Wikipedia:Attribution needed
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 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
To identify when perspectives and opinions in Wikipedia are asserted without stating whose they are, an [attribution needed] flag may be inserted.
Example 1: Many people say that Earth is flat like a pancake.[attribution needed]
Example 2: Earth is "flat like a pancake".[attribution needed]
To create the [attribution needed] flag, insert the following:
When you see this flag, please do the following:
- Exercise caution where there are perspectives and opinions asserted without stating whose they are.
- If you have reason to think that these perspectives and opinions are not attributable to anyone by a reliable source, you may remove them altogether. Optionally, paste them into the article's talk page and explain your reasoning of why they should be deleted.
- If you know who the perspectives and opinions can be attributed to: Please be bold, delete the template, and indicate who they are attributed to, either in the text or with a citation.
- Controversial, poorly sourced perspectives and opinions in biographies of living persons should be deleted immediately.
- Do not demand in-text attribution for simple, non-controversial facts. Simple facts, like "The Earth is round", should not be attributed to one person, because that attribution implies that very few people agree with the statement. In-text attribution is normally reserved for minority views, controversial claims, and other widely disputed material.
