Wikimedia at Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science 2026 Uyo, Nigeria

Twenty researchers, educators, health professionals, students, and practitioners gathered in Uyo with different research interests but a shared task: to learn how computational methods could help them investigate social problems more carefully. For fourteen days, the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science Nigeria 2026 brought participants together under the theme “Tech for Open Minds.” The programme combined discussions on misinformation, gender bias, public health, education, digital inclusion, and knowledge inequality with practical training in data collection and analysis. For many participants, it was also an opportunity to discover Wikimedia beyond reading Wikipedia articles. The Summer Institute in Computational Social Science was founded by Professors Christopher Bail and Matthew Salganik, the SICSS Nigeria 2026 – Uyo experience was sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation and Wiki In Africa. Hosted by Dr Rhoda Asuquo, with Dr Juliet Inyang and Yohanna Joseph Waliya as co-hosts. A handpicked group of exceptional facilitators facilitated each session, all experts in their respective fields. Discovering Wikimedia projects as a research resource Early in the programme, Hilary Ogali, Chinonso Chidi, and Andikan Eduok introduced participants to the wider Wikimedia movement, its projects, communities, and opportunities. The sessions showed how Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other sister projects can support research, education, documentation, and public knowledge. Participants began to see Wikimedia as a source of data for examining representation, language, information gaps, and social bias. This introduction prepared them for later sessions on APIs, data cleaning, web scraping, knowledge graphs, natural language processing, text analysis, visualisation, feature engineering, and research communication. Learning through group research Participants also explored misinformation, disinformation, bias, and unequal access to knowledge. They learned that computational tools are useful only when they are guided by clear research questions and a proper understanding of the people and communities represented in the data. Through research speed dating and the Problem Dart Wheel, participants were divided into interdisciplinary groups. The groups brought together people from health, education, technology, communication, and the social sciences. Each group selected a social problem and developed a research idea using data scraped from Wikipedia and Wikidata. Their topics covered areas such as political representation, gender bias, public health, education, language, misinformation, and knowledge inequality. The groups did not complete full research papers during the summer school. Instead, they prepared concept notes outlining their research problems, objectives, proposed datasets, methods, and expected contributions. During the second week, there was a session on research paper development and peer review. The groups’ concept notes were reviewed, and participants revised their work based on the feedback they received. On the final day, each group presented its concept note and explained the problem it planned to study, the Wikimedia data it intended to use, and its proposed method of analysis. The presentations marked the beginning, rather than the completion, of the research. The groups will continue analysing the scraped data and developing their concept notes into full research papers. Publication will follow only after the studies have been thoroughly completed, reviewed, and refined. Beyond the technical sessions The programme allowed participants from different disciplines to learn from one another. Health professionals considered how data could help them examine patterns across larger populations. Educators explored how open knowledge could support teaching and research. Social scientists examined representation, inequality, and misinformation, while participants working in technology and communication considered how data could be responsibly collected, analysed, and explained. By the end of the fourteen days, participants had gained new computational skills, worked with Wikimedia data, formed interdisciplinary research teams, produced peer-reviewed concept notes, and developed plans for research that will continue beyond the summer school. Conclusion At the start of the programme, the host, Dr. Rhoda Asuquo, encouraged participants to come empty and leave full. Fourteen days later, those words had come to life. Participants left Uyo with more than new skills. They left with fresh perspectives, meaningful collaborations, and the confidence to ask better research questions. While the programme has come to an end, the ideas, connections, and research it inspired are only just beginning. Can you help us translate this article? In order for this article to reach as many people as possible we would like your help. Can you translate this article to get the message out? Start translation