Getting started
An overview of how data is structured on Wikidata and how to set up an account.
How is data structured on Wikidata?
Every item of data on Wikidata represents a unique entity. Each entity is given a unique 'Q number' to identify it.
For example, Douglas Adams in Q42.
When you search for an item on Wikidata - either by its name or its Q number - you will be taken to an item page.
Within these item pages, information is stored in a series of statements with each statement being a 'triplet' of three pieces of information in the form of “subject – predicate – object”. For example:
- Edinburgh – is a – capital city
- Leith – is located in – Edinburgh
Things that can be used as subject or object are called items, and things that can be used as predicates are called properties. Properties have a unique P number.
Properties are limited, meaning any new properties that might be needed must be agreed upon by the Wikidata community. New items, with a unique Q number, can be created by anyone. There are a few thousand properties in Wikidata, and literally millions of items.
Key components of a Wikidata entry
The most important property is P31 (instance of). This property asks "what is it?". One item can be an 'instance of' many different things. For instance, [example here].
The value of a property could be another item of data on Wikidata and through this, links are built up between items on Wikidata.
Statements should be referenced so the information is verifiable. Adding the Reference URL (P854) is important so we can add in the provenance of where the data was sourced from. There is a guide to adding references here [link to page here].
Entries can also have identifiers. These usually come from other databases and could be from any system through which that item can be identified, such as a museum catalogue number or a Digital Object Identifier. Using identifiers means that the data on Wikidata can be linked to lots of other databases and those databases can be linked to Wikidata.
Qualifiers may also be needed to ensure the information on Wikidata is accurate. For instance, Jane Belson was only Douglas Adams’ wife for a certain period of time, so we need to add a qualifier to show the dates for when this was true in order for the statement to be accurate.
Propbowse tool for finding properties
This is a tool so people can see the variety of properties and examples on Wikidata.
Exploring the homepage on Wikidata and how to set up an account
- Video: A brief introduction to Wikidata and how to create an account.
- A brief introduction to Wikidata - a free and open knowledge base that turns information into structured and machine-readable data.
Further resources
- Wikidata in brief (pdf)
- Wikidata for beginners (pdf)
© Ewan McAndrew, Hannah Rothmann and Clea Strathmann, University of Edinburgh, 2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, unless otherwise indicated.