Although it's not a proposal to do research per se, I think this is a proposal that researchers need to support as it's pretty fundamental: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Face_new_editors_with_the_pos sibility_of_specifying_their_gender In a nutshell, it seeks gender information on sign-up. In my endorsement I wrote: Endorse. If we don't know the gender of our editors, we can't measure progress towards the diversity objective. Nor can we undertake the range of other research proposed. We should ask for gender on sign-up (of course, with an opt-out) with an explanation of why we are asking. It should be made clear that this information is for WMF's statistical/research purposes and not disclosed to others. We have reports and graphs of editor activity on-wiki; let's offer a couple more lines on those graphs: male and female (and I guess "don't know") to see how they change in response to other changes. Let's provide monthly reports on male/female activities any categories which are large enough to prevent gender identification of individual editors. We need such this "diversity dashboard" to know what is happening and (in broad terms) when/where it's happening. Indeed, I would probably go further and say we need to also try to encourage existing editors to provide this information too. What's the point of A/B testing a gender-diversity "solution" if we cannot tell if it is changing anything? I'd encourage anyone with an interest in any gendered research question to support this proposal. In the interests of CoI, I have no involvement in this proposal and, as far as one can tell with pseudonymous accounts, no connection to its proposers. Kerry _____ From: wiki-research-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wiki-research-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Morgan Sent: Thursday, 26 March 2015 3:15 AM To: Wiki Research-l Subject: [Wiki-research-l] YOUR INPUT NEEDED on Inspire Campaign researchproposals! Hi there wiki-researchers, We have 6 days left in Phase 1 of the Wikimedia Inspire campaign <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire> and we've received quite a few compelling research proposals. When you have a moment this week, please peruse these proposals and endorse/comment upon them. I've included a list of proposals below that seem to have gained some traction and/or are reasonably detailed. * Expand <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Expand_Russian_Wiktionary> Russian Wiktionary * Debates <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Debates_on_facts_given_in_In spire_Campaign_mass_message> on facts given in Inspire Campaign mass message * Survey <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Survey_potential_female_edit ors_to_determine_most_popular_topics_of_interest> potential female editors to determine the most popular topics of interest * References <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/References_from_Gender/Queer _Studies> from Gender/Queer studies * Examination <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Examination_of_gender_in_bio graphies> of Gender Biographies * Research <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Research_gender_affinity_for _different_subjects_on_Wikipedia> gender affinity for different subjects on Wikipedia * Survey <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Survey_women_who_don%27t_con tribute> women who don't contribute * WIGI: <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/WIGI:_Wikipedia_Gender_Index _Tools> Wikipedia Gender Index Tools * A <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/A_Consciousness_Raising_Repo sitory> Consciousness Raising Repository Any input or insight you can provide on these proposals will be valuable: you can ask questions to make them think, suggest methods, theories, or refinements to their research questions, or point the proposers to relevant literature. For example, the proposal "Research <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Research_gender_affinity_for _different_subjects_on_Wikipedia> gender affinity for different subjects on Wikipedia" would probably benefit from a pointer to the WP:Clubhouse <http://files.grouplens.org/papers/wp-gender-wikisym2011.pdf> paper, which investigates that phenomenon within the scope of movie articles. If you find a project particularly compelling, you can even join it as a volunteer or (potential) grantee. Like I said, any help is helpful! Although keep in mind that not every proposer has the profound depth of research background that you do, My Esteemed Colleagues. So please focus on providing constructive input and assume good faith ;) Full list of ideas that have been classified as "research" is here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire/Ideas_by_theme#Resear ch_ideas You can view all ideas at the main campaign page: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire Thank you in advance for your support! I'll update this list in a month or so to let y'all know which of these projects will be going forward with WMF support. Best, Jonathan -- Jonathan T. Morgan Community Research Lead Wikimedia Foundation User:Jmorgan (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jmorgan_(WMF)> jmorgan(a)wikimedia.org