Here, you will find a summary list of guidelines on common editing features. For detailed guidelines, please use the sidebar (on the right) and provided links to reference the appropriate page in full.
Be clear, precise, and concise. Avoid jargon and vague phrasing. When technical terms are unavoidable, at least explain them with sources.
Maintain an impartial and instructional tone, and avoid the use of editorial or persuasive voice.
Aim for stylistic consistency within each article.
When reproducing names, titles of works, or quotes, preserve original stylistic conventions.
Sometimes, more than one style is considered acceptable in an article. In such cases, please do not change an article from one style to another "unless there is some substantial reason for the change."[1]
Use quotes only when they add value beyond what can be paraphrased. Do not overuse.
The women of high Chinese society also followed these codified practices, and used silk in their garments alongside the addition of countless decorative motifs.[4] A 17th century work, Jin Ping Mei, gives a description of one such motif:
Golden lotus having a quilted backgammon pattern, double-folded, adorned with savage geese pecking at a landscape of flowers and roses; the dress' right figure had a floral border with buttons in the form of bees or chrysanthemums.[4]
Quotes may be used, with attribution, to present emotive opinions that cannot be expressed in Wikipedia's instructional voice. Concise opinions can be reported directly without quotes. Opinional quote use does not apply to cultural norms, which should not be presented as opinional.
Acceptable: Siskel and Ebert called the film interesting.
Acceptable: Siskel and Ebert called the film "unforgettable".
Unacceptable: The site is considered "sacred" by the religion's scriptures.
If adding a foreign language quote, ideally supply a modern translation.
Write articles in the present tense. Avoid past tense except for past events, subjects that are dead or no longer meaningfully exist, or periodicals and similar written material that are no longer being produced.
Barack Obama is a former president of the United States.
The Beatles were an English rock band that formed in Liverpool in 1960.
Earth: Final Conflictis a Canadian science fiction television series that ran for five seasons between October 6, 1997, and May 20, 2002.
Dún Aonghasa is the ruin of a prehistoric Irish cliff fort. Its original shape was presumably oval or D-shaped, but parts of the cliff and fort have since collapsed into the sea.
Unacceptable: Marinera is a blended Latin American dance.
Where there is a discrepancy between a group's preferred term and a reliable source, use what is most commonly used by reliable sources when this is clear. Use the preferred term when this is unclear.
Use sources and factual statements to demonstrate a subject's importance. There is no need to rely on value-laden words (see below).
Acceptable: Bob Dylan was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, in which he was called "master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation".[1] By the mid-1970s, his songs had been covered by hundreds of other artists.[2]
Unacceptable: Bob Dylan is the defining figure of the 1960s counterculture and a brilliant songwriter.
Avoid "peacock terms", or positively loaded words that promote the subject of an article. Use sources and factual statements to demonstrate a subject's importance.
Avoid negatively loaded labels unless widely used by reliable sources to describe the subject. In the latter case, attribute the use of the label and establish context for any formal use of the term.
Avoid weasel words which vaguely dress a statement with authority, without basis. Some such statements may be acceptable in the lead section of an article (which summarises content in the body of the article) when they accurately represent the overall opinions of reliable sources.
some people say, many scholars state, it is considered, experts declare, it is widely thought, scientists claim
Avoid persuasive writing. The editor should not impose an interpretation of a story.
actually, indeed, tragically, arguably, interestingly, it should be noted
Repetition is not a problem. Avoid distorting meaning with synonyms in an attempt to avoid repeating words.
Clear and preferred: said, stated, described, wrote, commented, according to
Synonyms to watch: reveal, point out, expose, explain, insist, confess, surmise
