Wikipedia:Reference desk/How to ask

How to ask a question

1. Search first - it's quicker. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in Wikipedia:FAQ.
2. Be courteous - questions are answered by humans, not computers. This is not a search engine. Don't write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
3. Do your own homework - if you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers.
4. Be specific - explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in.
5. Include both a title and a question - the title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box. Questions not following this format may be deleted.
6. Do not list your e-mail address - questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet.
7. Edit your question for more discussion - click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic.
8. Check back for updates - a complete answer to your question may be developed over a period of several days. To help yourself find this page again, make a bookmark (in some common browsers you can press Ctrl+D or ⌘+D to do so), or add this page to your watchlist if you have an account.
9. Do not double post - please post your question in only one subpage.
10. Use the form, below