Grants:Project/MSIG/Amrit Sufi/Needs assessment for documentation and revitalization of Indic languages using Wikimedia projects
gmail.com|amritsufi2gmail.com]]Applications are not required to be in English. Please complete the application in your preferred language.
Project Goal edit
What will be the outputs of your project and how will those outputs contribute to advancing a specific Movement Strategy Initiative
In this project, we aim to have conversations and interviews with three distinct groups: language experts/scholars, Wikimedia volunteers, and native language speakers around their understanding and needs for language documentation and revitalization. We will be able to do a comparative study and identify definitive steps required to be taken to advance language documentation and revitalization efforts. Since experts have theoretical and practical understanding of languages, they will provide us with their opinions on the need of the hour within language documentation and revitalization. Contacting Wikimedians will enable us to understand the dynamics of the Wikimedia community and their efforts around the same.Taking inputs of indigenous speakers will help us gauge not only their thoughts on the topic but also the needs for language documentation on ground, e.g. skills, equipment etc. Using the conclusions of this research we will be able to understand the needs around language documentation and revitalization.
The following details illustrate more about the project and its outcomes:
- Understanding the need of the Indic community in language documentation. Data needs to be collected in order to determine needs around language documentation and language revitalization. We will collect information on the views of people around these topics, the challenges faced on ground and possible tactics to follow them up with.
- Such a research has not been carried out previously for needs assessment around language activism.
- Contributing to free knowledge digitally in general and to language documentation in particular. We will identify challenges in learning the skills required to contribute to languages digitally.
- Apart from that we will research possible differences in understanding around language preservation/activism in various geographical areas and among different user groups i.e. among language experts, Wikimedians and indigenous speakers of languages via interviews. The inclusion of experts and non-experts on this topic will reveal different understandings as well.
- We will also conduct workshops to introduce and inform participants about possible and feasible methods for language activism. These workshops will train the participants on the need for language activism, wiki ways to contribute to it, and audio-visual documentation of language and culture.
- In order to measure the effectiveness of the toolkit and the training given, we will involve two of the trainees of our last project to train new individuals. It will also provide a model of how language activists can possibly use their skills to educate and train others.
- Using the learnings of these activities we will create/edit the existing toolkit- https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Oral_Culture_Transcription_Toolkit as per the requirements to propel the movement of language preservation (by creating an action plan which serves to educate and motivate on digitization of languages).
- The overall project aims to understand the needs of skills and training required to aid development in the field of language documentation in Indic communities.
- The learnings will be published in at least three Indic languages (Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali).
- What specific Movement Strategy Initiative does your project focus on and why? Please select one of the initiatives described here
- Movement Strategy Initiative that our project will seek to further:
Global Approach for Local Skill Development- Gathering data, matching peers, mentorship, and recognition: This project will research on the needs of people around collecting data on their culture, their understanding regarding language documentation, knowledge and related phenomena.As we will also include experts and Wikimedians in the research, the comparison between the ideals & aspirations and needs of indigenous language speakers will reveal the changes required. It will reveal what is considered the ideal way to contribute to open knowledge related to culture and where the gaps lie when it comes to the people of those cultures, their skills, and contribution to digital platforms. However, we must clarify that this project would be focused on the Indic region. So, while we will contact experts globally, our focus group for the implementation of the final learnings will be the local.
We will assess the needs by surveys and interviews.
We are initiating co-learning by involving two trainees from the past project as trainers in this project. They will instruct newcomers in the wiki workflow.
The proposed workshops are aimed at training newbies to documentation of culture via wiki mediums. The workshops will also be a place for discussion and feedback from the participants, they will help design a plan of action for the future.
We will also incentivize skill-learning among participants by accessing their motivation behind participating and providing recognition in the form of certificates.
Although the mail focus is the Global Approach for Local Skill Development, we are also going to employ other three movement strategy initiatives, listed below:
Resources for newcomers: Navigating Wiki platforms can be difficult for new contributors without explicit guidance. We believe that our present toolkit and its edited version that might be prepared during this project will help newbies. It provides instructions on contributing to wiki platforms while uploading content related to culture. Upon usage by a larger number of people, the toolkit will be expanded to include solutions to problems faced on ground while documenting.
Skill Development Infrastructure: The deliverables of this project i.e. the learnings released as expanded reports/ write-ups and the edited toolkit will be useful to people wanting to document and digitize their culture. They will be translated into at least three widely-spoken languages- Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali.
Content Initiatives in Underrepresented Communities: This project will focus on wiki platforms like Wikisource and Commons as alternative mediums for digitizing one’s culture. So, even though small communities might not have enough editors or a separate Wikipedia in their language, they can continue to contribute via these channels.
Project Background edit
- When do you intend to begin this project and when will it be completed?
- Tentative timeline:
- May - Preliminary research, identifying participants
- June to July- Participant outreach and surveys
- August to September - Interviews and workshops
- October - Report
- Where will your project activities be happening?
- Emails
- Phone calls
- Google meets
- On-ground meetings (following the COVID-19 rules and restrictions)
- Are you collaborating with other communities or affiliates on this project? Please provide details of how partners intend to work together to achieve the project goal.
- No
- What specific challenge will your project be aiming to solve? And what opportunities do you plan to take advantage of to solve the problem?
- We plan to understand the scenario in language documentation and revitalization in Indic communities, with special focus on views of people on these topics. We also aim to understand challenges around the same. In the process we will also test our toolkit and come up with an improved/consolidated toolkit aimed at providing solutions to those challenges.
- We will achieve these goals by conducting surveys, interviewing people, and conducting workshops. Apart from Wikimedians we will also be interviewing indigenous/native language speakers and language experts. Workshops will be aimed at familiarizing the participants with the toolkit, we will also train the participants in the process of using Wikis to document languages and learning the challenges around the same.
- Does this project aim to apply one of the examples shared in the call for grants and if so which one?
- Yes, we aim to apply this grant example: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:MSIG/Examples/Skill_Development_Needs_Assessment
Project Activities edit
- What specific activities will be carried out during this project? Please describe the specific activities that will be carried out during this project.
Survey- digital survey via google forms. Its methodology: questionnaire in English aimed at understanding needs regarding participation in language activism. Questions will be divided in sections and will ask specific questions about: access to digital technologies, digital practices, and socio-economic and political context.
Interviews- via telephonic conversations and Google Meet. The interviews will be with wiki volunteers, newbies and language experts to understand the needs around language activism. The interviews will be aimed at understanding their views regarding language documentation, experiences around contributing to knowledge digitally, need of the hour, views regarding language revitalization, the skills required for language activism, possible gaps in infrastructure and other related topics.
There will be three sets of questions for three types of interviewees: language experts, newbies, and Wikimedians.
Hands-on workshops- specifically for training in the Wiki workflow section of the toolkit, aimed at newbies and non-experts. It will test the toolkit and challenges around contributions to language activism faced on ground.
Action plan- Invite more people to use our toolkit.Thereafter, expand the toolkit according to feedback.
Metrics:
- Number of total participants-45
- Number of interviews-12
- Number of Wikimedians involved-15
- Number of Language experts/scholars engaged- 15
- Number of Workshops-3
- How do you intend to keep communities updated on the progress and outcomes of the project? Please add the names or usernames of these individuals responsible for updating the community
- We are already in touch with Wikimedia communities.
These are places where we will keep communities updated: We will write a messages on Indic communities village pumps Indic communities have their own mailing list, so, we will drop an email to India mailing list. The active telegram groups will be updated as well. On other social media platforms, we will inform Wikimedians as well as inform non-Wikimedians about the project and efforts with those Wikimedia is making. Will engage by one to one calls or messages. Will try to introduce the community with the proposal from which Wikimedia community we belong.
- Who will be responsible for delivering on this project and what are their roles and responsibilities?
- User:Amrit Sufi (Project Manager) - Overall project management and engagement with language experts. She has been an academician and researcher, currently pursuing masters in Linguistics from JNU, Delhi. She is working as a Case Study researcher for India for the project "Indigenous and minority language community needs for secure technologies: a participatory research project" by Rising Voices.
- User:Nitesh Gill (Community coordinator) - Communications, Community engagement. She is a researcher at Delhi University. She is long-term Wikimedian since 2014. She is also active as a community organizer for Wikimedia events.
- User:Gill jassu (volunteer cum trainer): Punjabi Wikimedian [Wikisource, Wikipedia & Wikimedia Commons],
- User:Dugal harpreet (volunteer cum trainer): Punjabi Wikimedian [Wikisource, Wikipedia & Wikimedia Commons]
- Daniel Bogre Udell (Wikitongues) - Advisor
Additional information edit
- If your activities include community discussions, what is your plan for ensuring that the conversations are productive? Provide a link to a Friendly Space Policy or UCoC that will be implemented to support these discussions.
- https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct
- If your activities include in-person events or activities, you will need to complete the steps outlined in the Risk Assessment protocol. Please provide a link to your completed copy of the risk assessment tool.
- Risk Assessment for the project
- If your activities include the use of paid online tools, please describe what tools these are and how you intend to use them.
- No
- Do your activities include the translation of materials, and if so, in what languages will the translation be done? Please include details of those responsible for making the translations.
- Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali. Translations will be done by the same translators engaged in the Oral Culture Transcription Toolkit project.
- Are there any other details you would like to share? Consider providing rationale, research or community discussion outputs, and any other similar information, that will give more context on your proposed project.
Outcomes edit
After your activities are complete, we would like to understand the draft implementation plan for your community. You will be required to prepare a document detailing this plan around a movement strategy initiative. This report can be prepared through Meta-wiki using the Share your results button on this page. The report can be prepared in your language, and is not required to be written in English.
In this report, you will be asked to:
- Provide a link to the draft implementation plan document or Wikimedia page
- Describe what activities supported the development of the plan
- Describe how and where you have communicated your plan to relevant communities.
- Report on how your funding was spent
Your draft implementation plan document should address the following questions clearly:
- What movement strategy initiative or goal are you addressing?
- What activities will you be doing to address that initiative?
- What do you expect will happen as a result of your activities? How do those outcomes address the movement strategy initiative?
- How will you measure or evaluate your activities? What tools or methods will you use to evaluate your activities?
To create a draft implementation plan, we recommend the use of a logic model, which will help you and your team think about goals, activities, outcomes, and other factors in an organized way. Please refer the following resources to develop a logic model:
- Overview of logic models on Meta-wiki
- Example logic models for reference for other movement activities (such as partnerships and edit-a-thons)
- Blank logic model template on Google Drive
Please confirm below that you will be able to prepare a draft implementation plan document by the end of your grant:
- Yes,we will prepare a draft implementation plan document by the end of the grant.
Optionally, you are welcome to include other information you'd like to share around participation and representation in your activities. Please include any additional outcomes you would like to report on below:
Budget edit
How you will use the funds you are requesting? List bullet points for each expense. Don’t forget to include a total amount, and update this amount in the Probox at the top of your page too!
1 full-time Research and Documentation Specialist - ~660 USD per month * 6 = ~3962 USD
1 part-time Community Coordinator - ~330 USD per month * 6 = 1981 USD
Per diem for participants = 132 USD Translation cost = 132 USD
Travel support = 396 USD
Accommodation, when required = 132 USD
Internet support = 132 USD
Covid-19 safety supplies = ~26 USD
Miscellaneous = 330 USD
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED USD:~7223 USD
Existing Resources: 4 mics , 4 camera stands , 3 Tripod mobile holder, One power bank
Completing your application edit
Once you have completed the application, please do the following:
- Change the application status from
status=drafttostatus=proposedin the {{Probox}} template. - Contact strategy2030
wikimedia.org to confirm your submission, as well as to request any support around your application.
Endorsements edit
An endorsement from community members (especially from outside your community) will be part of the considerations when reviewing your application. Community members are encouraged to endorse your project request here!
Strong support It's nice to see this project. I believe this will help the coummunity develp their use of the language on wiki projects. Also the process of the project can also be an example for other communities to learn from. iyumu 
01:09, 23 March 2022 (UTC)
Support Dugal harpreet (talk) 15:11, 29 March 2022 (UTC)- Strong support ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ ਪ੍ਰੋਜੈਕਟ ਹੈ, ਇਸ ਪ੍ਰੋਜੈਕਟ ਅਧੀਨ ਡਿਜੀਟਲ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਾਸ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਾਧੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਪਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੇ ਹੁਨਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਭਾਲਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਾਮਯਾਬ ਹੋਵਾਂਗੇ, ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਅਸੀਂ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਭੂਗੋਲਿਕ ਖੇਤਰਾਂ ਵਿਚਲੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਝਣ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਭਾਲ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਫ਼ਲ ਹੋਵਾਂਗੇ। Gill jassu (talk) 16:00, 1 April 2022 (UTC)
- Strong support Mali Brødreskift (WMNO) (talk) 11:50, 6 April 2022 (UTC)
Participants edit
- Volunteer I’m Saloni Mhapsekar with a background in Design Research. I can help you with documentation, transcribing in English if Indian languages Hindi and Marathi. My native language is Malvani I’m not well versed with but know people who could help. I can also help with interviewing. My email address is Salonimhapsekar11@gmail.com 78.54.147.64 13:05, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
- Volunteer M 195.194.15.5 15:58, 2 March 2023 (UTC)