*Improving Wikidata References: A Hands-On Workshop with the Reference Validator Tool*

*Date* - Saturday 15 August 2026 *Time *- 17:00 - 18:00 London / Europe (UTC+1) *Presenters* - Josef Anthony and Nurah Wakili *Location* - Zoom, link will be emailed to participants the day before *Sign up here https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:WMUK_Sandbox_Sessions/Improving_Wikidata_References:_The_Reference_Validator_Tool *- at the top of the page. Please ensure that you have "Allow other users to email me" enabled in your preferences so that we can send you comms about the event.

About the event

This session will introduce the Wikidata Reference Validator tool, which helps identify whether references used in Wikidata items are still accessible or have gone offline. Reliable references are essential for ensuring the quality and trustworthiness of Wikidata, and this session will focus on practical ways to improve them.

Participants will learn how to:

1. Use the Reference Validator tool to check if references are active or broken 2. Understand why maintaining valid references is important for Wikidata 3. Navigate from the tool to Wikidata to fix and update references

This will be a hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop where participants can follow along, explore the tool, and work on real Wikidata items together. By the end of the session, participants will have improved references and gained confidence in maintaining data quality on Wikidata.

About the presenters

Josef Anthony is a Wikimedian focused on Wikidata, technical contributions, and community capacity building. He is the founder of the Arewa TechCom initiative and has led training sessions focused on Wikimedia tools, data quality, and underrepresented knowledge.

Nurah Wakili is an emerging Wikimedian from the Arewa Techcom community with an interest in Wikidata, Wikimedia tools, and technical skills development. She will be co-facilitating the session as part of ongoing community capacity-building efforts.

About the Sandbox Sessions

Sandbox Sessions are volunteer-led events organised and supported by Wikimedia UK. All are welcome to attend! These workshops are intended to be a chance for our community to learn about different areas of the Wiki-verse, find out something new, and connect with other Wikimedians. They're also an opportunity for our community to share their interests with other Wikimedians!

Safe Space Policy

Wikimedia UK's Safe Space Policy applies at this event, and we expect all participants to adhere to the Universal Code of Conduct. A member of Wikimedia UK staff will be present at the event, should you have any concerns, please contact them using private message during the call.

Rupal Karia (she/her) Outreach and Community Coordinator *My pronouns are she/her and my name is pronounced like this https://namedrop.io/rupalkaria*

Working hours - Mondays 9am-3pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9-6pm

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