Have you ever found a Wikipedia article that was nothing but a stub? Perhaps you have an idea for a new article. Here’s how to get it started and let other people help you with the laborious job of expanding your stub into a full-bodied entry.
Note: For this guide, we’ll be using something as our example—the article on me.
Before you start, do a little research. Is there an article on this subject already? If so, click the “What links here” link to see if anyone else has made a page and what it says. If someone else has started one and hasn’t gotten very far with his entry, change it to meet your information rather than starting over from scratch—you’ll save time that way. If someone’s done more work than you feel necessary or their tone is off base, hit the “edit” tab at the top of the page and make changes as necessary (remembering to cite sources for any claims!).
1) Create an account:
This is simple – all you need is an e-mail address and password! Here’s the link to get you started. Once you’ve written down what you want to say about your subject, go to the top-right corner of the screen and click “Create Account.” Fill out all of the necessary information and have patience while Wikipedia reviews it.
2) Enter the article’s title in the search bar:
Once you’re logged in, type the name of your subject into Wikipedia’s search bar and hit enter. If it doesn’t exist, this is where you start!
3) Click on the “Create Page” tab:
The “Create Page” tab is right above the Wikipedia logo and looks like a piece of paper with a pencil on it. Once you’ve filled out the form, hit the “Create page” button and your new article will be started! Congratulations! Now it’s up to you to fill in the blanks.
The best way to start an article is with a brief introduction that states the most important points about its subject. After that, feel free to delve into more detail. Remember to always cite your sources! This will take you to a screen that asks for more information about your article.
4) Fill out the form:
The form asks for the following information:
-Article title
-Namespace (subject category – biography, company, event, etc.)
-Article type (stub, start, full)
-First sentence of the article
-A short description of the subject matter
5) Make sure your subject is notable
In order to have a successful Wikipedia page, there must be enough sources outside of the subject itself that talk about it. You can start by searching Google and seeing if anything comes up about your subject. If you find nothing, try other search engines. Wikipedia itself may be a useful source, though not an infallible one.
6) Check the content policies
Wikipedia has strict rules regarding neutrality, original research , reliable sourcing , and focus . Make sure you know these rules before beginning any work on your page—and make sure that all of your assertions are verifiable
7) Start writing
Once your account has been approved, you’ll be able to start writing the article. However, don’t just dive in! Remember to properly format everything according to Wikipedia’s guidelines.
8) Let other people help you
As your article starts to grow, other Wikipedia editors will inevitably take notice. They may make suggestions or corrections; listen to them and learn from them. As with all things on Wikipedia, collaboration is key !
9) Enjoy watching your stub turn into a full-blown article!
Good luck with starting your new Wikipedia page! Remember that it can be a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. And who knows? Maybe your page will
If you’re not sure how to format something or need help finding sources, there are plenty of people can help. Hit the “talk” tab at the top of the page and ask for help! Someone will be more than happy to help.
Conclusion
Wikipedia is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about any topic imaginable. However, starting your own Wikipedia page from scratch can be daunting and time-consuming if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why we’ve outlined the steps necessary to get started with this in-depth blog post that walks through how easy it really is to start a Wikipedia article of your very own! Just follow these simple instructions and before long, you’ll have an expansive online presence on one of the most popular websites in history – congratulations!