Wikidata:Mismatched reference notification input
Description edit
As part of our work on data quality, and how we can make sure that data and references match, we have been working on a new notification to make it less likely for data to be changed without updating the reference.
The idea is to inform the editors when they edit an existing statement where there is already a reference, and change the value without changing the reference. This will appear as a notification icon, similar to constraints, once the statement is saved. In the next version of the feature, the editor will have the possibility to update the reference or to mark the notification as irrelevant, if changing the value without changing the reference was made on purpose (for example, to fix a typo or a mistake).
In the first version of the feature, the notification is temporary and focused on the editor who made the change: the editor who made the change will see it appear when they saved their edit, but if they reload the page, the notification will be gone. Other users also won’t be able to see it. A possible next step would be making the warning persistent, hence visible for other users.
How to try the feature? edit
The feature is now enabled on wikidata.org. You can test it for example on the sandbox. You don’t need to log in to edit and see the notification.
What are the next steps? edit
On February 3rd, the first version of the feature (non-persistent) got deployed on wikidata.org for all users. You are very welcome to try the feature and give feedback at any time. A new feature including a button to hide the notification will be added later in February. The next steps in 2020 could be making this feature persistent.
In order to understand your needs and workflows better, we would love to get your feedback on the talk page. You will find a few questions to guide you if needed.