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Wikipedia Reference Template

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Mastering the Wikipedia Reference Template: A Guide for Contributors



Wikipedia, the world's largest online encyclopedia, relies heavily on verifiable sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and effectively using Wikipedia's reference templates, crucial tools for citing sources correctly and consistently within articles. Mastering these templates significantly enhances the quality and credibility of your contributions to the Wikipedia project.


I. Understanding the Purpose of References



References, or citations, are the cornerstone of Wikipedia's credibility. They provide readers with the evidence supporting the information presented in articles. Without proper referencing, statements lack verifiable support, opening the door to misinformation and potentially jeopardizing the project's integrity. Wikipedia's referencing system aims to:

Verify Information: Allow readers to independently check the accuracy of facts and claims.
Provide Context: Offer additional information about the source, such as the author's expertise and publication date.
Acknowledge Sources: Give credit to the original creators of information, avoiding plagiarism.
Maintain Consistency: Ensure a uniform and easily navigable citation style across all articles.


II. Types of Wikipedia Reference Templates



Wikipedia employs several reference templates, each designed for different source types. While the specifics may vary, they all follow a basic structure incorporating key elements like author, title, publisher, and date. Here are some of the most common:

`{{cite web}}`: Used for websites and online articles. This is arguably the most frequently used template.

Example:
```
{{cite web |url=https://www.example.com/article |title=Example Article |website=Example Website |access-date=2023-10-27 |author=John Doe}}
```

`{{cite book}}`: Used for books. It requires information such as the author, title, publisher, publication date, and ISBN.

Example:
```
{{cite book |last=Doe |first=John |title=Example Book |publisher=Example Publisher |year=2023 |isbn=978-1234567890}}
```

`{{cite journal}}`: Used for journal articles. It needs details like author, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages, and date.

Example:
```
{{cite journal |last=Doe |first=Jane |title=An Example Journal Article |journal=Example Journal |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=123–145 |date=2023-06-01}}
```

`{{cite news}}`: Used for news articles. It requires information similar to `{{cite web}}`, but often includes the publication name.

Example:
```
{{cite news |url=https://www.newswebsite.com/article |title=Breaking News |newspaper=Example Newspaper |date=2023-10-27 |author=Jane Smith}}
```


III. Key Parameters and Their Significance



Regardless of the template used, several parameters are crucial for complete and accurate referencing. These parameters ensure the reference is clear, reliable, and easy to understand for the reader. Common parameters include:

`|url=`: The URL of the online source. Essential for web-based sources.
`|title=`: The title of the work being cited.
`|author=`: The author or authors of the work.
`|publisher=`: The publisher of the work (books, journals, websites).
`|date=` or `|access-date=`: The publication date (or date of access for online sources).
`|pages=`: The page numbers (for books and journals).
`|isbn=`: The International Standard Book Number (for books).
`|doi=`: The Digital Object Identifier (for journal articles and other scholarly works).


IV. Best Practices for Using Reference Templates



Accuracy: Double-check all information for accuracy before saving.
Consistency: Use the same template for similar sources throughout the article.
Completeness: Provide as much relevant information as possible.
Accessibility: Ensure URLs are functional and accessible.
Readability: Use clear and concise language within the templates.


V. Conclusion



Effective use of Wikipedia's reference templates is paramount to building a reliable and trustworthy encyclopedia. By employing these templates correctly, contributors ensure that information is verifiable, sources are properly acknowledged, and the overall quality of Wikipedia is upheld. Consistent and accurate referencing strengthens the project's reputation and contributes to its ongoing success.


FAQs



1. What happens if I don't use reference templates? Your edits are more likely to be challenged or removed, as they lack verifiable support.

2. Can I use different reference templates in the same article? Yes, different templates are used for different source types. Maintain consistency within each source type.

3. Where can I find a complete list of reference templates? The Wikipedia help pages provide comprehensive documentation on all available templates.

4. What if I can't find the information needed for a specific template parameter? Omit the parameter if it's not available, but strive to provide as much information as possible.

5. How can I learn more about citation styles on Wikipedia? The Wikipedia Manual of Style provides detailed guidance on citation practices.

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Template:Wikipedia referencing - Wikipedia Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create | mirror) and testcases (create) pages. Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.

Template:Citation style - Simple English Wikipedia, the free … The most common correct use of this template is to identify an article that uses more than one major citation style (e.g., half the citations use ref tags, and half are parenthetical citations). Do not place on articles containing all parenthetical citations.

Template : Wikipedia referencing/doc This is a documentation subpage for Template:Wikipedia referencing. It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page. Starting …

Referencing for beginners with citation templates - Wikipedia The easiest way to start citing on Wikipedia is to see a basic example. The example here will show you how to cite a newspaper article using the {{ cite news }} template (see Citation quick reference for other types of citations).

How to Cite a Wikipedia Article | APA, MLA & Chicago - Scribbr 10 Jun 2022 · A Wikipedia citation usually includes the title of the article, “Wikipedia” and/or “Wikimedia Foundation,” the date the article was last updated, and the URL. In APA Style , you’ll give the URL of the current revision of the article so that you’re sure the reader accesses the same version as you.

Template:Ref - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Creates a simple footnote for the reference with the invisible unique id reference_name and generates a clickable backlink to the {} template with the matching reference_name and in which the noid=noid is not specified.

Cite a Wiki(pedia) Article | Scribbr Citation Generator Cite a Wikipedia article or other wiki entry.

Wikipedia:Citation needed - Wikipedia The {{Citation needed}} template aims to promote accountable discourse. To ensure that all Wikipedia content is verifiable, Wikipedia provides a means for anyone to question an uncited claim. If your work has been tagged, please provide a reliable source for the statement, and discuss if needed.

Wikipedia:Citing sources - Wikipedia See: "Help:Referencing for beginners", for a brief introduction on how to put references in Wikipedia articles; and cite templates in Visual Editor, about a graphical way for citation, included in Wikipedia.

Template:Wikipedia referencing - Simple English Wikipedia, the … Template:Wikipedia editor navigation templates. Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create | mirror) and testcases (create) pages. Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.

Template:Cite web - Wikipedia This template is used to cite online sources in Wikipedia articles. {{ Cite news }} can also be used when citing a news source; for general information about citations in Wikipedia articles, see Wikipedia:Cite sources .

Wikipedia:Citation templates - Wikipedia For a list of tools that can help create some of the templates below, see: Wikipedia:Citation tools. Citations are commonly embedded in reference templates. For more information, see: Wikipedia:Footnotes.

Template:Reflist - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia See this information on copying this template and modifying it for use on another wiki. This citation template provides formatting and organizational features for footnotes. It encapsulates the <references /> tag used by the Cite MediaWiki extension to show the …

Wikiversity : Citation templates 4 Nov 2020 · Below are examples of how to use various templates to cite a book, encyclopedia, journal, website, comic strip, video and editorial comics, etc. For full description of a template and the parameters which can be used with it— click the template name (e.g. { {Citation}} or Template:Cite xxx) in the " template (required) " column of the table below.

Wikipedia Entry References - APA Style Use this format to cite any wiki page, including pages for Wikipedia entries.; If you are a student, ask your professor whether Wikipedia is an appropriate source for you to use in your paper.Wikipedia reports information from other sources, making it a secondary source.Many professors prefer that students cite primary sources.

Wikipedia : Citation templates and reference anchors Citation templates are often used to format the citations that show in the reference list. Many of these templates can create anchors that allow links from reference templates that are placed in-text with the content to the full citation in the reference list.

Template:Template reference list - Simple English Wikipedia, the … This template is used to show the references used in a template on the template page. { {Template reference list}} provides an explanatory list of references that are entered into the template in which Template reference list is inserted.

Template:Cite encyclopedia - Simple English Wikipedia, the free ... This Citation Style 1 template is used to create citations for articles or chapters in edited collections such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, but more generally any book or book series containing individual sections or chapters written by various authors, and …

Free Instant Wikipedia Templates Citation Generator - SciSpace … Generate accurate Wikipedia Templates citations instantly. Paste content or enter the source URL and our AI will scan, capture, and categorize the relevant info to generate in-text and bibliographic in seconds — no more missing details or manually filling boxes and fields.

Wikipedia : Template index/Sources of articles/Citation quick reference See also citation templates for more on templates for citing open-source web content in Wikipedia articles. Here are some convenient examples. The most common parameters are as follows. See also the complete documentation in Template:Cite web. url (required): URL of online item. title (required): Title of online item.