Hello everyone,

It’s been just over a week since returning from Wikimania, and I wanted to share some reflections on the experience.

This year marked my first in-person Wikimania since joining the Wikimedia Foundation. It also coincided with the completion of a year in the role of Research Community Officer, and came at a time when many initiatives for the research community, including the Research Fund and Wiki Workshop, are being planned for the year ahead.

My primary goals at Wikimania were to share more about the work we’re doing within the research community at WMF, understand the needs of community members, and build connections with them. Here are a few highlights from the week that I’d like to share:

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I enjoyed attending many great sessions as part of the Research track and other tracks led by research community members, such as Wikimedia and Public AI: a tale of two cultural technologies https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/8BVHMP/, Abstract Wikipedia and the dream of a Universal Language https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/NUXQAC/, Opening the Academia keynote https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/RA8R3V/, to name just a few. We also had excellent sessions from current and former Research Fund recipients like Thank you for the flowers but I would like a Wikimartisor https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/CEJCLL/ and Codifying Digital Behavior: A Socio-Legal Study of the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/GNDQ39/. All these sessions, along with many others, underscored the dedication of the community to our projects and movement. -

I had a lot of side discussions with many of you about your needs from the Research Team and the Foundation. For instance, several attendees shared challenges in accessing certain Wikimedia Research resources and expressed a desire for more updates on ongoing initiatives like Wiki Workshop and the Research Showcase. These conversations have given us a clearer understanding of how we can enhance communication and resources for the community moving forward. -

One of the week’s highlights was organizing the first-ever Research Meetup at Wikimania. The turnout exceeded expectations, with attendees staying beyond the scheduled time. This gathering fostered new connections, sparked conversations about mutual research interests, and opened up possibilities for future collaborations.

Overall, the week was filled with positive and encouraging exchanges. The energy from these discussions will help guide ongoing efforts to strengthen Wikimedia Research. In the near future, updates on initiatives inspired by these conversations will be shared here on the mailing list. Meanwhile, if you'd like to continue the dialogue, feel free to schedule an office hour https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Research/Office_hours with me or a member of the team. Additionally, if you know others who might benefit from engaging with the Wikimedia Research Community, please encourage them to subscribe to this list and follow @wikiresearch https://x.com/wikiresearch on Twitter/X for the latest updates.

Looking forward to continuing this important work together.

Best, Kinneret