View source for Help:Citations quick reference

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{{Wikipedia how-to|WP:CQR}}
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[[Citation]]s are important in Wikipedia to ensure that information comes from actual, reliable sources ([[WP:V]], [[WP:CITE]]). There are three preferred ways of [[WP:Citing sources|citing sources]]:
# [[Help:Footnotes|Footnotes]]
# Footnotes with [[Help:List-defined references|list-defined references]]
# [[Help:Shortened footnotes|Shortened footnotes]]

Citations can also be placed as [[Help:URL|external link]]s, but these are not preferred because they are prone to [[WP:LR|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|the good, the bad and the ugly]]".
<br style="clear:both;" /><!--Keep BR here; prevents shortcut from being to the right of the table.-->

{| class="wikitable"
! !! Citation style !! Article [[Help:Wikitext|wikitext]] !! Appears as !! References section [[Help:Wikitext|wikitext]] !! Appears as
|-
| style="background: lime" | Good
| [[Wikipedia:Footnotes|Footnotes]] 
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
Substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson">{{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 (publisher)|Wiley]] |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}</ref>{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson" />{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.<ref name="example web reference">{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.</ref>
</syntaxhighlight>
| 
Substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson">{{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 (publisher)|Wiley]] |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}</ref>{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson" />{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.<ref name="example web reference">{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.</ref>
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
===References===
<references/>
</syntaxhighlight>
or
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
==References==
{{reflist}}
</syntaxhighlight>
| 
{{fake heading|sub=2|References}}
<references/>
|-
| style="background: lime" | Good
| [[Help:List-defined references|Footnotes with list-defined references]]
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
Substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson" />{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson" />{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.<ref name="example web reference"/>
</syntaxhighlight>
| 
Substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson">{{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 (publisher)|Wiley]] |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}</ref>{{rp|13}}

Another substantiated claim.<ref name="Robinson" />{{rp|42}}

Substantiated claim from web site.<ref name="example web reference">{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.</ref>
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
==References==
<references>
  <ref name="Robinson">{{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 (publisher)|Wiley]] |isbn=0471555797 |oclc=30976558}}</ref>
  <ref name="example web reference">{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Example |website=www.example.org |accessdate=5 September 2020}} Additional text about the link.</ref>
</references>
</syntaxhighlight>
| 
{{fake heading|sub=2|References}}
<references/>
|-
| style="background: lime" | Good
| [[Help:Shortened footnotes|Shortened footnotes]] 
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">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}}</syntaxhighlight>
| 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}}
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
==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}}
</syntaxhighlight>
| 
{{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
| [[Wikipedia:Embedded citations|Embedded links]] 
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
Substantiated claim.[https://www.loc.gov] 
</syntaxhighlight>
| Substantiated claim.[https://www.loc.gov] 
|<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
* [https://www.loc.gov Library of Congress website] 
</syntaxhighlight>
|
* [https://www.loc.gov Library of Congress website]
|-
| style="background: red" | Ugly
| [[Template:Fact|Citation needed]] 
|<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
Unsubstantiated claim.{{fact}} 
</syntaxhighlight>
| Unsubstantiated claim.{{fact}}
|
|
|}

== See also ==
* [[Help:Introduction to referencing]]
* [[Help:Introduction to referencing with VisualEditor]]
* [[Help:Footnotes]]
* [[Help:References and page numbers]]
* [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]]
* [[Wikipedia:Citing sources]]
* [[Wikipedia:Citation templates]]
* [[Template:Editor tools]]
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