VHH-MMSI Manual: Creating New Wikidata Items

  • Version: 1.2
  • Date: 2022-07-17
  • Author(s): LBI (Jakob Zenzmaier)
  • Reviewer(s): LBI (Sema Colpan, Ingo Zechner)

1.1. Introduction

This manual is intended for the creation of Wikidata items for Persons and Organizations. If you see the need to create other items, like for Groups, Events or Places, please contact the VHH Project Management Office first.

Definition and objective

Within the VHH Project Wikidata is used as Linked Open Data (LOD) platform. Every Name within the project (Agents, Events, Places) is supposed to be interlinked with an item in Wikidata. Each item within Wikidata is allocated with a unique and persistent identifier (QID) which is supposed to be used as a mandatory External Identifier within the VHH Project.

The objective is to create new Wikidata items if a Person or Organization is created within the VHH-MMSI, but not yet available on Wikidata.

1.2. Steps

Login

1.3. (Pre)Conditions to create new Wikidata items

Precondition to create an item

  • First, check if your item already exists by using “Search Wikidata” (you may need to try different spellings and different languages).
  • If your item already exists, do not create a duplicate. Instead use the QID of the existing item.
  • If you see the need to adapt the existing item, feel free to add more information to the item.

Conditions to create a sustainable item

  • Since the administrators of wikidata.org check items for consistency, utility and interconnectivity, insufficient items are deleted after some time.
  • In order to keep newly created items sustainable, they must contain a minimum of information in addition to their “label” (name of item) and the “description” (description of item).[1]
  • Additional information is realized by adding some “Statements” to each item.

1.4. Create item and add statements

Create new item

  • Select “Create a new Item” on the very left of the page.
  • Choose the language for the following entries.
  • Type in the name of your item (name of the Person/Organization) in “Label” (first letters capitalized, because proper name).
  • Write a short description of your item in “Description” (only a few words, e.g., 3 to 10 words).
  • Click on “Create”.
  • After clicking “Create” you will be directed to another page where you can edit the item:
  • Enter the name of the Person/Organization in other languages (e.g., English, German, French, Russian) and use – if needed – “also known as” for different spellings, pseudonyms, or aliases.
  • Click on “publish” to save your currently added information.

Add statement

  • Create some “Statements” (at least 3, or 4) to keep your item sustainable.
  • By clicking on “+ add statement” a line appears for entering each new statement.
  • Under “Property” on the very left of the line you can choose the specific property of your statement (type the name of the property).[2] If you just click within “Property”, a first suggestion of a property appears.
  • After you choose the property, you can select a certain value from the dropdown list in the middle of the line. Choose a value.
  • Click on “publish” to save your currently added statement.

Statements: Suggestions of “Properties” (Person)

instance of                                       –                                  human

sex or gender                                   –                                  female/male

given name                                      –                                  given name

family name                                      –                                  family name

date of birth                                     –                                  date

date of death                                    –                                  date

place of birth                                   –                                  name of place

place of death                                  –                                  name of place

Statements: Suggestions of “Properties” (Organization)

instance of                                        –                                  organization

inception                                          –                                  date

dissolved                                           –                                  date

country                                             –                                  name of country

Statements: Suggestions of “Properties” (Person/Organization)

External Identifiers

GND ID                                            –                                  ID

ISNI                                                   –                                  ID

Library of Congress authority ID  –                                  ID

VIAF ID                                            –                                  ID

USHMM person ID                        –                                  ID

WorldCat Identities ID                  –                                  ID

1.5. Useful Links for Wikidata

1.6. Useful Links for External Identifiers

[1] Cf. Wkidata:Notability for further details: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Notability (2022-07-17).

[2] List of common Wikidata properties: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:List_of_properties/Wikidata_qualifier (2022-03-22)