Expert outreach/Jisc Ambassador/Plan
Objectives
To demonstrate how publicly-funded research and education projects can benefit from crowdsourcing, using Wikimedia as a platform and a model. To capture this knowledge in a way that permanently changes how Jisc and the wider sector works with Wikimedia.
Logic model
| Rationale (one-paragraph summary) | Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Desired Outcomes and impact of the project (beyond the time frame of the project) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| There are enormous potential mutual gains for Jisc, Jisc-funded projects, researchers and educators in working with the Wikimedia projects to share free knowledge and culture. However, this potential is held back by a lack of awareness about Wikimedia and how to engage with it, and by a paucity of concrete, documented examples of benefit. | Ambassador staff time
Partner organisations (universities or sector bodies) providing staff, rooms and audiences for events Jisc facilities and communication channels Wikimedia UK: office facilities, communication channels and “freebies” such as brochures and badges Volunteer Wikimedians for large events (expenses paid by the project) University of Bristol: office space, printing, and financial processes Wikimedia communities: informal feedback on project outputs |
Writing, repurposing and reviewing documentation.
Disseminating through Jisc and Wikimedia’s communication channels and through other relevant bodies. Identifying academics and other professionals who are using Wikimedia projects in their work, or who are open to doing so. Workshops in universities or sector bodies Internal events in Jisc Organising, promoting, and evaluating public “editathon” events |
Reports and case studies
Documentation for PIs and project holders about working productively with Wikipedia; including a flowchart, InfoKit and Jisc Guide. A growing list of academics who have worked with Wikimedia projects or who have expressed an interest in specific activities they could do; these champions get tailored support and advice. Some content (text & digital media) added to the Wikimedia projects. Project pages on relevant Wikimedia wikis showing what has been done. |
Greater understanding within Jisc and the wider HE sector of the Wikimedia projects, their distinctive approach, and productive versus unproductive ways of engaging with them.
Greater sharing of Jisc-supported text and media content through Wikimedia. Recognition within Jisc and the wider sector of Wikimedia as a platform for educational activity and innovation. Ongoing consultation between Jisc and the Wikimedia community about the most efficient ways for cultural or educational projects to impact the widest audience |
Success criteria
- Editathons and workshops
- Measures: Number of attendees; number of attendees who sign up for further involvement; post-event evaluation by attendees; amount of content added; views and edits of content subsequent to the event.
- An online infoKit about the Wikimedia approach to crowdsourcing is built up on a Wikimedia wiki. This will illustrate the diversity of ways to engage with Wikimedia, with specific case studies and instructors on how to replicate them. The infoKit can link to resources distributed across relevant Wikimedia and Jisc sites. This infoKit is revised and improved during and beyond the life of the project.
- Measure: feedback on drafts; an internal survey in Jisc on awareness of Wikimedia (used also to identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration). Inbound links and comments.
- Relevant advice is provided to project holders and PIs about ways of using Wikimedia for impact and engagement, and it becomes routine for projects to consider specific forms of Wikimedia engagement as part of their dissemination.
- Measure: use of this project’s documentation in future guidance to project holders & PIs.
- Educational activities using Wikimedia are well-documented and regularly included alongside other innovative practices in Jisc’s showcases of best practice. Education assignments in the UK are included in Wikimedia’s education showcases.
- Measure: number & diversity of case studies available through Wikimedia/Jisc sites
- Jisc’s advisory services incorporate reliable, appropriate advice on relevant aspects of Wikimedia (e.g. Commons, Wikisource, Wikipedia Educational Assignments) into their services.
- Measure: quantity measures such as post-edit word count for documentation, attendees for events; quality feedback from internal & external review, including blog commentary.
- Research resources such as journal archives are used more by Wikipedians and an increasing number of Wikipedia citations use them.
- Measures: quantitative measures from on-wiki stats tool; sign-ups to library arrangements
- Jisc’s content and data projects will understand how and why they can share content with Wikimedia projects. During the project, some sharing agreements are announced and their impact is measured.
- Measure: quantity of content shared; pages using that content; hits on those pages