Wikimedia CH/EPFL editathons/How to edit Wikipedia

From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki
Project presentationHow to edit WikipediaUseful templates#1 EPFL goes Wiki#2 Women in Science#3 Diversithon, 03.06.2021#4 Sustainabilithon, 10.06.2021

What you need to know to edit Wikipedia in English, which is largely similar for German- French- and Italian-language Wikipedias.

The basics[edit]

Here is a link to tutorials that can help you edit Wikipedia: Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Tutorial.

The five pillars of Wikipedia[edit]

For a detailed version, click here.

  1. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
  2. Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
  3. Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute
  4. Wikipedia's editors should treat each other with respect and civility
  5. Wikipedia has no firm rules

Practical aspects[edit]

  • Each assertion you type needs to be verifiable. Make sure that you add references to back up statements.
  • Your references need to be secondary sources: original research is not accepted as a reference.
  • Avoid plagiarism. This may includes your own work, unless it is published under a free license allowing for commercial and noncommercial use. Plagiarism amounts to a breach of copyright, which violates Wikipedia policy. If you need to use work you have published under a copyright license, please, reformulate.
  • Neutral point of view. Articles should be written from a neutral point of view. You should represent fairly, and as far as possible without bias, all significant views that have been published by reliable sources.

A few useful links[edit]

Conflict of interest: definition[edit]

Specific notability criteria[edit]

Summaries of info on how to edit Wikipedia[edit]

Guided tours[edit]

A few well-designed guided tours to learn to find your way around Wikipedia can be found on this page.