Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017/Sources/Strategy 2030: Wikipedia's role in shaping the future of the information commons
- As part of Wikimedia 2030, the Wikimedia Foundation commissioned research to inform conversations and contextualize trends that could affect Wikimedia from now until 2030. The resulting conversations and research from around the world culminated in a strategic vision and direction. The contents of this report, and related briefs published throughout the strategy process, provided valuable perspective that informed our discussion and helped define our shared future. We will continue to rely on the findings in this report to open our thinking, imagine what might be next, and enlist new people and organizations in the work.
- This report was prepared by Dot Connector Studio, a Philadelphia-based media research and strategy firm focused on how emerging platforms can be used for social impact, and Lutman & Associates, a St. Paul-based strategy, planning, and evaluation firm focused on the intersections of culture, media, and philanthropy.
As part of their work, Dot Connector Studio and Lutman & Associates wrote a detailed report about the wider context in which the Wikimedia movement sits. Perspectives from interviewees around the world are also provided with context about their region and area of expertise. The report draws from comprehensive research briefs, published on Wikimedia's strategy website, which address these topics:
- Considering 2030: Misinformation, verification, and propaganda (July 2017)
- Considering 2030: Future technology trends that will impact the Wikimedia movement (July 2017)
- Considering 2030: Demographic Shifts – How might Wikimedia extend its reach by 2030? (July 2017)
- Considering 2030: Future of literacy and learning (September 2017)
- Considering 2030: Future of reference and open knowledge (September 2017)
- Considering 2030: Future of the commons (September 2017)
- Considering 2030: Learning to expect the unexpected in 2030 (September 2017)
Methodology[edit]
As part of the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process, the Foundation engaged research teams to examine awareness and usage of Wikimedia projects and evolving information consumption habits. The consulting teams conducted desk research and spoke both with people familiar with and involved in the Wikimedia movement and expert observers who could inform the strategy process but who are not directly involved today. In one-on-one interviews, experts in geographic areas where the projects are most heavily used were asked to think about future trends in their fields and how the trends might apply to the Wikimedia movement’s strategy. This particular research focused on six broad topics that seemed most likely to further or frustrate the vision for growth that the Foundation embraces.
Executive Summary & Key Insights[edit]
In the report, you will find themes that the researchers found repeatedly both in crafting their research briefs and in their interview conversations, along with recommendations and discussion questions. For extended narratives, many more citations, and community discussion of the research, visit the Wikimedia strategy page that aggregates into a single web directory not only this work but also the totality of the Foundation’s strategy process: [2030.wikimedia.org].