Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions/Archive 1264
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New, please help me
Hi there folks, I’m new to Wikipedia. How can start contributing? How to get started on Wikipedia? ClimateFolding1507 (talk) 19:32, 24 August 2025 (UTC)
- @ClimateFolding1507 I would check out the task center for ideas which are plenty. Help:Introduction gives an introduction to editing. Please let me know if you found a task or need more guidance. As long as you are very specific in what you ask, we can help you. Interstellarity (talk) 22:44, 24 August 2025 (UTC)
- @Gråbergs Gråa Sång @Interstellarity Introduction and task center? That’s good, at least you gave a video to me, right? I’ll go over the basics on Wikipedia after my break. ClimateFolding1507 (talk) 10:22, 26 August 2025 (UTC)
- @ClimateFolding1507 If I might make another suggestion: read the new posts on the Help desk and this Teahouse desk every day, and browse through older queries above and in the Archives when you have time. You will probably encounter many helpful responses to queries that it would not even have occurred to you to make, but which you will find illuminating. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.210.150.115 (talk) 04:42, 25 August 2025 (UTC)
- @ClimateFolding1507 Yet another option: Become a Wikipedian in 30 minutes. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 08:25, 25 August 2025 (UTC)
- I already watched that video, and I’m happily satisfied with this. ClimateFolding1507 (talk) 07:33, 30 August 2025 (UTC)
Please help with formatting this citation
I don't know what to do about the doi value. The doi listed on the article does not appear valid or if valid is no longer active. Should it simply be omitted? AkilinaL (talk) 22:09, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Try
doi=10.37547/tajssei/volume02issue11-15per https://search.crossref.org 🌊 oceanloop 22:19, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- @OceanLoop: Note that the DOI you kindly provided doesn't display any errors in Wikipedia, but leads to a 404 File not found page.[2] Note that this reference is in the Tashkent article. GoingBatty (talk) 00:51, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- It's also a predatory journal, which should be avoided as citations. Headbomb {t · c · p · b} 08:36, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- @OceanLoop: Note that the DOI you kindly provided doesn't display any errors in Wikipedia, but leads to a 404 File not found page.[2] Note that this reference is in the Tashkent article. GoingBatty (talk) 00:51, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
References
- ^ Ibragimov, Rahmon Ziyodullaevich (November 23, 2020). "On the Stages of the Ancient History of the Tashkent Oasis". The American Journal of Social Science and Education Innovations. 02 (11–15): 86–92. doi:10.37547 (inactive 2025-08-27). ISSN 2689-100X. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2025 (link) CS1 maint: ignored DOI errors (link) - ^ Ibragimov, Rahmon Ziyodullaevich (November 23, 2020). "On the Stages of the Ancient History of the Tashkent Oasis". The American Journal of Social Science and Education Innovations. 02 (11–15): 86–92. doi:10.37547/tajssei/volume02issue11-15 (inactive 28 August 2025). ISSN 2689-100X. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2025 (link)
Seeking help with DemandWorks article
Courtesy link: Draft:DemandWorks
Hello,
I wrote an article for a company called DemandWorks. I did disclose that I work there, and we simply just want factual information about our company on Wikipedia. I'm having trouble getting it approved, but keep getting comments that it comes off as promotional. I really don't believe it does - just facts about the company and what they do. Could someone please review it and maybe give me a specific point of what sounds promotional about it? Katherine-Wheeler (talk) 17:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- The article was declined as "This draft's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article". Please see WP:NCORP for guidance on the sort of references we require. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:13, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hi @Katherine-Wheeler: welcome to the Teahouse. Your draft was declined because the article's references don't show that the subject is notable enough for a Wikipedia article. On Wikipedia, article subjects generally have to receive significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject to be considered notable. Companies and organizations (which applies to yours) have a subject-specific notability guideline (referred to in wiki-speak as "NCORP") that generally follow the general notability guideline with a stronger emphasis on quality of the sources. To get your article accepted, you need to add several high-quality, independent sources that substantially cover your company into the article. Thanks! Waning Star (talk) 21:27, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hello, @Katherine-Wheeler What your company wants, and what Wikipedia would want if it had an article about your company, may not coincide.
- What your company wants in an article is, presumably, what it wants people to know about it (and that will quite likely be carefully curated to present it in a good light)>
- What Wikipedia wants in an article is a summary of what people wholly unconnected with the company have chosen to publish about it - whether the company likes what they said or not; whether it presents the company in a good light or not. And if they haven't said anything about it that isn't run of the mill (see WP:CORPTRIV) then Wikipedia probably does not want an article about it in the first place.
- I suggest you read WP:BOSS. ColinFine (talk) 13:57, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Creating a page for a medical school dean
I apologize for asking a question that has probably been asked many times, but I need assistance in publishing a page for our medical school's dean. I have the content and citations necessary, and his list of accomplishments is long, but since I have never published nor edited a page in my life, I don't know where to start. Is anyone willing to help? Mgmcampbell (talk) 02:29, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Editing articles where you have a conflict of interest is discouraged - see WP:COI; you may want to work on other pages. You are welcome to experiment with content in your sandbox. Happy editing! 🌊 oceanloop 03:21, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Mgmcampbell Hello. If you work for the school, you are required by the Wikipedia Terms of Use to make a formal paid editing disclosure. Please also see conflict of interest. While it is discouraged- especially if you lack experience- you are permitted to create and submit a draft via the Article Wizard. I would correct youn in that you would not be creating a "page for" the dean, but an article about them. Wikipedia articles are not for the benefit of the subject, nor are they exclusively controlled by the subject. A Wikipedia article does not merely name accomplishments, it should summarize what independent reliable sources with significant coverage have chosen on their own to say about the dean, showing how he is a notable academic narrowly, or more broadly a notable person. 331dot (talk) 09:48, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- It's great that you have collected sources first. Writing an article WP:BACKWARD (finding the sources last) is the wrong way to go about it.
- However, the kind of sources matter. Please read WP:Golden Rule and see how many of your sources meet all three criteria listed. The sources need to be independent of your dean or school. ~Anachronist (talk) 14:17, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Sources for books
Hello! I’m trying to find a reliable source for a book someone ‘wrote’ (guy sourced it out to someone and claims it as his own but the other guy doesn’t care). What are some reliable sources for books? CREditzWiki, editor (talk) 14:14, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- It depends on what statement(s) about the book you are wanting to make. Every statement in an article should be based on a source, and to support its Notability they need to be be Reliable sources.
- Your query suggests you may be proceeding WP:Backwards: it is better to first collect your sources, and then draft the article summarising only what they say.
- If you want to summarise its contents (in a section "Plot", if it's fiction), the book itself is the source for that, presuming it has been published – if it hasn't been, or is self-published, it is unlikely to be a suitable subject for an article, though this is still possible.
- You might find Wikipedia:WikiProject Books helpful. See also Ghostwriter, a common practice. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.210.150.115 (talk) 14:35, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
New page COI ettiquite
I am the director of a small US government research program that I believe may be noteworthy enough to warrant a page. There is a significant amount of independent material documenting this program, however, as the program director I am the very definition of coflicted on this topic and as such should not write an article. Is there a mechanism for requesting an editor take a look and consider writing an article? I was thinking about starting a new stub article, and starting a discussion the talk page. Is that a reasonable approach? Funktektronic (talk) 21:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hello and welcome. Please see the conflict of interest and paid editing policies.
- There is Requested articles, but it is backlogged to the point of uselessness.
- My advice is that you go on about the work of your program; the best indicator of notability is when an independent editor takes note of significant coverage of a topic in independent reliable sources and chooses to write about it. 331dot (talk) 21:51, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Thanks for chiming in. I left a request and will call it a day. Funktektronic (talk) 00:52, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hello @Funktektronic. The downside of having a Wikipedia article is that Wikipedia will always be at the top of all search engine results, which means you will no longer control what people see when they search for that project. Polygnotus (talk) 22:36, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Thanks for your concern and setting up a user page for me. I don't think what you are saying is actually true. I frequently search for scientific code projects and usually the project page is the first hit. Funktektronic (talk) 00:56, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- @Funktektronic Well, it may be because Google knows that I am most likely to click the Wikipedia link on anything I search.
Polygnotus (talk) 00:58, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Fair point, and I amore likely to go to the project page. :) Funktektronic (talk) 01:27, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- @Funktektronic Well, it may be because Google knows that I am most likely to click the Wikipedia link on anything I search.
- Thanks for your concern and setting up a user page for me. I don't think what you are saying is actually true. I frequently search for scientific code projects and usually the project page is the first hit. Funktektronic (talk) 00:56, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- You may start a Draft page and submit it for review using the process described at WP:AFC.
- But first, please see WP:Autobiography and WP:About you for further guidance. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 14:52, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Charles Wilkes
In the past have added some material to this entry on the controversial 19th c. American Naval Admiral. Haven't looked at the article for a number of years, so when I read it over a day ago I was startled to come upon whole paragraphs of ungrammatical English. The instinct was to jump into 'Edit' mode and speedily correct all those awkward spots. But I hesitated, thinking perhaps some illustrious foreign author had written the text and I would be committing a grave international breach of etiquette to perpetrate even one small edit. Should I leave the offending text as I found it or discreetly render it into correct, more grammatical American English? Much thanks for your thoughts. Butcan 21:56, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- I would remove any sections which are uncited or do not make coherent sense, per WP:BOLD. You can also check the page history to see significant contributions and question them, or their author/s. I know a little about the subject matter and have subscribed to the article, if you would like copyedit of your revisions. Thank you. 🌊 oceanloop 22:00, 27 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hello, @Butcan. Wikipedia is massively uninterested in whether any particular editor is "illustrious" or not. All text that any of us insert in an article is licensed under CC-BY-SA, and anybody may edit it. Some editors are more familiar with Wikipedia's policies than others, but we are all just "editors".
- If somebody disagrees with an edit you makethey may revert your edit - or you may revert another editors edits in the same way. This is a normal part of how a collaborative project like Wikipedia works: see WP:BRD. ColinFine (talk) 14:07, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- It's perfectly okay to correct poor grammar or poorly-written text; in fact by doing so you are helping those non-native editors who can add a lot of factually-useful information and references, but in wobbly English; they rely on someone going along behind and gnoming the language into shape. What doesn't work is over-pedantic piddling around with text that was fine (this is not a helpful place to start a crusade against the Oxford comma), or changing the style to the wrong variety of English (a problem that you clearly understand). Also, verbatim quotations from sources must obviously be left the way they are, even if the English is "wrong". As a native English-english speaker, I appreciate American editors who can de-anglicize me as appropriate. I only get irritated when someone with a First Certificate in Basic English as a Foreign Language decides to demonstrate their skills by mutating into the Grammar Police and doing horribly painful things to my fine and flowing prose. But even then, ColinFine is right. Elemimele (talk) 15:38, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Is this topic notable enough?
Though I'm not done yet, I wanted to check. Still looking for more sources that backup their website's history section but I'm hoping I'll find them. They are an institution in our rowing community here in DC. Draft:DC Strokes Rowing Club. Gorazhill (talk) 16:06, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Hi @Gorazhill: not yet, based on those sources. We normally require at least three sources that meet the WP:GNG standard (= significant coverage in secondary sources that are reliable and entirely independent of the subject and of each other), but your draft so far has at best one (and that's assuming that the WaPo piece actually qualifies; I haven't checked it since it's behind a paywall). -- DoubleGrazing (talk) 16:48, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Draft:Jack Logan
Courtesy link: Draft:Jack Logan
Can you help me improve this article? I have included reliable and independent sources but it keeps getting declined. Please let me know how to improve it. Thank you! RavenFireblade (talk) 18:17, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- The reviewers have left several screens of advice and useful links at the top of the draft, starting
"This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—"
- You have been advised to read WP:THREE, which asks, in effect, which three of your sources meet all of the requirements outlined at WP:GOLDENRULE? Can you tell us that? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:25, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- Here are the best three. I believe this comes from independent, reliable sources and with significant coverage.
RavenFireblade (talk) 18:44, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
- The first of those is a news item of only three sentences, reporting what Logan said. It is not significant coverage. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:07, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
Here are the best three. I believe this comes from independent, reliable sources and with significant coverage.
1. Manila Bulletin – Coverage of Recognition in Zambales
“Filmmaker Jack Logan honored in Zambales” (2025) Independent, national broadsheet. Provides significant coverage of Logan’s achievements and local recognition, not based on press releases. https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/28/filmmaker-jack-logan-honored-in-zambales
2. Manila Standard – Asian Television Awards Nomination
“Vlogger competes at 28th Asian Television Awards” (2023) National daily newspaper. Covers Logan’s nomination, detailing his role in digital media and context within Philippine entries. https://manilastandard.net/?p=314390181
3. ABS-CBN News – Documentary on West Philippine Sea
“Content creator Jack Logan produces docu on West Philippine Sea” (2025) Leading Philippine mainstream media outlet. https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/5/27/content-creator-jack-logan-produces-docu-about-west-philippine-sea-1300 RavenFireblade (talk) 19:14, 28 August 2025 (UTC)
can someone improve my article?
I have made an article about Rebellion of Luqman Khan, and it is not fully approved. If anyone wants to help feel free. TurkishBaron (talk) 17:10, 31 August 2025 (UTC)
- The maintenance tags now in the article may draw attention to the article; but the best person to edit it is you. 331dot (talk) 17:17, 31 August 2025 (UTC)
- Alright, thanks for the info TurkishBaron (talk) 17:22, 31 August 2025 (UTC)