Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Citing sources (section)

==Inline citations==
{{Shortcut|WP:INCITE|WP:INLINECITE}}
{{See|Wikipedia:Inline citation}}
Inline citations allow the reader to associate a given piece of material in an article with the specific reliable source(s) that support it. Inline citations are added using [[#Footnotes|footnotes]], long or [[#Shortened footnotes|short]]. 

===<span id="Adding the citation"></span><span id="Inline reference"></span><span id="Footnotes and references"></span>How to place an inline citation using ref tags===
{{Shortcut|WP:CITEFOOT}}
{{hatnote|Further information: [[Help:Footnotes#Footnotes: the basics|Footnotes: the basics]]}}
To create a footnote, use the <code><nowiki><ref>...</ref></nowiki></code> syntax at the appropriate place in the article text, for example:
* <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>Justice is a human invention.<ref>Rawls, John. ''A Theory of Justice''. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 1.</ref> It ...</syntaxhighlight>
which will be displayed as something like:
* Justice is a human invention.{{dummy ref|1}} It ...
It will also be necessary to generate the list of footnotes (where the citation text is actually displayed); for this, see the previous section.

As in the above example, citation markers are normally placed {{em|after}} adjacent punctuation such as periods (full stops) and commas. For exceptions, see the {{Section link|WP:Manual of Style#Punctuation and footnotes}}. Note also that no space is added before the citation marker. Citations should not be placed within, or on the same line as, section headings.

The citation should be added close to the material it supports, offering [[#Text–source integrity|text–source integrity]]. If a word or phrase is particularly contentious, an inline citation may be added next to that word or phrase within the sentence, but it is usually sufficient to add the citation to the end of the clause, sentence, or paragraph, so long as it's clear which source supports which part of the text.

====Avoiding clutter====
{{Shortcut|WP:ILCLUTTER|WP:INLINECLUTTER|WP:INLINECITECLUTTER}}
Inline references can significantly bloat the wikitext in the edit window and can become confusing and difficult to manage. There are two main methods to avoid [[visual pollution|clutter]] in the edit window:
* Using [[Help:Footnotes#List-defined_references|list-defined references]] by collecting the full citation code in the References section, and then inserting them in the text with a shortened reference tag, for example <code><nowiki><ref name="Smith 2001, p99" /></nowiki></code>.
* Inserting [[#Short citations|short citations]] (see below) that then refer to a full list of source texts

As with other citation formats, articles should not undergo large-scale conversion between formats without consensus to do so.

Note, however, that references defined in the reference list template can no longer be edited with the [[Wikipedia:VisualEditor|VisualEditor]].

====Repeated citations====
{{shortcut|WP:REPEATCITE}}
{{hatnote|Further information: [[Help:Footnotes#Footnotes: using a source more than once|Footnotes: using a source more than once]]}}

For multiple use of the same inline citation or footnote, you can use the [[WP:NAMEDREFS|named references]] feature, choosing a name to identify the inline citation, and typing {{tag|ref|params=name="<var>name</var>"|content=text of the citation}}. Thereafter, the same named reference may be reused any number of times either before or after the defining use by typing the previous reference name, like this: {{tag|ref|params=name="<var>name</var>"|s}}. The use of the slash before the <code>&gt;</code> means that the tag is self-closing, and the {{tag|ref|c}} used to close other references must not be used in addition.

The text of the <code>name</code> can be almost anything{{nsmdns}}apart from being completely numeric. If spaces are used in the text of the <code>name</code>, the text must be placed within double quotes. Placing all named references within double quotes may be helpful to future editors who do not know that rule. To help with page maintenance, it is recommended that the text of the <code>name</code> have a connection to the inline citation or footnote, for example "author year page": {{tag|ref|params=name="<var>Smith 2005 p94</var>"|content=text of the citation}}.

Use straight quotation marks <code>"</code> to enclose the reference name. Do not use curly quotation marks <code>“”</code>. Curly marks are treated as another character, not as delimiters. The page will display an error if one style of quotation marks is used when first naming the reference, and the other style is used in a repeated reference, or if a mix of styles is used in the repeated references.

====<span id="MultiPages"></span>Citing multiple pages of the same source====
{{anchor|IBID|op.cit.}}{{shortcut|WP:IBID|WP:OPCIT}}
{{see|Help:References and page numbers}}

When an article cites many different pages from the same source, to avoid the redundancy of many big, nearly identical full citations, most Wikipedia editors use one of these options:
* [[WP:NAMEDREFS|Named references]] in conjunction with a combined list of page numbers using the [[Help:Citation Style 1#Pages|{{para|pages}}]] parameter of the {{cite xxx}} templates (can become confusing for large number of pages)
* Named references in conjunction with the {{tl2|rp}} or {{tl2|r}} templates to specify the page
* [[WP:CITESHORT|Short citations]]

The use of ''[[ibid.]]'', ''[[id.]]'', or similar abbreviations is discouraged, as they may become broken as new references are added (''[[op. cit.]]'' is less problematic in that it should refer explicitly to a citation contained in the article; however, not all readers are familiar with the meaning of the terms). If the use of ''ibid'' is extensive, tag the article using the {{tl|ibid}} template.

===What information to include <span id="Putting together the citation"></span><span id="HOW"></span>===
{{shortcut|WP:CITEHOW|WP:HOWCITE}}
Listed below is the information that a typical inline citation or general reference will provide, though other details may be added as necessary. This information is included in order to identify the source, assist readers in finding it, and (in the case of inline citations) indicate the place in the source where the information is to be found. (If an article uses [[#Short citations|short citations]], then the inline citations will refer to this information in abbreviated form, as described in the relevant sections above.)

In general, the citation information should be cited as it appears in the original source; exceptions are noted at [[MOS:CONFORMTITLE]], [[MOS:TMRULES]], [[MOS:NUMERO]], and [[MOS:TE]].{{Disputed inline|Clarifying which MOS guidelines apply to citations|date=April 2025}} For example, the album notes from ''[[Hurts 2B Human]]'' should not be cited as being from the album ''Hurts to be Human'', or an [[X (social media platform)|X]] (formerly Twitter) user named "i😍dogs" should not be cited as "i[love]dogs". Do not use {{tl|sic}}, per [[WP:QUOTETYPO]].
[[File:Good citations vs bad citations.jpg|thumb|Use details in citing. Citations 1–3 are good, while citations 4–6 should be improved.]]

===Examples===
====Books====
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite book}}.}}
Citations for books typically include:
* name of author(s)
* title of book
* volume when appropriate
* name of publisher
* place of publication
* date of publication of the edition
* chapter or page numbers cited, if appropriate
* edition, if not the first edition
* [[WP:ISBN|ISBN]] (optional)

Some edited books have individually authored chapters. Citations for these chapters are recommended. They typically include:
*name of author(s)
*title of the chapter
*name of book's editor
*name of book and other details as above
*chapter number or page numbers for the chapter (optional)

In some instances, the [[Recto and verso|verso]] of a book's title page may record, "Reprinted with corrections XXXX" or similar, where "XXXX" is a year. This is a different version of a book in the same way that different editions are different versions. Note this in your citation. See {{sectionlink||Dates and reprints}} for further information.

====Journal articles====
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite journal}}.}}

Citations for journal articles typically include:
* name of the author(s)
* year and sometimes month of publication
* title of the article
* name of the journal
* volume number, issue number, and page numbers (article numbers in some electronic journals)
* [[WP:DOI|DOI]] and/or other [[List of academic databases and search engines|identifiers]] are optional and can often be used in place of a less stable URL (although URLs may also be listed in a journal citation)

====Newspaper articles====
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite news}}.}}

Citations for newspaper articles typically include:
* [[byline]] (author's name), if any
* title of the article
* name of the newspaper in italics
* city of publication (if not included in name of newspaper)
* date of publication
* page number(s) are optional and may be substituted with negative number(s) on microfilm reels

====Web pages====
{{shortcut|WP:CITEWEB}}
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite web}}.}}

Citations for World Wide Web pages typically include:
* URL of the specific web page {{em|where the referenced content can be found}}, even if the website asks people not to make deep links.<ref group="note">[[Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)/Archive 102#Prohibited (sic) links]]</ref> When it is impossible to link to the individual document, instructions for performing a search might be given (see eg. {{tl|Cite DAT}}), or a link to an archived copy provided.
* Name of the author(s)
* Title of the article
* Title or domain name of the website
* Publisher, if known
* Date of publication
* Page number(s) (if applicable)
* Date you retrieved (or accessed) the web page (required if the publication date is unknown)

====Sound recordings====
{{More|Help:References and page numbers#Other in-source locations}}
Citations for sound recordings typically include:
* name of the composer(s), songwriter(s), script writer(s) or the like
* name of the performer(s)
* title of the song or individual track
* title of the album (if applicable)
* name of the record label
* year of release
* medium (for example: LP, audio cassette, CD, MP3 file)
* approximate time at which event or point of interest occurs, where appropriate

Do not cite an entire body of work by one performer. Instead, make one citation for each work your text relies on.

====Film, television, or video recordings====
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite AV media}}.}}

Citations for films, TV episodes, or video recordings typically include:
* name of the director
* name of the producer, if relevant
* names of major performers
* the title of a TV episode
* title of the film or TV series
* name of the studio
* year of release
* medium (for example: film, videocassette, DVD)
* approximate time at which event or point of interest occurs, where appropriate

====Wikidata====
{{hatnote|See also the template {{tl|cite Q}}.  For adding sources to Wikidata itself, see [[Wikipedia:How to add sources to Wikidata]].}} 
Wikidata is largely user-generated, and articles should not directly cite Wikidata as a source (just as it would be inappropriate to cite other Wikipedias' articles as sources). 

But Wikidata's statements can be directly transcluded into articles; this is usually done to provide external links or infobox data. For example, more than two million external links from Wikidata are shown through the {{tl|Authority control}} template. There has been controversy over the use of Wikidata in the English Wikipedia due to vandalism and its own sourcing. While there is no consensus on whether information from Wikidata should be used at all, there is general agreement that any Wikidata statements that are transcluded need to be just as – or more – reliable compared to Wikipedia content. As such, [[Module:WikidataIB]] and some related modules and templates filter Wikidata statements not supported by a reference by default; however, other modules and templates, such as [[Module:Wikidata]], do not.

To transclude an item from Wikidata, the [[d:Wikidata:Glossary#QID|QID (Q number)]] of an item in Wikidata needs to be known. QID can by found by searching for an item by the name or [[Digital object identifier|DOI]] in Wikidata. A book, a journal article, a musical recording, sheet music or any other item can be represented by a structured item in Wikidata.

The {{tl|Cite Q}} template can be used to cite works whose metadata is held in Wikidata, provided the cited work meets Wikipedia's standards. As of December 2020, {{tlx|Cite Q}} does not support "last, first" or Vancouver-style author name lists, so it should not be used in articles in which "last, first" or Vancouver-style author names are the [[WP:CITEVAR|dominant citation style]].

====Other====
See also:
* {{tl|cite album notes}}
* {{tl|cite comic}}
* {{tl|cite conference}} for conference reports or papers
* {{tl|cite court}} for court cases or legal decisions
* {{tl|cite act}} for a law or legal act
* {{tl|cite encyclopedia}}
* {{tl|cite episode}} for TV or radio series
* {{tl|cite mailing list}}
* {{tl|cite map}}
* {{tl|cite newsgroup}}
* {{tl|cite patent}} for patents
* {{tl|cite press release}}
* {{tl|cite report}}
* {{tl|cite thesis}}
* {{tl|cite video game}}

===Identifying parts of a source===
{{shortcut|WP:PAGENUM}}
{{see|Help:References and page numbers}}
When citing lengthy sources, you should identify which part of a source is being cited.

====Books and print articles====
{{shortcut|WP:EBOOK}}
Specify the page number or range of page numbers. Page numbers are not required for a reference to the book or article as a whole. When you specify a page number, it is helpful to specify the version (date and edition for books) of the source because the layout, pagination, length, etc. can change between editions.

If there are no page numbers, whether in [[ebook]]s or print materials, then you can use other means of identifying the relevant section of a lengthy work, such as the chapter number, the section title, or the specific entry.

In some works, such as plays and ancient works, there are standard methods of referring to sections, such as "Act 1, scene 2" for plays and [[Bekker numbering|Bekker numbers]] for Aristotle's works. Use these methods whenever appropriate.

====Audio and video sources====
Specify the time at which the event or other point of interest occurs. Be as precise as possible about the version of the source that you are citing; for example, movies are often released in different editions or "cuts". Due to variations between formats and playback equipment, precision may not be accurate in some cases. However, many government agencies do not publish minutes and transcripts but do post video of official meetings online; generally the subcontractors who handle audio-visual are quite precise.

===Links and ID numbers===
A citation ideally includes a link or ID number to help editors locate the source. If you have a URL (web page) link, you can add it to the title part of the citation, so that when you add the citation to Wikipedia the URL becomes hidden and the title becomes clickable. To do this, enclose the URL and the title in square brackets—the URL first, then a space, then the title. For example:
<syntaxhighlight lang="moin">''[https://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol66/mono66-7.pdf IARC Monographs On The Evaluation Of Carcinogenic Risks To Humans – Doxefazepam]''. International Agency For Research On Cancer (IARC). 66: 97–104. 13–20 February 1996.</syntaxhighlight>
For web-only sources with no publication date, the "Retrieved" date (or the date you accessed the web page) should be included, in case the web page changes in the future. For example: {{xt|Retrieved 15 July 2011}} or you can use the [[Wikipedia:RefToolbar 2.0#Automatic date insertion|access-date]] parameter in the automatic [[Wikipedia:refToolbar 2.0]] editing window feature.

You can also add an ID number to the end of a citation. The ID number might be an [[ISBN]] for a book, a [[Digital object identifier|DOI]] (digital object identifier) for an article or some e-books, or any of several ID numbers that are specific to particular article databases, such as a PMID number for articles on [[PubMed]]. It may be possible to format these so that they are automatically activated and become clickable when added to Wikipedia, for example by typing ISBN (or PMID) followed by a space and the ID number.

If your source is [[Wikipedia:Offline sources|not available online]], it should be available in reputable libraries, archives, or collections. If a citation without an external link is challenged as unavailable, any of the following is sufficient to show the material to be reasonably available (though not necessarily [[Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources|reliable]]): providing an [[ISBN]] or [[OCLC]] number; linking to an established Wikipedia article about the source (the work, its author, or its publisher); or directly quoting the material on the talk page, [[WP:COPYVIO|briefly]] and in context.

====Linking to pages in PDF files====
{{anchor|PDF|pdf}}
{{shortcut|WP:PAGELINKS|WP:BOOKLINKS}}

Links to long PDF documents can be made more convenient by taking readers to a specific page with the addition of <code>#page=<var>n</var></code> to the document URL, where <code>n</code> is the page number. For example, using <code><nowiki>https://www.domain.com/document.pdf#page=5</nowiki></code> as the citation URL displays page five of the document in any PDF viewer that supports this feature. If the viewer or browser does not support it, it will display the first page instead.

====Linking to Google Books pages====
{{shortcut|WP:GBOOKS}}
{{further information|Wikipedia:Google Books and Wikipedia}}
[[Google Books]] sometimes allows numbered book pages to be linked to directly.
Page links should only be added when the book is available for preview; they will not work with snippet view. Keep in mind that availability varies by location. No editor is required to add page links, but if another editor adds them, they should not be removed without cause; see the [[Wikipedia_talk:Citing_sources/Archive_30#Linking_to_Google_Books_pages|October 2010 RfC]] for further information.

These can be added in several ways (with and without citation templates):
*Rawls, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 ''A Theory of Justice'']. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 18.
*Or with a template: {{cite book |last=Rawls |first=John |title=A Theory of Justice |publisher=Harvard University Press |date=1971 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 Rawls 1971, p. 18].
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 Rawls 1971], p. 18.
*Rawls 1971, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 p. 18].
*Rawls 1971, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 18].

In edit mode, the URL for p. 18 of ''[[A Theory of Justice]]'' can be entered like this using the {{tl|Cite book}} template:

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">{{cite book |last=Rawls |first=John |date=1971 |title=A Theory of Justice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 |publisher=Harvard University Press |page=18}}</syntaxhighlight>

or like this, in the first of the above examples, formatted manually:
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">Rawls, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 ''A Theory of Justice'']. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 18.</syntaxhighlight>

When the page number is a [[Roman numeral]], commonly seen at the beginning of books, the URL looks like this for [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PR17 page xvii] (Roman numeral 17) of the same book:<br />

{{in5}}<code><nowiki>https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PR17</nowiki></code><br />

The <samp>&pg=PR17</samp> indicates "page, Roman, 17", in contrast to the <samp>&pg=PA18</samp>, "page, [[Arabic numeral|Arabic]], 18" the URL given earlier.

You can also link to a [[tipped-in page]], such as an unnumbered page of images between two regular pages. (If the page contains an image that is protected by copyright, it will be replaced by a tiny notice saying "copyrighted image".) The URL for [https://books.google.com/books?id=dBs4CO1DsF4C&pg=PA304-IA11 eleventh tipped-in page inserted after page 304] of ''The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony'', looks like this:<br />

{{in5}}<code><nowiki>https://books.google.com/books?id=dBs4CO1DsF4C&pg=PA304-IA11</nowiki></code><br />

The <samp>&pg=PA304-IA11</samp> can be interpreted as "page, Arabic, 304; inserted after: 11".

Note that some templates properly support links only in parameters specifically designed to hold URLs like {{para|url}} and {{para|archive-url}} and that placing links in other parameters may not link properly or will cause mangled [[COinS]] metadata output. However, the {{para|page}} and {{para|pages}} parameters of all {{cs1}}/{{cs2}} citation templates, the family of {{tl|sfn}}- and {{tl|harv}}-style templates, as well as {{tl|r}}, {{tl|rp}} and {{tl|ran}} are designed to be safe in this regard as well.

[https://citer.toolforge.org/ Citer] may be helpful.

Users may also link the quotation on Google Books to individual titles, via a short [[permalink]] which ends with their related ISBN, [[OCLC]] or [[Library of Congress Control Number|LCCN]] numerical code, e.g.:
<code><nowiki>https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521349931</nowiki></code>, a permalink to the Google book with the [[International Standard Book Number|ISBN]] code 0521349931.
For further details, you may see [https://support.google.com/books/partner/answer/3474239?hl=en/ How-to explanation] on support.google.com.

===Say where <em>you</em> read it <span id="SAYWHEREYOUGOTIT"></span>===
{{shortcut|WP:SAYWHEREYOUREADIT|WP:SAYWHEREYOUGOTIT|WP:SWYRT|WP:SWYGT|WP:SAYWHERE}}
"Say where {{em|you}} read it" follows the practice in academic writing of citing sources directly only if you have read the source yourself. If your knowledge of the source is secondhand—that is, if you have read Jones (2010), who cited Smith (2009), and you want to use what Smith (2009) said—make clear that your knowledge of Smith is based on your reading of Jones.

When citing the source, write the following (this formatting is just an example):

{{quote|John Smith (2009). ''Name of Book I Haven't Seen'', Cambridge University Press, p. 99, cited in Paul Jones (2010). ''Name of Encyclopedia I Have Seen'', Oxford University Press, p. 29.}}

Or if you are using short citations:

{{quote|Smith (2009), p. 99, cited in Jones (2010), p. 29.}}

The same principle applies when indicating the source of images and other media files in an article.

'''Note''': The advice to "say where {{em|you}} read it" does {{em|not}} mean that you have to give credit to any search engines, websites, libraries, library catalogs, archives, subscription services, bibliographies, or other sources that led you to Smith's book. If you have read a book or article yourself, that's all you have to cite. You do not have to specify {{em|how}} you obtained and read it.

So long as you are confident that you read a true and accurate copy, it does not matter whether you read the material using an online service like Google Books; using preview options at a bookseller's website like Amazon; through your library; via online [[Wikipedia:PAYWALL|paid databases of scanned publications]], such as [[JSTOR]]; using [[reading machine]]s; on an [[e-reader]] (except to the extent that this affects page numbering); or any other method.

===Dates and reprints===
{{anchor|Dates and reprints of older publications}}

Date a book that is identically reprinted or printed-on-demand to the first date in which the edition became available. For example, if an edition of a book was first released in 2005 with an identical reprinting in 2007, date it to 2005. If substantive changes were made in a reprint, sometimes marked on the verso with "Reprinted with corrections", note the edition and append the corrected reprint year to it (e.g. "1st ed. reprinted with corrections 2005").

Editors should be aware that older sources (especially those in the public domain) are sometimes republished with modern publication dates; treat these as new publications. When this occurs and the citation style being used requires it, cite {{em|both}} the new and original publication dates, e.g.:

* {{cite book |last=Darwin |first=Charles |date=1964 |orig-date=1859 |title=On the Origin of Species |edition=facsimile of 1st |publisher= Harvard University Press}}

This is done automatically in the {{tl|citation}} and {{tl|cite book}} templates when you use the {{para|orig-date}} parameter.

Alternatively, information about the reprint can be appended as a textual note:

* {{cite book |last=Boole |first=George |title=An Investigation of the Laws of Thought on Which Are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities |date=1854 |publisher= Macmillan}} Reprinted with corrections, Dover Publications, New York, NY, 1958.

===Seasonal publication dates and differing calendar systems===<!--This heading is linked to from WP:Manual_of_Style#Seasons and may also be from WP:Manual_of_Style#Titles.-->
Publication dates, for both older and recent sources, should be written with the goal of helping the reader find the publication and, once found, confirm that the correct publication has been located. For example, if the publication date bears a date in the Julian calendar, it should not be converted to the Gregorian calendar.

If the publication date was given as a season or holiday, such as "Winter" or "Christmas" of a particular year or two-year span, it should not be converted to a month or date, such as {{!xt|July–August}} or {{!xt|December 25}}. If a publication provided both seasonal and specific dates, prefer the specific one.

===Additional annotation===
{{shortcut|WP:ANNOTATION|WP:FOOTQUOTE|WP:FQ}}
In most cases it is sufficient for a citation footnote simply to identify the source (as described in the sections above); readers can then consult the source to see how it supports the information in the article. Sometimes, however, it is useful to include additional [[annotation]] in the footnote, for example to indicate precisely which information the source is supporting (particularly when a single footnote lists more than one source – {{crossref|see {{section link||Bundling citations}} and {{section link||Text–source integrity}}, below}}).

A footnote may also contain a relevant quotation from the source. This is especially helpful when the cited text is long or dense. A quotation allows readers to immediately identify the applicable portion of the reference. Quotes are also useful if the source is not easily accessible. However, caution should be exercised, as always, to avoid copyright violations.

In the case of non-English sources, it may be helpful to quote from the original text and then give an English translation. If the article itself contains a translation of a quote from such a source (without the original), then the original should be included in the footnote. {{crossref|(See the {{section link|WP:Verifiability|Non-English sources}} policy for more information.)}}