Wikidata is a user-generated knowledge base launched by Wikimedia Foundation’s German branch in 2012. It uses a prefix Q and number system and is document-oriented. In 2015, Wikidata integrated with Freebase, and Wikipedia uses its data for mobile displays and info boxes. Despite being more organized than Wikipedia, Wikidata has only been in use for a few years.
FAQs About Wikidata
Wikidata is a project created by the Wikimedia Foundation’s German branch as a user-generated knowledge base in 2012. The platform is a free, open-source source of structured data that can be used and edited by anyone. Here are some frequently asked questions about Wikidata:
What Is Wikidata?
Wikidata is a free, open-source, and user-generated knowledge base. Items in Wikidata are assigned a Q-number and are document-oriented. This makes it a structured data platform where information is organized into factual statements. Anyone can use Wikidata to read, edit, or create data. Moreover, Wikipedians use it as a hub to store and maintain structured data, with references to sources.
How Does Wikidata Work?
Anyone can contribute data to Wikidata, making it a user-generated knowledge base. The information in Wikidata is divided into several levels, with each item assigned a unique identifier. Data contributions are made by adding factual statements to items, which are then assigned Q-numbers to represent the items. The data is shared with, and can be pulled by, other Wikimedia projects like Wikipedia.
What Is the Relationship between Wikidata and Wikipedia?
Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia use data from Wikidata for their info boxes and mobile displays. This means that Wikidata provides the organization of data used within Wikipedia. In 2013, Wikipedia started importing Wikidata’s data gradually. By June 2014, Wikipedia pages could display the date of birth and death of an individual from Wikidata.
What Was The Impact of Google Freebase Knowledge Base’s Integration with Wikidata?
In 2015, Google announced that it would integrate its Freebase knowledge base with Wikidata. Google’s decision led Wikidata to become the data hub of the Google Knowledge Graph – a system that searches and organizes information about millions of entities (people, places, things, etc.). Wikidata’s integration with Freebase brought about an expansion of its expertise and impacted its growth. It gave it a new lease on life and attracted tech-focused audiences.
What Is The Future of Wikidata?
The continued growth and contributions that Wikidata receives translate to numerous benefits for its users. It is because it creates a platform for developers to create new software applications, expands already existing apps or meets user needs efficiently. It is suitable for professionals who want to grab information from multiple sources without additional costs. Wikidata also strengthens Wikipedia’s grand vision of distributing free knowledge. In The consequence, Wikidata’s utility is apparent to multiple industries, and its future looks enticing.
