Wikipedia is a free, volunteer-createdencyclopedia, consisting ofarticles written in aparticular style. Wikipedia is a continuous process with no end. If you write something good, it could be around for weeks, months, or even years and read all over the world. It might also be improved or incorporated into new revisions by other editors. Part of the fun and challenge of editing here is watching what happens to your contributions over time.
The Wikipediacommunity continues to evolve as well. Over time,policies and customs have developed as millions of editors learn from each other how to create balanced, well-sourced, informative articles, and how to work together and resolve conflicts. This page offers essentials to help you write well and avoid needless fights.
The bedrock of Wikipedia isreliable sources of information—scholarly and media publishers with a reputation for being accurate. Wikipedia does not have its own views on what is "correct", but tries to summarize what good sources have said, presenting differing viewsobjectively and without bias. All statements should be realisticallycheckable from their sources:cite where you found information. With reliable sources at the center of what we do, editors'original ideas, interpretations, and research are not appropriate here.
Don't worry if you don't understand everything at first. And don't hesitate to ask questions. As time goes on, you'll learn how to be a great contributor onWikipedia!
While in theory anything can be changed, the community up to this point has been built on certain principles. Much thought has been put into them, and they are unlikely to change in the future. They've worked for us so far, so give them a chance to work before attempting radical reform or leaving the project.
Five pillars: The foundations of the Wikipedia community are summarized in 5 simple ideas: Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia; it has a neutral point of view; it is free content that anyone can edit and distribute; all Wikipedians should interact in a respectful and civil manner; and Wikipedia does not have firm rules.
Founding principles: TheWikimedia Foundation, the global organization that oversees Wikipedia and other projects like it, is based on important common ideas as well: Neutrality is mandatory; anyone can edit (most) articles without registration; we make decisions through the "wiki process" of discussion; we want to work in a welcoming and collaborative environment; our content is freely licensed; and we leave room for particularly difficult problems to be resolved by an authority. On English Wikipedia theArbitration Committee (ArbCom) has power to make certain binding, final decisions.
Ignore all rules (IAR): Rules on Wikipedia are not fixed in stone.The spirit of the rule trumps the letter of the rule. The common purpose of building an encyclopedia trumps both. This means that any rule can be broken for a very good reason, if it ultimately helps to improve the encyclopedia. It doesn't mean that anything can be done just by claiming IAR, or that discussion is not necessary to explain one's decision.
Neutral point of view: Write from a neutral point of view. Make a fair representation of the world as reliable sources describe it. All articles should be balanced to convey an impression of the various points of view on a subject. Some views may get more attention than others, depending on the attention they receive in reliable sources. Wikipedia has no "opinion" of its own; it just accurately summarizes reliable sources.
Verifiability: Articles should contain only material that has been published byreliable sources. These are sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy, like newspapers, academic journals, and books.Even if something is true our standards require it be published in a reliable source before it can be included. Editors should cite reliable sources for any material that is controversial or challenged, otherwise it may be removed by any editor. The obligation to provide a reliable source is on whoever wants to include material.
No original research: Articles may not contain previously unpublished arguments, concepts, data, or theories, nor any new analysis or synthesis of them if it advances a position. In other words, you can't make a point that hasn't already been directly made somewhere else in a reliable source. You can summarize, but it has to be based in the sources.
Be bold in updating pages! Go ahead, it's awiki! No mistake can break Wikipedia, because any edit can be undone. Encourage others, including those who disagree with you, to likewisebe bold! If you find yourself disagreeing with someone's boldness, or they with yours, discuss it on the talk page. That's it.
Be civil to other users at all times. If you have a criticism, comment about content and specific edits—don't makenegative remarks about other editors as people.
Assume good faith: Please try to consider the person on the other end of the discussion as a thinking, rational being who is trying to positively contribute to Wikipedia. Even if you're convinced that they're an [insert insult of your choice], still pretend that they're acting in good faith. Ninety percent of the time you'll find that they actuallyare acting in good faith (and the other ten percent of the time a negative attitude won't help anyway). Be gracious.Be liberal in what you accept, be conservative in what you do. Try to accommodate other people's quirks as best you can, while trying to be as polite and straightforward as possible.
Discuss contentious changes on a talk page: Mutual respect is the guiding behavioral principle of Wikipedia. Although everyone knows that their contributions may be edited by others, it is easier to accept changes when you understand the reasons for them. Discussing changes on the article's talk page before you make them can help reachconsensus even faster, especially on controversial subjects.We have all the time in the world, so always make an effort to explain changes to other editors, and feel free to ask them to do the same.
Undo others' edits with care: Undoing someone's work is a powerful tool, hence thethree-revert rule that an editor should never undo the same content more than three times in twenty-four hours (ideally, even less). Try not to revert changes which are not obvious vandalism. If you really can't stand something, revert once, with an edit summary like "I disagree, I'll explain why on Talk", and immediately open a discussion on the accompanyingtalk page todiscuss. If someone reverts your edits, do not just add them back without attempting discussion.
Resolve disputes: Disagreements are common but they need not be confrontational. Find out what others think about an issue and try to address it, and reach agreement with them. If you still disagree, seek input from other editors informally, or througha third opinion,mediation, oran open request for comment.
Use clear edit summaries to allow others to understand your thinking—and even you may need a reminder months later. Please statewhat you changed andwhy. If the explanation is too long, use the Talk page.
Sign your posts on talk pages (using~~~~, which changes to your username plus a timestamp when you hit "publish changes"). Butdon't sign in articles themselves.
Preview your changes with theshow preview button before saving. Follow-on edits fixing errors in earlier edits clutter thepage's history, which makes it hard for others to see what, overall, you changed.
Use noticeboards to get input: Certain kinds of issues have designated noticeboard where editors often discuss related topics. If you are unsure what to do, or run into conflict with another editor, use them.WP:NPOVN is for neutrality issues,WP:RSN is for reliable sources,WP:ANI is for specific issues needingadministrator input; others are listedat the noticeboard page and at the bottom of this page as well.
Ask for help: You are almost surely not the first person to have a particular question, idea or problem. You can ask for help anytime by placing{{help me}} on any talk page along with an explanation of your problem. Great places for assistance are theTeahouse (for new editors), theHelp Desk (for more experienced editors), andlive help chat. Also,WP:Questions andWP:FAQ for the most common areas and queries.
More information
Help:Introduction – Wikipedia's main tutorial for aspiring contributors
Contributing to Wikipedia – a page that provides information and resources on the basics needed to use, comment on, and contribute to Wikipedia.
List of policies – a comprehensive descriptive list of policies.
For a listing of current collaborations, tasks, and news, see theCommunity portal. For a listing of ongoing discussions and current requests, see theDashboard.
