An Assessment of Wikidata on Premodern Writing Systems

This article provides a brief exploratory analysis of Wikidata related to pre-modern writing systems and related concepts used for natural languages, assessing its current scope, reliability, and suitability for research. I give an overview of the 310 existing writing system items, often described as “alphabet” or “script,” and their common subclasses, in relation to current scholarly typologies. Using a representative sample of extensively annotated entries, I discuss the most common properties used in Wikidata statements about writing systems, and assess their levels of usage and consistency. I also explore related Wikidata on writing formats and support, usually classified as “communications media.” Throughout my analysis I reflect on the extent to which Wikidata reflects current scholarly knowledge, on the one hand; and potentially contributes to ongoing academic discussions, on the other. A related area of inquiry data provenance, namely the frequency of and common sources for citations and references. I conclude with some reflections on possible steps for improving Wikidata on writing systems, for example through the creation of an EntitySchema.