Help:Cite errors
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Help:Cite errors is a guidance page on Wikipedia that provides assistance for resolving common citation errors encountered when editing articles. This page is crucial for maintaining the reliability and verifiability of information on Wikipedia, as it helps editors understand and fix issues related to references and citations.
Overview
Citations are essential in Wikipedia to verify content and inform readers where the information can be cross-checked. However, editors might encounter various errors while adding or editing citations. Help:Cite errors explains these errors and provides detailed instructions on how to correct them.
Common Cite Errors
The page covers a range of common citation errors, including:
- <ref> tags with no content: Occurs when a reference tag is empty.
- Missing <references/> or {{reflist}}: This error appears when the article contains <ref> tags but no section or template to display the references.
- Undefined named references: This error happens if a named reference is used in the text but not defined anywhere in the article.
- Duplicate named references with different content: Occurs when two or more named references share the same name but contain different content.
How to Resolve Errors
Each section of the Help:Cite errors page provides step-by-step instructions on how to identify and fix specific citation errors. For example, to resolve the issue of a missing {{reflist}}, the editor needs to add {{reflist}} at the end of the article or in a designated 'References' section.
Importance
Proper citation is fundamental in Wikipedia to ensure that all content is verifiable and trustworthy. Help:Cite errors aids in educating new and experienced editors on handling citation mistakes, thereby improving the overall quality and reliability of Wikipedia articles.
See Also
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
