Grants:TPS/nwhysel/IASummit2017
This Wikimedia Participation Support request was funded in the fiscal year 2014-15. A report is available.
Proposed participation
editAs an information architect, I have been interested in creating bridges between the Wikipedia and IA communities. We are especially interested in the linked data capabilities of Wikipedia and Wikidata. It is a growing topic among Information Architects and increasingly affecting how digital environments are structured and built. I was struck by Katherine Maher's comments at Wikpedia Day NYC about how to engage and structure user journeys in Wikipedia without relying on intrusive, personal data tracking or disrupting the serendipity of browsing Wikipedia articles. Information architects would be an ideal partner in developing pathways and structures that can negotiate the curated with the whimsical.
To date my outreach to the IA community has included several activities. In May 2016, I represented Wikimedia with a Game Night activity at the Information Architecture Summit and a related meeting at the Center for Human and Civil Rights in Atlanta. I also presented a poster on IA in and the IA of Wikipedia. In March 2015, I led an editathon at the IA Summit , hosted annually by the Association for Information Science and Technology with participation from members of Wikimedia MN, where we introduced Wikiproject:Information Architecture. The IA Summit team has asked me to return in March 2017 in an expanded role to help attendees learn about how Information Architects can add to and support the Wikimedia's mission. They have requested that I host a table in the exhibit hall during the conference to answer questions about Wikipedia, sign up new editors and promote ways that IAs can learn about and support WikiData and Wikimedia Tools. Additional opportunities at this event are being discussed, including drop-in Wikipedia editing training, Birds of a Feather sessions and a lunchtime topic table.
Update 2/10/2017: The Wikipedia sessions have just been added to the calendar at IASummit.org. There will be two sessions on March 25 and 26. Saturday is a session in line with the diversity theme, and I will be presenting on Wikimedia's programs to promote diversity within Wikipedia: Women in Red, Wiki Loves Pride, Art+Femnism, Black Lunch Table, etc. Sunday is a lunch time session and will be a more general how to to get new users up to speed on editing and to promote use and development of discovery tools by information professionals. Vancouver Wikipedia/librarians from UBC and Simon Fraser have been invited to participate. We are also inviting a researcher from UBC who specializes in indigenous rights to give a short presentation on Saturday. A dedicated Wikipedia info table and volunteers will be on the exhibition floor next to a mentoring booth so attendees can learn about Wikimedia activities and sign up.
The sessions are posted on Sched.com, and are accessible on the iasummit.org program page via the Community Working Session filter: https://iasummit2017.sched.com/speaker/noreenwhysel?iframe=no&w=990&sidebar=yes&bg=no
Update 1/18/2017: The planning committee have asked me to plan Birds of a Feather sessions, concurrent with the main conference, with additional events including a lunch topic table. They would like me to start developing editor participation through the WikiProject:Information Architecture and focus on Wikipedia tools, tagging and Wikidata participation where IAs can help develop Wiki tools and processes. We can now do weekly or semimonthly online sessions, calls and social media communications on the official conference channels.
Please see my 2016 grant and report for background on the previous event:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/nwhysel/IASummit2016
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/nwhysel/IASummit2016/Report
Goal and expected impact
editAs last year, my goal is to get more information architects involved with Wikipedia: what it is, why it aligns with their own work and how they can be involved. The 2015 editathon in Minneapolis and the 2016 game night in Atlanta were great ways to get people involved and interested. An ongoing, formal relationship with the IA Summit and continued participation by IAs this year in Vancouver will continue to increase interest in IAs in not only becoming editors, but also collaborating with WMF on improving the Wikimedia products. As a member of the IA community I would like to represent WMF and build bridges to ensure that our communities support each other. Over time, the benefit to WMF of a collaboration with the IA community will be improved architecture and user experience based on sound information architecture practices.
Budget breakdown
edit- Travel (round trip airfare from New York, NY to Vancouver, BC): USD 500
- Accommodation: USD 85 per night x 3 nights = USD 255
- Registration: USD 650
Total: USD 1380
Total accommodation depends on whether I am invited to attend the full conference including pre-conference workshops or just the main 3 day conference. My expectation is that I would be there for at least the main conference so will need to stay over 3 nights. I may also be able to get assistance with the registration fee and plan to share a hotel room to cut expenses further.
Other instructions
editI can book my own travel arrangements. If WMF has a discount and can reduce the costs, I would be happy to have you book the flight. Advance disbursement is not required.
Endorsements
edit- Noreen has been dedicated to information architecture and Wikipedia for many years. She is best suited to provide this program for the Information Architecture Institute and the ASIS&T IA Summit. She is also an excellent mentor. The attendees and participants will benefit greatly from this experience. Bevcorwin (talk) 18:47, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
- Tomlzz1 (talk) Noreen does good work. I'm sure she will followed through with this very interesting proposal. I look forward to the results.
- Noreen hosted a fun game night table last year, which provided a great opportunity to find out more about her work with Wikipedia. Her passion and dedication to expanding interest within the IA community is worthy of support UX4U2
- Noreen's continued dedication to uniting the Wikipedia and IA communities is admirable. As a former co-chair of the IA Summit and an organizer of edit-a-thons, I enthusiastically support Noreen's perspective in the mutual benefits of this collaboration. Noreen is a great ally to this collaboration. Verbistheword (talk) 22:34, 18 January 2017 (UTC)