Wikipedia:Featured article criteria

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A featured article exemplifies our very best work and features professional standards of writing and presentation. In addition to meeting the requirements for all Wikipedia articles, it has the following attributes.

  1. It is—
    • (a) well-written: its prose is engaging, even brilliant, and of a professional standard;
    • (b) comprehensive: it neglects no major facts or details;
    • (c) factually accurate: claims are verifiable against reliable sources, accurately represent the relevant body of published knowledge, and are supported with specific evidence and external citations; this involves the provision of a "References" section in which sources are listed, complemented by inline citations where appropriate;
    • (d) neutral: it presents views fairly and without bias; and
    • (e) stable: it is not subject to ongoing edit wars and its content does not change significantly from day to day, except in response to the featured article process.
  2. It follows the style guidelines, including the provision of:
    • (a) a lead—a concise lead section that summarizes the topic and prepares the reader for the greater detail in the subsequent sections;
    • (b) appropriate structure—a system of hierarchical headings and a substantial but not overwhelming table of contents (see section help); and
    • (c) consistent citations—where required by Criterion 1c, consistently formatted inline citations using either footnotes[1] or Harvard referencing (Smith 2007, p. 1) (see citing sources for suggestions on formatting references; for articles with footnotes or endnotes, the meta:cite format is recommended).
  3. Images. It has images and other media where they are appropriate, with succinct captions and acceptable copyright status. Non-free images or media must satisfy the criteria for the inclusion of non-free content and be labeled accordingly.
  4. Length. It stays focused on the main topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).

[edit] See also

The path to a Featured Article
Start a new article
Develop the article
Check against the featured article criteria
Get creative feedback (Peer review)
Apply for featured article status
Featured articles

[edit] Advice from individual users

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Smith 2007, p. 1.

[edit] References

  • Smith, Jane (2007). The Book of Examples. New York: Best Publishers, Inc.