Wikipedia:Reference desk/guidelines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption. References or links to this page should not describe it as "policy".

A proposal's acceptance or rejection is not determined simply by counting votes.


Contents

[edit] Summary

The desk attempts to provide sevices comparable to a library reference desk. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a library, we provided only a subset of normal library reference desk services. For instance, reference interviews are not possible.

Readers should first try to find their answer by searching. Answers are kept within the scope of the question asked and usually link to articles which may have relevant information.

[edit] Purposes of the desk

  • The primary purpose of the reference desk is to help the growth and refinement of Wikipedia by encouraging article contributions, additions and improvements.
  • The secondary purpose of the desk is to help the readers by facilitating access to the information contained in Wikipedia.

[edit] What the reference desk is not

  • The reference desk is not a chatroom or forum, nor is it a soapbox for promoting your own opinions, unless those opinions can be supported by reliable sources.
  • The reference desk is not a service that will do your homework for you. You should do the actual work yourself, but we will give assistance in interpreting questions, help with ideas and concepts, and attempt to point you to other resources that might help you to solve your tasks.
  • The reference desk is not a place to rehash the debate about Creation, evolution, the Apollo moon landing hoax, or any other kind of controversy. Whilst we're glad to direct you to relevant discussions — in Wikipedia and elsewhere — of theories of theology, epistemology, cosmology, or conspiracy, the reference desk is not the place where any of these are going to be resolved.

[edit] What we try to do

Within our capabilities, we do try to help answer scientific, semantic or historical questions, help explain concepts, and point the questioner to possible sources of solutions or further information.

In more involved cases, the RD staff try to work with the user to clarify their information need and determine what information sources will satisfy it.

If a question reveals a subject for which Wikipedia lacks coverage, where increased clarity is needed, or where article quality needs improvement, we will try to correct the errors and omissions.

[edit] Content and tone

The reference desk is not censored. Although we try not to give offense, it is possible that some readers may occasionally be offended or shocked by something they see or read here. We endeavor to remove needlessly offensive material as quickly as possible.

Wikipedia is a broad-scope encyclopedia, so questions about topics related to politics, sexuality or religion, for example, may yield answers that some people consider offensive. This type of answer is not deemed to be inappropriate as long as it is relevant to the question. However, we try to take special care to treat potentially offensive subjects with sensitivity, diligence, and rigor.

The desk is not intended to present an overly formal atmosphere; replies may often be lighthearted and humorous while still maintaining their purpose.

[edit] Guidelines

[edit] Asking your question

  • If you cannot find the answer to your question by searching Wikipedia articles and the Reference Desk archives, choose the most suitable Reference Desk for your question.
  • Attempt to present your question as concisely and clearly as possible. Long-winded questions are often skipped over; vague questions are often disregarded or postponed until they have been clarified.
  • Questions that ask for personal opinion are discouraged because Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a discussion forum.
  • Do not post questions with the purpose of starting a discussion.
  • Questions do not have to be written in formal language to receive a reply, but please keep your question polite.
  • Do not post your question more than once. It may take a while to get an answer, and repeating yourself doesn't reduce that time. Please do not post your question to multiple reference desks simultaneously, even if your question might span, for example, Science and Computing.
  • Answers will appear under your question so do not post your email address. Email addresses are always removed to help protect you from spam.
  • Be patient. Most questions asked on the Reference Desk receive at least one response within 24 hours, but it is unrealistic to expect to see a reply within, say, 5 minutes.

[edit] How to reply to questions

As a respondent, you will be viewed (whether you want to be or not) by readers as a representative of the Wikipedia community. Many people have their first Wikipedia experience asking a question at the Reference Desk and it is a good opportunity for us to build goodwill with the readers which in turn can help the encyclopedia. If people have a bad first experience here, they may never come back.

Replies do not need to be completely formal and humor is allowed in reference desk answers, provided it is:

  • relevant to the question,
  • not at the expense of other editors, and
  • not offensive to the "typical" reference desk reader.

However, responses to posts should always attempt to answer the question and should almost always fall into one of three categories:

  • direct answers or referrals to Wikipedia articles, web pages, or other sources,
  • clarifications of other answers, or
  • requests for clarification.

Our standards on verifiability, neutral point of view, or no original research apply to the Reference Desk as they do to the rest of the project. Answering questions by referring to articles or even reliable original sources is consistent with these key content policies. Make sure that statement of facts in answers can be supported by an article or reference. If it is impossible to answer a question without some calculation, please make this clear in your answer with a phrase such "My calculation is as follows …".

Personal opinions in answers should be limited to what is absolutely necessary, and avoided entirely when it gets in the way of factual answers. In particular, when a question asks about a controversial topic, we should attempt to provide purely factual answers. This prevents the thread from becoming a debate.

[edit] Do strive to maintain the highest standards of courtesy

We should in all cases strive to exceed the minimum standard of civility. This applies to people who ask questions, not just those who answer them. However, don't confuse an editor's poor English with intentional rudeness.

Remember that all Reference Desk staff are volunteers and deserve to be treated reasonably.

If you're not sure about the meaning of a question, ask for clarification; if you think you understand the question, feel free to state your assumptions and attempt an answer.

[edit] Don't poke fun at a poorly-written question

The reference desk necessarily involves communication between questioners and respondents from different backgrounds and cultures. There may be number of reasons for 'badly written' questions, but that does not mean that they do not deserve a proper answer.

[edit] Don't edit others' questions

...except to fix formatting errors that mess up readability (like a leading space or unclosed markup tags). Do not correct spelling or presumed typos, or change the meaning of the question.

You may add to the title, but don't delete or modify the original portion, as it may be used by the original poster to find the question. An exception to this is where the title is deliberately irrelevant and thus unlikely to be used for searching.

Do not add wikilinks to a question as this may indicate that the original poster is aware of the Wikipedia articles and the original poster may fail to realized that their question has been 'answered' through the new link.

[edit] Do have a sensible sense of humour

First and foremost, we're here to answer questions. Having a bit of humour in your answer is almost always a good thing but please don't start adding jokes just for the sake of it. Remember that young people and people for whom English is not their first language may not understand a lot of jokes; too much joking around can be very confusing, and can make it difficult for these users to differentiate the earnest answers from the humorous.

'In-jokes' can make outsiders feel confused or unwelcome; be aware that such jokes are only funny to those on the inside.

[edit] Page protocols and layout

Sometimes one question leads to another and it is a good idea to create a new heading to keep the new answers from overwhelming the original question and answers.

Complex technical questions and questions of a more subjective nature may prompt substantial answers from many parties, so please remember to sign your responses (with ~~~~).

Signing your replies adds a 'personal touch' and also allows questioners to follow up responses privately, for in-depth discussions or debates that may not be appropriate for the Reference Desk itself. Please leave a line space between your reply and the previous poster—it makes the page easier to read and edit.

Some people still go online using a dial-up modem so please be sparing in your use of inline images on the page (consider linking them, instead) and limit off-topic discussion. The Reference Desk is a pretty big page, and we all need to do our part to keep it accessible to as many people as possible.

[edit] Link to Wikipedia articles whenever possible

Attempt to link to Wikipedia articles which answer the question. If a Wikipedia article doesn't answer a question—but should—make this clear; you don't want to send a questioner on a wild goose chase, and you do want to let other editors know that the article needs improvement. If your answer does not link to an appropriate article, consider whether it still meets the Wikipedia guidelines on verifiability.

[edit] Use external links from answers as sources to improve our articles

The Reference Desk is a service to the encyclopedia, and not just a service provided by the encyclopedia. If people ask questions that our articles don't answer, use the answers to improve our articles—so long as the answers can be verified by a reliable source.

[edit] Inappropriate questions and responses

[edit] Removing others' posts

  • Posts which constitute threats of physical harm, legal threats, spam or other advertising, vandalism, or personal attacks may be removed immediately and without warning.
  • Incorrect information or advice that may be dangerous if acted upon should be immediately removed and discussed on the talk page; it should not be restored unless the outcome of the discussion is that the information was correct (or at least not dangerous) after all. For example, if a user read a posted set of instructions on the handling of fireworks, and believed that following them could result in an explosion, that user would remove them immediately and then make his/her case on the talk page. Alleviating genuine danger to our readers, and the discredit to Wikipedia for appearing to put them in danger, far oughtweighs the minor inconvenience of having an answer temporarily removed from the page. As in all things on Wikipedia, reliable sources will be best method for making the case on whether comments are dangerous or not.
  • Other posts likely to offend or mislead – particularly those offering medical advice – may also be removed. In less flagrant or obvious cases, it is often wise to open a discussion with the post's author or on the Reference Desk talk page before removing a comment.
  • Questions on contentious topics which generate an extended debate on the Reference Desk may be removed to the Reference Desk talk page.
  • Consider notifying the post's author with an explanation for the removal.
  • Be bold without being reckless. If you think a removal may be controversial, consider floating the idea on the talk page first.
  • If someone removes content, do not put it back unless you really believe the content improves the reference desk. Objections to the removal on other grounds should be discussed on the talk page.

[edit] Medical advice guidelines

Because most reference desk editors are not qualified medical doctors, and because it is not possible to conduct examinations of users with medical problems, there is no way for the Wikipedia Reference Desk to give accurate advice on specific medical conditions. The Reference Desk is not an advice page, and moreover there is the real possibility of doing harm to readers by advising them on medical issues—either because the advice is dangerous or because it discourages them from seeing a medical professional. Therefore medical advice must not be given by question-answerers, and should not be requested. We can, of course, answer general factual questions about medicine and medical conditions, taking special care to base our answers on reliable sources because of the health and safety implications. Since issues regarding the definition of and appropriate way to handle medical advice arise so frequently, some specific guidelines for this issue have been agreed upon.

[edit] What constitutes medical advice?

Any posted comment containing a diagnosis, a prognosis based on that diagnosis, or a suggested form of treatment or cure, in response to symptoms presented in a question, is considered medical advice.

  • A diagnosis is the process of identifying a medical condition or disease by its symptoms [adapted from the diagnosis article]. An example of a diagnosis: X says "I'm having memory problems". Y responds "You have Alzheimer's disease".
  • A prognosis is the prediction of how a patient's disease will progress, and whether there is chance of recovery [from the prognosis article]. For example, Y says "by age 50, you will lose your memory".
  • A treatment is any type form of medication (homeopathic or allopathic) intended to alleviate the presented symptoms or cure the disease as diagnosed. For example, Y says "try chocolate cake; it works like magic with Alzheimer's".

[edit] Dealing with questioners asking for medical advice

  1. Verify that the question asks for medical advice as detailed above. Typically a poster will ask about one or more symptoms, and solicit an opinion about diagnosis (What is this?), prognosis (Should I be worried about this?), or courses of action (What should I do about this?). The symptoms will be those of the poster, or ascribed to a friend or relative.
  2. Politely explain to the poster that we cannot offer medical advice. This may be accomplished using a suitable template, or a personalized message. Encourage the poster to direct their medical questions to their physician, pharmacist, parents, or guardian.
  3. Where appropriate, offer links to suitable resources. This may include internal wikilinks or external websites. Be extremely careful not to offer a diagnosis in this way. If the poster has identified their place of residence, contact information for local health professionals or hotlines may be provided.
  • Note that questions may be about a medical topic ('What is sleep apnea?', for example) without necessarily seeking medical advice, and this is acceptable.

[edit] Dealing with responders giving medical advice

  1. Verify carefully in each and every instance that medical advice was delivered. There's no need to give the impression of hassling someone. (Responders, meanwhile, are encouraged to be very careful in handling medical questions if they've been cautioned about giving medical advice more than once.)
  2. Politely remind the responder that we cannot offer medical advice on Wikipedia.
  3. Remove the medical advice.
  4. Provide on the reference desk's talk page (or in another appropriate venue) the specific medical advice which was offered.
  5. Seek the intervention of an administrator if the problem persists.

[edit] When in doubt

  • If a question arises as to whether or not medical advice was sought or given, any party (poster, responder, or third party) may post the material in question on the talk page for review and discussion.
  • If the consensus is that the given response constitutes medical advice, the response in question will be removed immediately. During this process, responders are strongly encouraged to suggest ways to rephrase answers (their own or others') to present useful information without offering a diagnosis or other medical advice.
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