Wikifying the Bioeconomy Science Institute
Wikifying the Bioeconomy Science Institute The final report for the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) Wikimedian in Residence (WiR) project is now available, covering nine months of […]
The final report for theBioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) Wikimedian in Residence (WiR) projectis now available, covering nine months of work to bring Aotearoa New Zealand’s science collections to the open knowledge world. This residency was undertaken by Wikimedian Siobhan Leachman (User:Ambrosia10) from September 2025 to June 2026. The BSI (formerly known as Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research) holds five nationally significant biological collections, which play a critical role in furthering the understanding and protection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique biodiversity as well as supporting sustainable land use. Senior Technician in Imaging and Digitisation at BSI, Leanne Elder, was first introduced to the potential impact of engagement with Wikimedia platforms through a presentation by Siobhan Leachman in 2019, and went on to apply for funding for the organisation to host their own Wikimedian in Residence. The key objectives of the residency were toAssist the employees to embed their collections, research, and expertise into Wikimedia platforms. Engage with and educate staff on Wikimedia platforms, including educating staff on the impact of sharing BSI content on those platforms, and how data reuse can be facilitated by those platforms. Identifying ways to integrate staff engagement with Wikimedia platforms into their work and to develop long term workflows. Produce a Wikimedia engagement strategy to assist staff in sharing their expert knowledge and increase the discoverability, accessibility and reusability of publicly owned resources. Through the final report, three key takeaways from the residency stand out. Multiple platforms are required for impactFor engagement to be as effective as possible, content should be available and connected across Wikimedia platforms. This project utilised Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons to make the BSI’s research and data easily accessible and available for reuse. Open access works best with persistent identifiersA persistent identifier is a long-lasting, unique reference to a digital or physical object, such as a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), an ORCID, or a Research Organisation Registry (ROR) ID. Unlike a website URL, they do not break when web pages move or change, because they use a permanent redirection system tied to stable metadata. Linking scientific datasets and publications to persistent identifiers ensures stronger attribution and improved connectivity across platforms. Build workflows for sustainable engagementIn order for the organisation to continue engaging with Wikimedia platforms following the residency, establish workflows which can be embedded into current processes. This enables employees to make research and data open-source as a part of their usual work activities, maintaining the success of the residency past the end date.