https://wiki.tachyony.co.uk/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Wikipedia%3AEditing_policyWikipedia:Editing policy - Revision history2026-05-15T19:23:50ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.35.5https://wiki.tachyony.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Editing_policy&diff=666&oldid=prevTachyony: Imported page2021-12-04T19:16:33Z<p>Imported page</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{redirects here|Wikipedia:Editing guidelines|editing guidelines that are not part of this policy|Wikipedia:List of guidelines#Editing}}<br />
{{redirects here|WP:Editing|basic information about how to edit Wikipedia|Help:Editing}}<br />
{{redirects here|WP:EP|the education program|Wikipedia:Education program|extended confirmed protection|WP:ECP}}<br />
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{{pp-semi|small=yes}}<br />
{{pp-move-indef}}<br />
{{policy|WP:EP|WP:EDIT|WP:EDITING}}<br />
{{policy in a nutshell|Improve pages wherever you can, and do not worry about leaving them imperfect. Preserve the value that others add, even if they "did it wrong" (try to fix it rather than [[WP:Deletion policy|delete it]]).}}<br />
{{Conduct policy list}}<br />
[[Wikipedia:About|Wikipedia]] is the product of millions of '''[[WP:Wikipedians|editors' contributions]]''', each one bringing something different to the table, whether it be: researching skills, technical expertise, writing prowess or tidbits of information, but most importantly a willingness to help. Even the [[Wikipedia:Featured articles|best]] articles should not be considered complete, as each new editor can offer new insights on how to enhance and improve the content in it at any time.<br />
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==Adding information to Wikipedia==<br />
Wikipedia is here to provide summaries of accepted knowledge to the public, as described in [[WP:NOT]]; generally speaking, the more accepted knowledge it can provide (subject to certain defined [[WP:NOT|limitations]] on its scope), the better it is. Please [[WP:BOLD|boldly]] add content summarizing accepted knowledge to Wikipedia, either by creating new articles or adding to existing articles, and exercise particular caution when considering removing sourced content. However, it is Wikipedia policy that information in Wikipedia should be [[WP:V|verifiable]] and must not be [[WP:NOR|original research]]. You are invited to show that content is verifiable by referencing [[WP:RS|reliable sources]]. Unsourced content may be challenged and [[WP:BURDEN|removed]], because on Wikipedia a lack of content is better than misleading or false content—Wikipedia's reputation as an encyclopedia depends on the content in articles being verifiable and reliable. To avoid such challenges, the best practice is to provide an "[[WP:IC|inline citation]]" at the time the content is added (see: [[WP:Citing sources]] for instructions on how to do this, or ask for assistance on the article talk page).<br />
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Although reliable sources are required, when developing articles on the basis of sources, [[WP:COPYPASTE|avoid copying]] or [[WP:PARAPHRASE|closely paraphrasing]] a copyrighted source. Wikipedia respects others' copyright. You should read the source, understand it, and then express what it says in your own words.<br />
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Another way editors can improve an article is by finding a source for existing unsourced content. This is especially true if you come across statements that are potentially controversial. You do not need to be the person who added the content to add a source and citation for it.<br />
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=={{anchor|Perfection is not required}} Wikipedia is a work in progress: perfection is not required==<br />
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{{policy shortcut|WP:IMPERFECT|WP:PERFECTION|WP:NOTPERFECT}}<br />
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''Perfection is not required'': [[WP:WIP|Wikipedia is a work in progress]]. Collaborative editing means that incomplete or poorly written first drafts can evolve over time into excellent articles. Even poor articles, if they can be improved, are welcome. For instance, one person may start an article with an overview of a subject or a few random facts. Another may help standardize the article's formatting or have additional facts and figures or a graphic to add. Yet another may bring better [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Due and undue weight|balance]] to the views represented in the article and perform fact-checking and [[WP:CITE|sourcing]] to existing content. At any point during this process, the article may become disorganized or contain substandard writing.<br />
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=== Neutrality in articles of living or recently deceased persons ===<br />
{{further|Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons}}<br />
Although ''perfection is not required'', extra care should be taken on articles that mention living persons. Contentious material about living persons (or, in some cases, recently deceased) that is unsourced or poorly sourced—whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable—should either be verified immediately, with one or more reliable sources and presented in a [[WP:NPOV|neutral manner]] without [[WP:UNDUE|undue weight]], or be removed immediately, without waiting for discussion.<br />
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=={{Anchor|Try to fix problems: preserve information|Preserve content}} Try to fix problems==<br />
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{{Anchor|How to handle problematic material|Handling problematic material|Fix problems: preserve information|Remove libel, nonsense, and copyright violations|Handling material that violates policy}}<br />
{{Policy shortcut|WP:PRESERVE|WP:HANDLE|WP:FIXTHEPROBLEM}}<br />
''Fix problems if you can, flag or remove them if you can't.'' Preserve appropriate content. As long as any facts or ideas would belong in an encyclopedia, they [[Wikipedia:Overzealous_deletion#Don't_throw_the_baby_out_with_the_bathwater!|should be retained]] in Wikipedia. ''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia is an encyclopedia|Wikipedia is an encyclopedia.]]''<br />
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Likewise, as long as any of the facts or ideas added to an article [[WP:ONUS|would belong]] in the "finished" article, they should be retained if they meet the three article content retention policies: [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|Neutral point of view]] (which does not mean [[WP:YESPOV|no point of view]]), [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|Verifiability]], and [[Wikipedia:No original research|No original research]].<br />
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Instead of removing article content that is poorly presented, consider cleaning up the writing, [[WP:FIXFIRST|formatting or sourcing on the spot]], or [[Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup|tagging]] it as necessary. If you think an article needs to be rewritten or changed substantially, [[WP:BOLD|go ahead and do so]], but it is best to [[Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines#How to use article talk pages|leave a comment]] about why you made the changes on the article's talk page. The [[Wikipedia:How to edit a page|editing process]] tends to guide articles through ever-higher [[WP:ASSESS|levels of quality]] over time. ''Great Wikipedia articles can come from a succession of editors' efforts.''<br />
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Instead of removing content from an article, consider:<br />
* [[Paraphrase|Rephrasing]] or [[copy editing|copy-edit]]ing to improve grammar or more accurately represent the sources<br />
* Correcting [[Wikipedia:Accuracy dispute|inaccuracies]], while keeping the rest of the content intact<br />
* [[WP:MERGE|Merging]] or moving the content to a more relevant existing article, or [[WP:SS|splitting]] the content to [[H:YFA|an entirely new article]]<br />
* [[WP:YESPOV|Adding another point of view]] to the existing points of view to make the article more balanced<br />
* Requesting a citation by adding the {{tl|citation needed}} tag, or adding any other [[Template:Inline cleanup tags]] as appropriate<br />
* Doing a quick [[Template:Find sources|search for sources]] and adding a citation yourself<br />
* Adding [[WP:CLEANUPTAG|appropriate cleanup tags]] to sections you cannot fix yourself<br />
* [[WP:DEADREF|Repair a dead link]] if a new [[URL]] for the page or an [[archive site|archive]] of the old one can be located<br />
* Merging the entire article into another article with the original article turned into a [[WP:redirect|redirect]] as described at [[Wikipedia:MERGETEXT|performing a merge]]<br />
* Fixing errors in [[wikitext]] or formatting<br />
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Otherwise, if you think the content could provide the seed of a new sub-article, or if you are just unsure about removing it from [[WP:5P|the project]] entirely, consider copying the information to the article's talk page for further discussion. If you think the content might find a better home elsewhere, consider moving the content to a talk page of any article you think might be more relevant, so that editors there can decide how it might be properly included in our encyclopedia.<br />
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===Problems that may justify removal===<br />
{{Policy shortcut|WP:CANTFIX|WP:WONTWORK|WP:DON'T PRESERVE}}<br />
{{Anchor|REMOVE}}Several of our core policies discuss situations when it ''might'' be more appropriate to remove information from an article rather than preserve it. [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]] discusses handling unsourced and contentious material; [[Wikipedia:No original research]] discusses the need to remove original research; [[WP:NOT|What Wikipedia is not]] describes material that is fundamentally inappropriate for Wikipedia; and [[WP:UNDUE]] discusses how to balance material that gives undue weight to a particular viewpoint, which might include removal of trivia, tiny minority viewpoints, or material that cannot be supported with high-quality sources. Also, redundancy within an article should be kept to a minimum (excepting the [[WP:LEAD|lead]], which is meant to be a summary of the entire article, and so is intentionally duplicative).<br />
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Libel, nonsense, and vandalism should be completely removed, as should material that [[Wikipedia:Copyright violations|violates copyright]] and material for which no reliable source that supports it has ever been [[Wikipedia:Published|published]].<br />
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Special care needs to be taken with biographies of living people, especially when it comes to handling unsourced or poorly sourced claims about the subject. Editors working on such articles need to know and understand the extra restrictions that are laid out at [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons]].<br />
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==Talking and editing==<br />
{{policy shortcut|WP:EPTALK}}<br />
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''[[Wikipedia:Be bold in updating pages|Be bold in updating articles]], especially for [[Help:Minor edit|minor changes]], fixing problems, and changes that you believe are [[wikipedia:Likely to be challenged|unlikely]] to be controversial.'' Previous authors do not need to be consulted before making changes. [[WP:OWN|Nobody owns articles]], so if you see an improvement you can make, make it.<br />
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If you think the edit might be controversial then a better course of action may be to first [[Help:Introduction to talk pages/1|make a proposal on the talk page]]. Bold editing does not excuse edits against [[WP:CONSENSUS|existing consensus]], edits in violation of core policies, such as [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|Neutral point of view]] and [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|Verifiability]], or edits designed to create a [[Wikipedia:Fait accompli|''fait accompli'']], where actions are justified by the fact they have already been carried out.<br />
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If someone indicates disagreement with your bold edit by reverting it or contesting it in a talk page discussion, [[wp:BRB|consider your options]] and respond appropriately. The [[Wikipedia:BOLD, revert, discuss cycle|"BOLD, revert, discuss cycle" (BRD)]] is often used when a contentious edit has been reverted.<br />
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===Be helpful: explain===<br />
{{policy shortcut|WP:UNRESPONSIVE}}<br />
''Be helpful: explain your changes''. When you edit an article, the more radical or controversial the change, the greater the need to explain it. Be sure to leave a comment about ''why'' you made the change. Try to use an appropriate [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]]. For larger or more significant changes, the edit summary may not give you enough space to fully explain the edit; in this case, you may leave a note on the [[Wikipedia:Talk page|article's talk page]] as well. Remember too that notes on the talk page are more visible, make misunderstandings less likely and encourage discussion rather than [[WP:EW|edit warring]].<br />
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===Be cautious with major changes: discuss===<br />
{{policy shortcut|WP:CAUTIOUS}}<br />
''Be cautious about making a major change to an article.'' Prevent [[WP:EW|edit warring]] by discussing such edits first on the article's talk page. One editor's idea of an improvement may be another editor's idea of a desecration. If you choose to be [[WP:BOLD|bold]], try to justify your change in detail on the article talk page, so as to avoid an edit war. Before making a major change, consider first creating a new draft on a [[Wikipedia:User_pages#SUB|subpage of your own user page]] and then link to it on the article's talk page so as to facilitate a new discussion.<br />
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===But&nbsp;– Wikipedia is not a discussion forum===<br />
{{further|Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a publisher of original thought}}<br />
Whether you decide to edit very boldly or discuss carefully on the talk page first, please bear in mind that Wikipedia is not a discussion forum. It is best to concentrate our energies on improving articles rather than debating our personal ideas and beliefs. This is discussed further at [[Wikipedia:Etiquette]].<br />
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===If you need help===<br />
The [[Wikipedia:Dispute resolution]] processes are available if you need help reaching an agreement with other editors.<br />
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==Editing and refactoring talk pages==<br />
For guidance on how to edit talk pages see:<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines]]<br />
* [[Help:Archiving a talk page]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Refactoring talk pages]]<br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia|Contributing to Wikipedia]]: how and where you can help Wikipedia<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|Disruptive editing]]: how not to edit Wikipedia<br />
* [[Help:Edit conflict|Edit conflicts]]: how to deal with an edit conflict<br />
* [[Wikipedia:There is no deadline|There is no deadline]]: various points of view on what this lack of a deadline means<br />
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{{Wikipedia principles}}<br />
{{Wikipedia policies and guidelines}}<br />
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[[Category:Wikipedia conduct policies]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia editing]]</div>Tachyony