Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/“WikiJournals Maintenance Rapid Access Proposal” (ID: 22987696)
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Applicant Details
edit- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Mikael Häggström
- Organization
WikiJournal
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
I'm a board member or president of a Wikimedia Affiliate or mission-allied organization.
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Mikael Häggström – Executive Board Member. Involved in decision-making, strategic planning, and governance of the WikiJournal project.
Ellen Sussman – Administrative Assistant. Manages operations, communications, and logistical support for the executive team and technical editors.
Sarah Häggström – Human Resources and Financial Officer. Overseas personnel matters and financial management.
Andrew Leung – Executive Board Member & Chief Editor of WikiJournal of Science. Responsible for editorial oversight, peer review management, and content quality for the WikiJournal of Science.
Alex Holcombe – Executive Board Member & Editor of WikiJournal of Science. Contributes to governance decisions and editorial responsibilities, ensuring high-quality content and peer review processes for the WikiJournal of Science.
Main Proposal
edit- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
“WikiJournals Maintenance Rapid Access Proposal”
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-04-11 - 2025-07-01
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
International (more than one country across continents or regions) WikiJournal is an international organization as it operates across multiple countries, engaging contributors, editors, and reviewers from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. As an open-access academic publishing initiative, it leverages the global reach of Wikimedia platforms to make scholarly knowledge freely accessible to a worldwide audience.
Global Editorial and Review Process – WikiJournal’s editorial boards comprise experts from various countries, ensuring a broad, multidisciplinary perspective in peer-reviewed publications. Submissions undergo an open peer-review process with reviewers from different institutions and regions.
Multilingual and Open-Access Content – Articles published by WikiJournal are freely available and often integrated into Wikipedia, reaching audiences across national boundaries. Additionally, we have articles published in multiple languages, including Japanese and Nepali, contributing to the international implementation.
Diverse Author and Contributor Base – Authors submitting to WikiJournal come from various institutions globally, enhancing the diversity of perspectives and research covered. This international participation enriches the academic discourse and promotes inclusivity.
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Not applicable
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
WikiJournal aims to transform the landscape of academic publishing by increasing the accessibility of freely available, peer-reviewed scholarly knowledge. Our mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the public by ensuring that high-quality research is free to both contributors and consumers and openly accessible to all.
One of the primary challenges WikiJournal faces is financial constraints. Running a high-quality, peer-reviewed, open-access journal requires operational funding for editing, peer-review management, and technical infrastructure. However, as a volunteer-driven initiative, we face financial limitations that impact our ability to sustain and expand these critical functions.
Another challenge is maintaining volunteer engagement and retention. WikiJournal relies heavily on volunteers for editorial work, peer review, and recruitment. Keeping volunteers engaged remains an ongoing difficulty, as their contributions are essential to the journal’s operations.
To address these challenges, we are focusing on strengthening the peer-review process. A well-structured peer-review system is crucial to maintaining high academic standards while ensuring that scholarly knowledge remains freely available. We are allocating resources to support technical editors who manage article submissions, coordinate peer reviews, and ensure that background technical elements are in place. These editors help streamline workflows and reduce publication delays, which we have historically found to be beneficial. Additionally, we are actively recruiting subject-matter experts from diverse academic disciplines to enhance the quality of our peer-review process. By encouraging participation from underrepresented regions, we aim to ensure diverse perspectives in the scholarly content we publish. Events and board members play a key role in aiding recruitment and participation, with many of our new board members recruited in this manner.
Ensuring financial sustainability for operations is another essential focus. To maintain and expand our open-access publishing model, we are strategically allocating funds to critical operational needs. While much of our work is volunteer-driven, we recognize the necessity of some paid roles to handle essential tasks. Funds are used to pay for key roles, such as technical editors and administrative staff, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project. We are also actively seeking grants and alternative funding sources. Exploring partnerships with institutions and similarly aligned organisations may help provide financial support and insurance coverage for our operations.
To support contributors further, we are providing training and resources. Offering guidance on the submission and peer-review process helps first-time authors and reviewers engage with the platform effectively. We are also developing mentorship programs to support contributors, ensuring that more people can participate in WikiJournal and benefit from an open-access publishing environment.
Maintaining a free-to-publish model is a fundamental principle of WikiJournal, allowing anyone, regardless of location or financial background, to contribute as a scientific author. Additionally, we integrate high-quality, peer-reviewed articles into Wikipedia, making scholarly knowledge accessible to the public beyond academic circles. This approach also helps bridge the gap between academia and general audiences, extending the reach and impact of our publications.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
The main activities planned for WikiJournal focus on maintaining the operational functions necessary for publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed, open-access journal articles. This involves several key processes to ensure the successful publication of scholarly content.
One of the primary activities is the publication of journal articles, particularly those currently in the science pipeline, specifically Spatiotemporal Analysis of Onset, Cessation and Length of Rainy Season in Benue State, Kinematics of the cuboctahedron, and Hypericum sechmenii. Additional articles in the WikiJournal of Science, WikiJournal of Medicine, and WikiJournal of Humanities pipelines are listed on their respective pages. The process of reviewing and publishing these articles involves multiple steps, including screening, editorial review, peer review, revisions, and final publication.
The editorial team first screens submitted articles to assess their suitability for the journal. This includes checking for adherence to submission guidelines, ensuring the work meets academic standards, and determining whether it aligns with the journal’s scope. Once an article passes the initial screening, the next crucial step is finding appropriate peer reviewers.
The process of recruiting peer reviewers is a key part of maintaining academic quality. Editors, with the help of technical editors, reach out to subject-matter experts who can provide an informed and critical assessment of the submission. This outreach may involve contacting researchers through academic networks, professional organizations, or direct email invitations. Peer reviewers are asked to evaluate the article’s accuracy, relevance, and originality, providing detailed feedback to guide improvements.
After receiving peer reviews, the editorial team works closely with authors to incorporate necessary revisions. This process ensures that the final published version meets rigorous academic standards. Once the article is finalised, it is formatted by technical editors for publication and integrated WikiJournals and academic databases.
Additionally, maintaining the technical infrastructure of WikiJournal is an ongoing activity. This includes ensuring the functionality of the submission system, payment platforms, updating journal webpages, and managing communications. The administrative staff play a crucial role in streamlining these processes, troubleshooting issues, and supporting editorial workflows.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
The WikiJournal project team consists of a combination of paid staff, contractors, and dedicated volunteers who contribute to its administration, editorial processes, and governance.
Paid Contractors/Staff Ellen Sussman (Wikimedia Username: ecsussman) – Administrative Assistant. Responsible for coordinating operations, managing communications, and providing logistical support for the project. Peter Agan (Wikimedia Username: Agan56) – Technical Editor. Assists with formatting, finding reviewers, and technical aspects of article publishing. Andrew Neil (Wikimedia Username: arneil) – Technical Editor. Supports the article structuring, background logistics, and publication processes.
Relevant Board Members (Responsible for implementing this application and ongoing project management) Mikael Häggström (Wikimedia Username: Mikael Häggström) – Executive Board Member. Oversees strategic direction and operations for the WikiJournal project Sarah Häggström (Wikimedia Username: shaggstrom) – Human Resources and Financial Officer. Manages budgeting, financial planning, and personnel. Andrew Leung (Wikimedia Username: OhanaUnited) – Executive Board Member & Chief Editor of WikiJournal of Science. Leads editorial processes, peer review management, and content quality control. Additionally, active in recruitment and mentorship of new editors. Alex Holcombe (Wikimedia Username: aoholcombe) – Executive Board Member & Assistant Editor of WikiJournal of Science. Contributes to decisions, editorial oversight, recruitment and peer review coordination.
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
The primary target participants are academics, researchers, and subject-matter experts who contribute to open-access knowledge through WikiJournals. This includes both existing contributors to Wikimedia projects and new experts who may not yet be engaged with the Wikimedia movement. Another key audience is the general public, by integrating peer-reviewed content into Wikimedia, we help ensure that a broader audience has access to reliable, expert-reviewed knowledge that might otherwise be hidden behind paywalls.
Much of our engagement happens in the background as we maintain the regular operations of WikiJournals. As an ongoing initiative, we consistently reach out to academic communities through professional networks and conferences while also leveraging Wikimedia platforms to connect with contributors interested in scholarly publishing. A key focus of our outreach is engaging underrepresented communities, particularly researchers who may face barriers to publishing due to paywalls or institutional constraints. By providing an open-access platform, we help ensure that academic publishing is accessible to all, regardless of financial resources or institutional affiliation.
We utilise direct mentorship and editorial guidance to encourage contributors to remain engaged and informed. We also utilise workshops to introduce participants to WikiJournal workflows, Wikimedia integration, and the advantages of open-access publishing. We invite past contributors to review, edit, or submit future articles, ensuring a cycle of continued involvement. We also try to follow up with contributors to see how we can improve our user experience. While much of this work is routine and behind the scenes, it is essential to keeping WikiJournals running smoothly, expanding access to knowledge, and fostering long-term engagement from a diverse global community.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
The grant proposal has been discussed among the editorial board members and technical editors to ensure alignment with the ongoing needs and priorities of WikiJournals. The technical editors and admin staff play a crucial role in maintaining the backbone of the project’s operations, ensuring that the submission, review, and publication processes run smoothly and behind the scenes management is up to date. Their input has been valuable in identifying areas where support is needed to enhance the efficiency of the project.
Beyond internal discussions, our general outreach efforts are an ongoing part of WikiJournals’ operations. We continuously engage with academic communities, Wikimedia contributors, and potential new participants through professional networks and conferences. These outreach efforts not only inform new contributors about WikiJournals but also help us assess community needs and refine our strategies for inclusivity and accessibility. While this engagement is broad, it plays a critical role in shaping initiatives and providing insight into how we can better serve both academic contributors and the general public seeking high-quality, peer-reviewed information on WikiMedia.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Socioeconomic Status
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Education
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Socioeconomic status
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning and metrics
edit- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
As this project is primarily for general maintenance, much of what we hope to learn comes from continuing and refining the work we already do. By sustaining WikiJournal’s operations, we aim to better understand how to expand engagement, improve participation from underrepresented communities, and strengthen our impact as an open-access academic publishing platform.
What strategies are most effective in engaging contributors, particularly those new to Wikimedia and open-access publishing?
How does readership and participation evolve when new articles are published, and how do users engage with peer-reviewed content on Wikimedia?
What broader impacts does WikiJournal have beyond raw numbers, particularly in fostering a sense of community and addressing gaps in representation within the Wikimedia movement?
In addition to quantitative measures such as articles published and contributors, we will continue to assess the long-term impact of our work through community feedback and engagement trends, to learn more on how WikiJournal benefits both contributors and readers worldwide.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 20 | We anticipate around 20 direct participants over the three-month period, including:
Authors and reviewers submitting or assessing peer-reviewed articles. Editors and technical contributors maintaining and improving WikiJournal operations. New expert contributors who engage with the project for the first time. In addition to these direct participants, the number of readers engaging with newly published articles is expected to be significantly higher. Given past publication trends, readership for individual articles often ranges from hundreds to thousands of views within the first few months of publication. |
| Number of editors | 15 | We estimate that 15 editors will actively contribute to Wikimedia projects as a direct result of our activities over the three-month period, averaging four editors per article, along with additional editors contributing to pre-prints and early-stage submissions. However, this number is difficult to quantify precisely, as participation can vary significantly from month to month depending on the volume of submissions, reviewer availability, and engagement from new contributors. |
| Number of organizers | 6 | We have 6 core organizers for this grant, including a technical editor, an administrative staff member, and executive board members. These individuals are directly involved in the proposal and its implementation, ensuring the activities run smoothly. In addition, there are other contributors, such as members of the executive board and editorial boards who are involved in ongoing activities and support. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 10 |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | 5 |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
The 10 contributions to Wikimedia Commons we anticipate will primarily consist of figures and media derived from articles published in WikiJournals. The 5 contributions to Wikiversity are expected to come from the creation of new article pages, contingent upon the approval of peer-reviewed content. Additionally, there may be further contributions to WikiJournal pre-prints, depending on whether authors submit early-stage versions of their articles, though this number can vary based on the volume of submissions.
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
Yes
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Underrepresented Community engagement | We are aiming for participants from at least 4 new countries or historically underrepresented countries, such as authors or editors, in line with the opportunities that WikiJournal offers internationally as an academic journal that does not charge for publication or accessing articles. | 4 |
| Qualitative Feedback | Beyond numerical data, we recognise that some of the most valuable insights come from qualitative outcomes. Stories and feedback from editors, authors, reviewers, and readers will help us understand the broader benefits of our work, including how open-access publishing supports researchers who might otherwise face paywall barriers and how WikiJournal contributes to knowledge equity within the Wikimedia movement. | 4 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
To measure the metrics outlined in this proposal, we will use a combination of tools to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
Pageview statistics for articles and content: To monitor readership and engagement, we will use Pageviews Analysis (provided by Wikimedia) to track traffic on articles published in WikiJournals and linked media on Wikimedia Commons. This will help us understand how users engage with our content and how visibility changes over time.
Number of articles submitted and peer-reviewed: We will use our tracking system to monitor the number of articles submitted, their review progress, and peer-reviewed status. This will help us track the submission pipeline and the overall output of the project.
Pre-print contributions: The contributions to WikiJournal pre-prints will be tracked using WikiJournal’s submission platform. This will allow us to track early-stage submissions and their approval process.
Feedback from community members: We will gather qualitative insights through collecting feedback from authors, reviewers, and editors, by reaching out directly. Additionally, we will use Wikipedia talk pages or community forums for ongoing discussions with contributors.
Geolocation tracking: To understand the global spread of contributions, we will use Wikidata to track contributor geolocations based on their profiles and metadata.
By combining these tools, we can assess both the quantity of contributions (e.g., number of articles, figures, and preprints) and the broader impact of the project (e.g., community engagement, global reach). This approach will give us a comprehensive understanding of how the project is progressing, as well as valuable insights into areas for improvement.
Financial proposal
edit- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
5000 USD
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
5000 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
editPlease add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).