Hi Tim, It's a sensible question. A key part of the residency is about "research visibility", making sure that research produced by the university is available to the public. This role facilitates that by providing training for researchers so they understand how Wikipedia works and can contribute to it. The motivation is that by sharing research through the Wikimedia sites (so Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata in particular) the information will be easier to find. Putting information where people are looking for it is really important, and I think it speaks to the theme of "research for the world" which LSE details in its strategy <https://www.lse.ac.uk/2030/assets/pdf/LSE-2030-booklet.pdf>.
Universities like LSE have repositories full of research publications, but those repositories are not as easy to navigate as Wikipedia, or at least don't rank as highly in search results. We've seen something analogous in our work with the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation. They produce research reports and host them on their website, but when that information is represented on Wikipedia it reaches an audience that is often several orders of magnitude greater. Public communication is a key skill for researchers, and that is an element of what is involved in the training. Writing a research paper and writing for Wikipedia are different, though complimentary, skills. Folks at the LSE Library have also been advocating for universities to share metadata about theses on Wikidata, as a way of turning information about research produced by students into linked open data - they created a toolkit <https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Wikidata_Thesis_Toolkit> to help other with the process. As is so often the case, librarians are some of the most useful allies that Wikimedia can have because they curate the knowledge landscape. Best wishes, Richard On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 14:04, Tim Dobson <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Friends, > > I was feeling a bit stupid earlier, and trying to understand something, > and it's stayed with me for a few hours. To be clear, this is 100% from a > place of curiosity. > > It's wonderful that LSE is investing in the community like this, but as > someone who perhaps doesn't see the whole picture, could anyone help me > understand what they get from it? / how it aligns with what they want? > > I am hugely in favour of this, and feel fearful I sound accusatory when > asking this - which is why I keep going out of my way to say how great I > think this is. > > Cheers, > -Tim > > On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 10:36, Sara Thomas <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Good morning folks, >> >> See below, the London School of Economics & Political Science are looking >> for a Wikimedian in Residence and Research Visibility Champion. Full time, >> 2 years fixed term, deadline for applications Sunday 17th August. >> >> Please do pass this on to anyone you feel might be interested! >> >> All the best, >> Sara >> >> Programme Manager >> Wikimedia UK >> >> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >> From: <[email protected]> >> Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 at 21:34 >> Subject: [Wren] New vacancy at LSE >> To: <[email protected]> >> >> >> Hi, >> >> FYI >> >> Please click on the following link to view vacancy online. >> >> Vacancy Title: Wikimedian in Residence and Research Visibility Champion >> >> Link: View the vacancy online >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=lse.ac.uk&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9qb2JzLmxzZS5hYy51ay9SZWRpcmVjdC5hc3B4P2VuYz0yRWhpU0lnVW9makNiM0VQUXp0OUxFS3lTL3VCV0FqRFQ2Nm4zTnBBOHk4REtpcFNqc2d3dVdpMGQ3RExWeFZYJmVvcT0x&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjkx&t=LzZFaGZrcVZEQUlnd043TmlCV1AwU29YclZGNGRiKzhUZWJ3b0w0Z0IvRT0=&h=3c117ee6907342e9aa91eb2b108dbb05&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVYH9BwpN1vq0wfWrM95H--uNoJkZSu-S-SEneaeW0G6uP_c8mPWnSChQva98tFLw1E> >> >> Vacancy Location: LSE >> _______________________________________________ >> Wren mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> >> >> -- >> Dr Sara Thomas >> Programme Manager, Wikimedia UK >> 07803 505 172 >> *My pronouns are she/her, and my name is pronounced like this. >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=namedrop.io&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9uYW1lZHJvcC5pby9zYXJhdGhvbWFz&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=ME1LQmw1R1FLRlplcnEyUEwxdDd4WGJ6SmkwQkFKQm5uOGd6Mi9GYnNlRT0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s> >> * >> https://wikimedia.org.uk/home/scotland/ >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=wikimedia.org.uk&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93aWtpbWVkaWEub3JnLnVrL3dpa2kvV2lraW1lZGlhX2luX1Njb3RsYW5k&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=ZVlPd1E4MUc1OHZtYWdBZmFEQ2Y1RFRhaS80cksxYUlTZjkyWmFiQXp6ST0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s> >> *I work part time, my usual days are Monday - Thursday.* >> >> >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=wikimedia.org.uk&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9kb25hdGUud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy51ay8=&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=RUZXczVTY3J2MDVaVXBHaGN3M0V4QlA2VUtQNU9leGY3WWREaDE0VWE4MD0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s> >> >> >> *Wikimedia UK* >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=wikimedia.org.uk&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93aWtpbWVkaWEub3JnLnVrLw==&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=enBINS9pT0lobGFObDI3UlJESzdwVGxTcFdRK09sNitvQlJiTTlnQnkzZz0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s> >> is the national chapter for the global Wikimedia open knowledge movement. >> >> Follow us on Twitter >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=twitter.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS93aWtpbWVkaWF1aw==&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=ZTZjTTdqcSthbVRRODRuUDJhRFRDSkxJRWdnSHg4OEw3WmNhYlloSEV3OD0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s>, >> Facebook >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=facebook.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL1dpa2ltZWRpYVVL&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=UW1temM3NkV1dEVnL3F4V0YyQUVuZGtqUmJPeHpadXJFTW1KRnB3VWVvND0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s>, >> LinkedIn >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=linkedin.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tL2NvbXBhbnkvNDk2MTE5&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=VGxvU2ovampJUGpQNjdBY3l5dVZtU3dQZnFkWDVRRlZYSW84Q09sZFIwVT0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s>, >> and Instagram >> <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com?d=instagram.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS93aWtpbWVkaWF1ay8=&i=NjVhZmE0ZjY3MDExZmY1Y2Q3NDE3Yjhh&t=eEVzR1pDemMxcGtYVi9QOW5HVzltSGNhMk5sbnZrbWlSY3lQZzl2UVhBOD0=&h=c7db8ce831c145258b81ff7dc1a34759&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZaFAaacHBa1XXlgRscq_crzoGlUi68xQtfbYwMm-_cdbNaheb163x6NaWPPdLeY2s> >> . >> >> Wikimedia UK is a Registered Charity No.1144513 (England & Wales) >> SC048644 (Scotland). 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