This is anessay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one ofWikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not beenthoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Shortcut WP:MISSIONWP:MISSION

This page in a nutshell: Mission statements rarely tell us much and should generally not be transcribed in full in Wikipedia articles.

Many companies, non-profits and other organizations briefly describe their aspirations in the form ofmission statements. These rarely provide any insight into the company, what it does, or the impact it has. Instead, they focus onplatitudes rather than the kind of specifics Wikipedia aspires to. In short, they rarely tell us anything useful and do not help establish thenotability of the company or organization. When cited directly to the organization itself, they can violate the restrictions inWP:ABOUTSELF, since their wording is often unduly self-serving.

While these statements may be very meaningful to those in the organization, they are rarely differentiable from any other mission statement. If a mission statement doesn't describe the organization, help readers understand how this organization is unique and doesn't support the notability of the subject, it probably should not be transcribed in full in the article.

• Vision statement – usually an airy-fairy aspirational statement about how the organization wishes the world would be.Wikipedia's vision is "Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge".
• Mission statement – usually a longer statement with some practical components, such as atarget market, methods, or desired outcomes. The Wikimedia Foundation'scurrent mission statement is more than 100 words about how they're going to promote the creation offree educational content (the desired outcome) by working with individual volunteers andaffiliates (the method of achieving the desired outcome). It is rarely of interest or use to anyone outside the organization.
• Slogan – atagline, ajingle, acatchphrase, or another similarly short phrase used in external-facingadvertising,branding, andmarketing efforts. Wikipedia's slogan is "The Free Encyclopedia". Slogans may be worth mentioning briefly as part of a description of the organization's marketing approach. Iconic slogans occasionally qualify for aseparate, stand-alone article. For example,Just Do It is anotable slogan forNike, Inc.

In some cases, it might be appropriate to paraphrase a lengthy mission statement, thus removing the flowery, self-promotional language. For example, if a company mission statement uses weasel words to claim that the firm aims at "producing amplifiers that are widely seen as the most premium, pro-grade gear, that is of legendary quality", this might be paraphrased as "The firm's mission statement states that the company aims to produce quality products." But in the end, is this goal any different than any other similar business? Does it tell us anything? Even this should probably be left out of the article.

Additionally, a full mission statement appearing in a Wikipedia article, especially if it is lengthy, is seen by some Wikipedia editors as a "red flag" for a possibleconflict of interest. This is because editors directly involved with the company or organization are generally those most interested in promoting awareness of the mission statement.

Mission statements generally suffer from some fundamental problems that are incompatible with Wikipedia style guidelines:

• Even though mission statements are verifiable, they arewritten by the company itself, which makes them a primary source.
• They containboastful words andpuffed-up, flowery language.
• They contain vague unsubstantiated claims such asWe are the industry leaders in commitment to <insert industry here>excellence.
• They focus on the speculation about thefuture of the company: becoming the industry leader, or the top producer, or the most reliable manufacturer.
• They arepromotional in both tone and purpose.
• They are not usuallyverifiable inthird party sources.

The rare mission statement which is specific and speaks directly to how that organization is notable (such as Wikimedia's mission statement^[1] or even the preamble to theUnited States Constitution) should be included in the article prose and adequatelycited, rather than simply copied verbatim and left to stand on its own. Tell the reader why and how reliable secondary sources view portions of the mission statement as an important part of how the organization works and reference not just the mission statement itself (which is, by definition, aprimary source) but also third party sources that provide that analysis of the mission statement.

Another case in which mission statements can be included, at least in part, is when the mission statement has been written about by secondary or tertiary sources. In some cases, controversies have arisen in regards to company mission statements, often because a company's actions are greatly at odds with its mission statement, and these controversies have been the subject of investigative reports in newspapers, magazines, and books. If a reputable source discusses a company's mission statement, it may be appropriate to include points raised in these sources.

However, Wikipedia editors should be careful not to become "investigative journalists" themselves in an attempt to identify ways in which a company's actions do not meet the goals in its mission statement. This would besynthesis^[2] and/ororiginal research, both of which are prohibited.

• Wikipedia policy:Wikipedia is NOT advertising
• Chipotle Mexican Grill § Food sourcing, for an example of points from a corporate mission statement effectively incorporated into the article'sprose.

• Wikipedia essays
• Wikipedia essays about building the encyclopedia