Wikidata:WikiProject Brazilian Laws

Home

Schema crosswalk

Scripts

Data Visualization

Lexicon

Aim and Scope

handout showing the methodology and steps followed to execute the activities.

The goal of this project is to model and import the entire framework of Brazilian laws to Wikidata.

The Brazilian legislation isn't made available in an open and transparent manner. It can be accessed through a system called LexML and the legislation website of the Palácio do Planalto (official workplace of the President of Brazil). However, both of them have search APIs that are quite lacking in functionalities, and aren't easily accessible to someone who isn't familiar with their platforms.

More specifically, this project aims to coordinate the following activities:

• the gathering and modelling of metadata pertaining all Brazilian laws;
• the creation of a lexicon of terms that categorize said laws;
• the insertion of data regarding the Brazilian legislation into Wikidata;
• further improving and completing already existing items;
• the development of a Toolforge tool that will simplify the process of importing future Brazilian laws into Wikidata.

The entire process and methodology will be documented in this page, as to aid those interested in replicating it in the future.

Breakdown of Tasks

Most of the activities will take place on the Wikidata platforms. They are:

• scraping all laws and "law-decrees" (decrees with status of law, from previous constitutions) available in the LexML API (approximately 28 thousand);
• scraping all laws and "law-decrees" available in the Palácio do Planalto legislation website (approximately 28 thousand);
• creating a schema crosswalk between Wikidata, LexML and the Palácio do Planalto legislation website;
• modeling the metadata schema for each type of legislation act (decree, law etc) for each period of time of the Brazilian legislation on a federal level;
• creating an ever-growing, dynamic lexicon for the distinct terms of categorization of the Brazilian laws;
• load all the modeled metadata to Wikidata, and curate the laws that already exist;
• developing an interface on Toolforge to translate the metadata from the Palácio do Planalto and LexML into QuickStatements commands to import into Wikidata;

We have finished the scraping, modeling and uploading of all federal laws and law-decrees. We have also created the schema crosswalk between the two websites and Wikidata. The lexicon is in its early stages: the topics mentioned over 100 times have been reconciled, but there's still plenty of work to do (you are welcome to help!). The Toolforge app has been created, and is ready to use.

Ways to Contribute

Video tutorial on how to create a Brazilian legislation item on Wikidata using the Legislation Importer on Toolforge. There's a portuguese version on Commons.

• Improve our lexicon. The most frequently used terms have been reconciled, but we still have over nine thousand terms that need reconciling. You can help us by identifying the equivalent to these terms on Wikidata.
• Using our Toolforge app. It allows you create new Wikidata items based on a LexML entry, and to reconcile the law's subjects on the spot.
• Improve the existing items. You can use these queries as a guideline to help you find existing content on Wikidata that you can improve on.

Communication Channels

The coordination of the project mostly takes place through Wiki Movement Brazil's Slack channel (you are welcome to sign up!).

Core team

• Éder Porto (talk)
• Veronica Stocco (talk)

Participants

• Éder Porto (User:Ederporto)
• Célio Costa (User:Sturm)
• João Alexandre Peschanski (User:Joalpe)
• Veronica Stocco (User:VStocco (WMB))

Events

• Wikidata Lab XXVII - WikiProject Brazilian Laws

See also

• Wikidata:WikiProject Policies