Editing Incubator escapee wiki:WikiProject

{{short description|Group of contributors who work together to improve Wikipedia}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{for-multi|the article on WikiProjects|WikiProject|information about the "Wikipedia:" project namespace|Wikipedia:Project namespace}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects|Wikimedia sister projects]] or [[Wikipedia:School and university projects|Wikipedia school and university projects]]}}

{{Infopage|WP:PROJECT|WP:PROJ|WP:PJ}}
{{Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Navigation}}
A '''WikiProject''' is a group of contributors who want to work together as a team to improve Wikipedia. These groups often focus on a specific topic area (for example, [[WP:WikiProject Mathematics|WikiProject Mathematics]] or [[WP:WikiProject India|WikiProject India]]), a specific part of the encyclopedia (for example, [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Disambiguation|WikiProject Disambiguation]]), or a specific kind of task (for example, [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol|checking newly created pages]]). The English Wikipedia currently has over 2,000 WikiProjects, about [[Wikipedia:Database reports/WikiProject watchers|1,000 of which]] are monitored by 30–2,000 editors, all with varying levels of activity.
==Function==
{{main|Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Guide#What is a WikiProject?{{!}}What is a WikiProject?}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2013-04-01/WikiProject report{{!}}FAQs about WikiProjects}}
The pages of a WikiProject are the central place for editor collaboration on a particular topic area. Editors there develop criteria, maintain various collaborative processes and keep track of work that needs to be done. It also provides a venue where issues of interest to the editors of a subject may be discussed. WikiProjects often write [[Wikipedia:Advice pages|advice]] for editors, use bots to track what is happening at articles of interest to the group, and create lists of tools and templates the project's participants commonly use.

The discussion pages attached to a project page are a convenient venue for those involved in that project to talk about what they are doing, to ask questions, and to receive advice from other people interested in the group's work. Participants in WikiProjects also assist in performing [[Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Assessment|quality assessments]] of articles pertaining to their specific topic area.

They typically are areas of interest or expertise and can be used for collaboration, coordination, competitions, outreach, decision-making, integration and mutual assistance.

WikiProjects are not rule-making organizations, nor can they assert [[WP:OWN|ownership of articles]] within a specific topic area. WikiProjects have no special rights or privileges compared to other editors and [[Wikipedia:Advice pages|may not impose their preferences on articles]]. A WikiProject is fundamentally a social construct: its success depends on its ability to function as a cohesive group of editors working towards a common goal.

Wikipedia has a very large number of WikiProjects. A number of them are fully active and have a number of active participants and even elected coordinators who help the WikiProject to run actively. Some WikiProjects are somewhat less active, but still exist as a collaboration and work-tracking venue where interested editors can exchange ideas and information. Some WikiProjects are completely inactive.

== Finding a project ==
[[File:The Impact Of Wikipedia.webm|thumb|thumbtime=2:24|upright|A video that articulates the diversity and enthusiasm of the Wikipedia Community by editors <small>(4:10 min)</small>]]
In addition to the search box below, you can also browse
:''Directory of WikiProjects: [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Directory|automatically curated]] & [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Directory|manually curated]]'', or [https://bambots.brucemyers.com/drb/WikiProjectList.html the BamBot list]

'''WikiProjects welcome new participants'''; please feel free to participate in any or all that interest you!
<inputbox>
type=fulltext
bgcolor=
width=30
prefix = Wikipedia:WikiProject 
searchbuttonlabel=Find a WikiProject
break=no
placeholder=e.g. Women scientists
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== Creating and maintaining a project ==
{{Main page|Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Guide#Creating a WikiProject}}
{{info|In 2024, we are changing the proposal process.  We are trying to reduce the number of failed attempts to start groups.  While we re-structure the pages, please do not propose any new groups.  In the meantime, please consider [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Council/Directory|two thousand existing projects]] and/or try to [[Wikipedia:REVIVE|revive]] one of the many dormant WikiProjects. If your group can't wait for the new process, please only create group pages in the userspace of one of your members.}}

To create a WikiProject, follow the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Council/Guide|WikiProject guide]] and use the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals|WikiProject proposals process]].

Before starting, read the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Guide|guide to WikiProject organization]], and peruse some existing WikiProjects to understand how they operate in practice.  If you're not sure about creating a new project, or aren't certain if anyone else is interested, you can make a [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals|WikiProject proposal]]. Groups of like-minded editors may start new WikiProjects at any time and are encouraged, but not obligated, to propose them before doing so. Formal proposals have many advantages, including receiving valuable input, saving a lot of work, and recruiting potential participants.

===Inactive projects===
{{main|Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Guide#Dealing with inactive WikiProjects}}
Many WikiProjects fall inactive or semi-active  because they have a lack of interested editors, or they simply  have served their initial purpose. Many small scope projects fall inactive or semi-active after establishing an organizational structure, [[Wikipedia:ADVICEPAGE|advice pages]], [[Wikipedia:Content assessment|content assessment system]], layout and inclusion  standards, reliable sources, and navigational aids. These projects are retained for reference as they may be viable because they provide topic-specific considerations of the many site-wide policies and guidelines that still apply to a subset of articles.

The majority of WikiProjects – even inactive ones – still provide invaluable [[WP:Content assessment|Quality Assessment tables]] which, though they may appear bewildering at first, actually serve an important role in helping any user find articles to edit and improve. They are sorted by both an 'importance' rating and a 'quality' or completeness rating. They also help users identify newly created 'unassessed' articles in need of a quality or an 'importance' rating. Any editor can contribute to this process at any time. In addition, many WikiProjects contain '[[Wikipedia:Article alerts|Article Alerts]]' and/or '[[User:HotArticlesBot|Hot article]]' notification sections which continue to serve a useful purpose by displaying automated, up-to-date activity notifications, irrespective of the level of current editor engagement with the WikiProject pages.  

Some WikiProjects have been surpassed by other processes (e.g. [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Policy and Guidelines]]), or are simply ''defunct''  (e.g. [[Wikipedia:WikiProject X]]); and are [[ Wikipedia:Project namespace#Historical pages| retained as a record of past Wikipedia processes]]. Any "inactive" WikiProject can be revived if the project has a "group" of new editors that would make the project an active place for discussions related to improvement of pages within the project's scope.

==See also==
{{Commons category|Wikipedia WikiProjects}}
*For additional resources, or if you have any questions, please visit the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Council|WikiProject Council]].
*[[Commons-based peer production]]
*[[Help:Wikipedia: The Missing Manual/Collaborating with other editors/WikiProjects and other group efforts]]
*[[Learning community]]
*{{tl|User all WikiProjects}}

{{WikiProject Footer}}
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