From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This page is not always up-to-date and does not necessarily list all guidelines. For an accurate automated list, see Category:Wikipedia guidelines and its subcategories. If you find a discrepancy, please update this page. |
| This list of Wikipedia guidelines is a comprehensive summary of all guidelines that are in use and have the current consensus of Wikipedia editors. Unlike policies, guidelines are usually more flexible and more likely to have exceptions and could be changed and improved more easily. |
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See Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines for a general overview of what policies and guidelines are about, how they are made, and why we have them.
There are a vast number of guidelines on Wikipedia. It is recommended to review these guidelines whenever in doubt on Wikipedia. This list attempts to be comprehensive, but currently is far from it. You can also access all guidelines, without descriptions, at Category:Wikipedia guidelines.
[edit] Guidelines
[edit] General
- Article size
- Article size is limited by technical issues and considerations of readability and organization. It's useful to split long articles and combine small pages.
- Be bold in updating pages
- Wikis develop faster when people fix problems, correct grammar, add facts, make sure the language is precise, and so on. We expect everyone to be bold. It's okay.
- Build the web
- Connect relevant topics throughout an article since all articles in the encyclopedia are nodes in a hypertext system.
- Provide an edit summary
- Providing an edit summary, even if the edit is minor, makes Wikipedia work better by quickly explaining to other users what your change was about.
For other useful tips, see avoiding common mistakes.
[edit] Content
- 3D Illustrations
- 3D Illustrations which use a method or technique to simulate depth such as Anaglyph images and Stereograms should not be used as general inline illustrations in articles.
- Autobiography
- Avoid writing or editing articles about yourself, since most of us find objectivity especially difficult when we ourselves are concerned (however it is not impossible.). Contribute on the talk page instead. Feel free to correct mistaken or out-of-date facts about yourself.
- Notability
- Subjects should have significant outside attention to warrant being included on Wikipedia.
- Disambiguation
- If an article's name is very similar to another, make a note at the top. If many articles share a name, create a disambiguation page.
- Don't include copies of primary sources
- Don't copy lengthy poems, speeches or other source text into Wikipedia. Consider placing them in Wikisource if you need to.
- Guide to writing better articles
- Patent nonsense
- Patent nonsense (Text or random characters that have no assignable meaning at all and completely and irredeemably confused texts) should be dealt with appropriately.
- Citing sources
- point the reader to authoritative references (and list them properly), so that facts can be verified.
- Avoid statements that will date quickly
- Spoiler
- Wikipedia contains spoilers. There is generally no need to warn readers of this.
- Check your facts
- Guidelines for using Talk pages
- Avoid inappropriate expressions
[edit] Classification
- Subpages
- Don't use slashes (/) in the names of articles to create subpages.
- Choosing appropriate grouping technique(s)
- Categories, lists, and series boxes
- By grouping technique
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- Lists
- Categories, and other articles in Category:Wikipedia categorization
- Series boxes (or navigational templates)
- Namespaces
[edit] Editing
- Build the web
- Link articles sideways to neighbours, and upwards to categories and contexts to create a useful web of information.
- Edit summary
- Always type at least a brief summary of the change that you made in the Edit Summary box. Avoid misleading summaries.
[edit] Discussion
- Talk page guidelines
- Sign your posts on talk pages
- Sign all your posts on Wikipedia talk pages by typing ~~~~ to be accountable and to help others understand the conversation.
- Discuss and draft graphical layout overhauls
- When redesigning a few select pages, such as the Community Portal, take your time and get consensus before implementing a new design.
[edit] Behavior
- Assume good faith
- Unless there is strong evidence to the contrary, assume that people who work on the project are trying to help it, not hurt it.
- Don't disrupt Wikipedia to illustrate a point
- By all means state your point. But don't spam Wikipedia, disingenuously nominate articles for deletion, push rules to their limits or otherwise create work for other people just to "prove your point".
- Etiquette
- Contributors have different views, perspectives, and backgrounds, sometimes varying widely. Treating others with respect is key to collaborating effectively in building an encyclopedia.
- Please do not bite the newcomers
- Many new contributors lack knowledge about Wikipedia policies. But always understand that new contributors are prospective "members" and are therefore our most valuable resource.
- Profanity
- Words and images that might be considered offensive, profane, or obscene by other Wikipedia readers should be used if and only if their omission would cause the article to be less informative, relevant, or accurate, and no equally suitable alternatives are available.
- User page
- You can use your user page to add a little information about yourself or to help you to use Wikipedia more effectively. But remember that Wikipedia is not a blog, webspace provider, or social networking site.
[edit] Style guidelines
- Manual of style
- Manual of style (disambiguation pages)
- Guide to writing better articles
- See Category:Wikipedia style guidelines for the other 100+ style guidelines.
[edit] See also
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Key Wikipedia policies and guidelines |
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| Overview |
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| Global principles |
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| Article standards policies |
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| Behavioral policies |
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| Behavioral guidelines |
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| Resolution policies |
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| Classification guidelines |
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| Content guidelines |
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| Editing guidelines |
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| Style conventions |
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