WikidataCon 2021

How can we prevent conflictual P31 values?
2021-10-30 , Room 1

In the performing arts sector, it is frequent for items automatically created from Wikipedia articles to conflate conceptually distinct P31 values. The most common cases are items stated to be instances of both a building and an organization. As these items are enriched with more statements and identifiers, it becomes very difficult to distinguish which statements or identifiers refer to which entity. For example, an inception (P571) statement could refer either to the date when an organization was founded or to the date when construction for a building began.

In order to reduce and to prevent the occurence of items conflating two distinct concepts, we would like to discuss solutions such as introducing a new constraint for conflicting P31 values.


Link to notes:

https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/WikidataCon2021-HowtopreventconflictualP31valu

What will the participants take away from this session?:

Based on these database reports (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Database_reports/Complex_constraint_violations/P31) we're not the only ones struggling with this issue. There are many other recurrent cases of conflations that could also be solved if the right constraint could trigger a constraint warning. We hope Wikimedians struggling with this issue will feel as relieved as us once consensus is reached on a solution.

Language:

English

Recording:

Yes

Link to slides:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_iaFtwHwqVS-RLRL1S6e7dwA-ImXxxdEnBahxHXrTSc/edit?usp=sharing

Other links:

This issue is described in the WikiProject Performing arts:
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Performing_arts/Data_structure/Data_modelling_issues

Frédéric Julien works in the performing arts as an administrator, a researcher and an activist. He currently holds the position of Director of Research and Development at the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA). Since 2018, he leads the Linked Digital Future Initiative, which deploys a range of activities fosters a data-centric transformation digital transformation in the performing arts. Wikidata is an essential tool in this transformation.

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