Microgrants/KFC

Overview

I am responsible for getting the KFC Wikipedia page to GA status. I am trying to get it to FA status, but having had two FA reviews now, I realise that my lack of first rate sources is holding the article back. I have exhausted all the articles and books available freely on Google Books, Amazon preview, LexusNexus, Jstor, Project Muse, online newspaper archives (FT, NYT, Economist, Times, Guardian), Questia, HighBeam etc. I need to buy some books. These books are new and very niche, and are not available in my local university libraries, let alone civic libraries. I know that the British Library has copies of the books I want, but as I live in a rural area in the North of England, travelling there and back would use up the best part of a day (at least 9 hours in total if the traffic was fair). I could ask Wikimedia to fund my stay in a cheap hotel overnight, as well as pay my travelling costs, but as Wikimedia will remain the owner of the books that they fund, I think that to purchase the books is the more economical and sensible option.

Budget

I am asking for £53.55 in order to purchase the following books from Amazon UK:

• KFC In China, Warren Liu [1]
• Master of the Big Board, William Carey [2]
• Taking People With You, David Novak [3]
• Colonel Sanders and the American Drea, Josh Ozersky [4]

Timeline

These are big books, but I am a fast reader! I would estimate that I would need no more than 3 months, if circumstance prevail, to update the KFC page with information from the books. Then maybe a further 3 months in order to update related pages.

Expected outcomes

The microgrant would allow me to improve the KFC page exponentially, which it dearly needs if it is to reach FA status. The books would also include other information, particularly on leading KFC figures (on Colonel Sanders, David Novak and Jack C Massey) which I could use to improve their individual pages.

Who I am

My name is User:Farrtj. I have been a Wikipedia editor by name for 6 years now (I edited anonymously before that). I have 12 GAs to my credit. I am based in the North East of England, near Darlington. I have never applied for a microgrant before (so hello, here I am!). I am a leading contributor to Wikiproject Beer. My interests lie in brewing, local history and big business, particularly restaurants.

Discussion

I have to ask (due diligence etc in the light of paid editing): do you have any conflicts of interest you should declare here? For example, are you being paid by anyone to create/promote the article? Richard Symonds (WMUK) (talk) 17:20, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Ah yes, very good question. I can state categorically now that I have never been employed by Yum! Brands (the parent company of KFC). I am not employed by anyone who is working for them. I am not related to anyone who works for KFC or Yum! Brands. Whilst I believe the KFC article represents a neutral stance, there is in the article full and due mention of criticisms of the company by the animal rights group PETA as well as Greenpeace.