Outreachy Proposal: Addressing the lusophone technological wishlist proposals - Visual Editor / Wikidata

About me

Hi, I’m Sania. I’m an undergraduate student, and I usually learn by building things and figuring them out step by step. My background is in electrical engineering, so I’m used to breaking down problems and understanding systems gradually.

Through Outreachy, I got my first real exposure to open source. It helped me see how the code we write actually affects real users and their experience.

What interests me in this project

I’m interested in working on both Wishlist #3 (duplicate reference detection) and Wishlist #8 (Wikidata support in Wikiscore).

What I like about these is that they solve very practical problems. Duplicate references are easy to create but frustrating to fix later. At the same time, Wikidata contributions are valuable but not easy to track properly.

I enjoy working on problems like these where small improvements can make a real difference for users.

How I think about the problem

My approach is simple: start small, make it work, and then improve it step by step.

For duplicate references, I would begin with basic matching like URLs, and then extend it to identifiers like DOI and ISBN. After that, I would focus on handling real-world variations and edge cases.

For Wikidata support, I would first understand how Wikiscore currently works, then use APIs to fetch contributions and make sure the counting is accurate and reliable.

I want to build something that works well in real situations, not just in ideal cases.

Plan of work

In the first two weeks, I will set up my environment, explore the codebase, and discuss the approach with my mentors.

During weeks three to five, I will build a basic version of the feature and test it.

Weeks six to eight will focus on improving the logic, handling edge cases, and making the feature more reliable.

In weeks nine and ten, I will work on integrating the feature smoothly so it fits naturally into the system.

In the final weeks, I will focus on testing, fixing bugs, improving based on feedback, and writing documentation.

What I learned from the microtasks

The microtasks helped me understand how real-world data behaves.

In Task 1, I worked with structured data and focused on presenting it clearly.
In Task 2, I worked with URLs and handled cases like broken links and timeouts.

This made me more aware of edge cases and the importance of handling failures properly.

Why I think I’m a good fit

I am new to open source, but I am consistent and willing to learn.

I like understanding how things work, not just making them work. I’m comfortable with Python, JavaScript, and APIs, and I enjoy solving practical problems.

I’m also open to feedback and willing to improve my work step by step.

Expected impact

This project helps improve the editing experience.

Duplicate detection can prevent mistakes early, and Wikidata support can make contributions easier to track.

Both features make the workflow smoother and more efficient for users.

After the internship

I would like to continue contributing and improving the features further if possible. I’m interested in working on problems where small improvements can help many users.

Availability

I will be fully available from May 20 to the end of July and can dedicate around 40 hours per week.

I am also flexible and open to adjusting my plan based on mentor feedback.