisors. What can we do that is inspirational? Or novel? useful? revenue-producing? risk-reducing? Any of this.