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Help:Citations quick reference

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Citations are important in Wikipedia to ensure that information comes from actual, reliable sources (WP:V, WP:CITE). There are three preferred ways of citing sources:

  1. Footnotes
  2. Footnotes with list-defined references
  3. Shortened footnotes

Citations can also be placed as external links, but these are not preferred because they are prone to link rot and usually lack the full information necessary to find the original source in cases of link rot. In cases where citations are lacking, the template {{tlx|fact}} can be added after the statement in question.

The following table shows examples of these ways of citing sources, categorized as "the good, the bad and the ugly".


{| class="wikitable"

! !! Citation style !! Article wikitext !! Appears as !! References section wikitext !! Appears as

|-

| style="background: lime" | Good

| Footnotes

|

Substantiated claim.{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Arthur Howard |authorlink=Arthur H. Robinson |date=1995 |origyear=1953 |title=Elements of Cartography |edition=6th |location=New York |publisher=Wiley |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.

|

Substantiated claim.{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Arthur Howard |authorlink=Arthur H. Robinson |date=1995 |origyear=1953 |title=Elements of Cartography |edition=6th |location=New York |publisher=Wiley |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.

|

=References=

or

References

{{reflist}}

|

{{fake heading|sub=2|References}}

|-

| style="background: lime" | Good

| Footnotes with list-defined references

|

Substantiated claim.{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.

|

Substantiated claim.{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Arthur Howard |authorlink=Arthur H. Robinson |date=1995 |origyear=1953 |title=Elements of Cartography |edition=6th |location=New York |publisher=Wiley |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.

|

References

{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Arthur Howard |authorlink=Arthur H. Robinson |date=1995 |origyear=1953 |title=Elements of Cartography |edition=6th |location=New York |publisher=Wiley |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.

|

{{fake heading|sub=2|References}}

|-

| style="background: lime" | Good

| Shortened footnotes

| Substantiated claim.{{sfn|Harris|Sanborn|2014|p=13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{sfn|Harris|Sanborn|2014|p=42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.{{sfn|Example|2020}}

| Substantiated claim.{{sfn|Harris|Sanborn|2014|p=13}}

Another substantiated claim.{{sfn|Harris|Sanborn|2014|p=42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.{{sfn|Example|2020}}

|

Notes

{{reflist}}

References

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020 |ref={{harvid|Example|2020}}}} Additional text about the link.
  • {{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Richard Jackson |last2=Sanborn |first2=Fred W. |date=2014 |origyear=1994 |title=A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication |edition=6th |series=Routledge Communication Series |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415537049 |oclc=785869181}}

{{refend}}

|

{{fake heading|sub=2|Notes}}

{{reflist}}

{{fake heading|sub=2|References}}

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020 |ref={{harvid|Example|2020}}}} Additional text about the link.
  • {{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Richard Jackson |last2=Sanborn |first2=Fred W. |date=2014 |origyear=1994 |title=A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication |edition=6th |series=Routledge Communication Series |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415537049 |oclc=785869181}}

{{refend}}

|-

| style="background: yellow" | Bad

| Embedded links

|

Substantiated claim.[https://www.loc.gov]

| Substantiated claim.[https://www.loc.gov]

|

  • [https://www.loc.gov Library of Congress website]

|

  • [https://www.loc.gov Library of Congress website]

|-

| style="background: red" | Ugly

| Citation needed

|

Unsubstantiated claim.{{fact}}

| Unsubstantiated claim.{{fact}}

|

|

|}

See also

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