Training modules/dashboard/slides/12904-getting-started-querying

Getting started

To get started, open a link to Wikidata's Query Service in a separate browser tab. During this training, it's best if you go back and forth between this tab and that one, so that you can try what we discuss here.

When you open that link, you should see something like this:

This is Wikidata's Query Service (WDQS).

Up at the top of the page there's a button labeled Examples. If you don't see it, look for a folder icon. It should appear on the left side of the screen or up at the top toward the left. These will lead you to query Examples, which will give you access to a variety of sample queries that you can use to learn about SPARQL. For now, there's no need to master SPARQL; even very experienced Wikidatans just modify existing queries to find the information they want.

Let's explore one of these examples together in the next slide.