Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Research Fund/Serbian Wikipedia through the eyes of students and professors
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Overview[edit]
Applicant(s)
- Mile Kiš
Affiliation or grant type
- Individual
Author(s)
- Mile Kiš
Wikimedia username(s)
- User:MikyM
Project title
- Serbian Wikipedia through the eyes of students and professors
Research proposal[edit]
Description[edit]
Description of the proposed project, including aims and approach. Be sure to clearly state the problem, why it is important, why previous approaches (if any) have been insufficient, and your methods to address it.
Serbian Wikipedia (SR WP) is one of the largest South Slavic Wikipedias in terms of the number of articles and users. Globally, it ranks 21st and in CEE region it ranks 4th. As such, it represents a large and significant part of Internet content. SR WP was launched in 2003 and the first Edu project was realized in 2006. The projects were mostly organized by the Wikimedia communities from Serbia and Bosna and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska). There are also several individuals and independent projects organized by non-Wikimedia organizers.
However, despite the long-standing presence of Wikipedia and the Edu projects implemented on it, the use of Wikipedia in educational purposes has remained insufficiently researched. The Wikipedia is one of the most visited sites, however there is no precise data about how much and in what way Wikipedia is used by students on the one hand and teachers/professors on the other. A clear division should be made here between those students and professors who participated in some of Wiki projects and those who did not participate in any. Accordingly, research should be conducted in both groups. Such a comprehensive approach would provide a complex picture of user experiences, attitudes and views about Wikipedia and its use for educational purposes. In addition to statistical analysis and quantitative-qualitative analysis, the research should show how Wikipedia influences and helps education (including the dev. of skills) and how the edu system and its actors can support the development of SR WP and the quality of content.
The research will be conducted on respondents from primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, in order to explore different experiences and attitudes at different levels of education. The aim is to examine at least 1000 students and professors, including at least 50 students of Roma nationality, who are part of the project of Inclusion of Roma in the educational system in Serbia. In this way, we will get results from sensitive and marginalized groups who also use Wikipedia as an edu tool. The research will be carried out through a quantitative-qualitative approach (questionnaires, interviews, surveys, etc.) using analytical-deductive methods, model methods and experiments. The research consists of: Defining the theme; Designing the study; General overview; Formulation of hypotheses; Choosing a research methods; Conducting research; Interpreting the results; Reporting; Publishing and holding a discussion
Personnel[edit]
N/A
Budget[edit]
Approximate amount requested in USD.
- 45,000-50,000 USD
Budget Description
Briefly describe what you expect to spend money on (specific budgets and details are not necessary at this time).
Salary or stipend (including taxes) for me and one assistant; travel in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit universities and schools; translation; participation in at least one wiki event; survey materials; equipment, institutional overhead, publication costs, internet and telephone.
Impact[edit]
Address the impact and relevance to the Wikimedia projects, including the degree to which the research will address the 2030 Wikimedia Strategic Direction and/or support the work of Wikimedia user groups, affiliates, and developer communities. If your work relates to knowledge gaps, please directly relate it to the knowledge gaps taxonomy.
The research will make a great contribution to understanding opinions and experiences in using Wikipedia in the educational sphere and how Wiki projects influence their change. The research will cover two countries and a large speech area which, due to linguistic and cultural similarities will have an impact on the wider region. In terms of the 2030 Strategy, it will primarily be about Identify Topics for Impact as it will help us better understand how content is used, how it affects the public and how it affects education. By implementing the results, user experiences can be improved but also contribute to the development of skills. Inclusion of the Roma population, support will be provided to marginalized groups.
Dissemination[edit]
Plans for dissemination.
The research paper will be published in English, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian and Bosnian. In addition to classic publication, research work will be presented through a special presentation as a recapitulation of the entire research process with all conclusions. Also, there will be space for a special presentation to local chapters or educational institutions for organizing a debate. Research will be presented at least one Wikimedia conferences.
Past Contributions[edit]
Prior contributions to related academic and/or research projects and/or the Wikimedia and free culture communities. If you do not have prior experience, please explain your planned contributions.
I am a long-time Wikimedian with over 20000 edits since 2007. In addition to managerial activities in the local community, I am the creator of several projects and programs, among which I would single out "1001 Arabic words", as well as the "Wikinew in schools" project. I gave numerous presentations about Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, their use in schools, then on open access to knowledge and free licenses. I have been a member of various grant committees of the WMF for over ten years. At the moment, I am member of the Regional CEE&CA region.
One of my first research contributions was participating in "Retrospective 2009-2012", by Kevin Gorman, in which my views, experience and recommendations about the grant program were included.
I agree to license the information I entered in this form excluding the pronouns, countries of residence, and email addresses under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. I understand that the decision to fund this Research Fund application, the application itself along with all the information entered by my in this form excluding the pronouns, country of residences, and email addresses of the personnel will be published on Wikimedia Foundation Funds pages on Meta-Wiki and will be made available to the public in perpetuity. To make the results of your research actionable and reusable by the Wikimedia volunteer communities, affiliates and Foundation, I agree that any output of my research will comply with the WMF Open Access Policy. I also confirm that I have read the privacy statement and agree to abide by the WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
- Yes