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Help:Getting started

Wikipedia Help desk
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page is about help in general. For the software feature for newly registered users, see Wikipedia:GettingStarted.
"WP:WELCOME" redirects here. For the Welcoming committee, see Wikipedia:Welcoming committee.
Shortcuts

As a new editor, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of Wikipedia. Don't fret! Here are some resources that you can look into:

Overview tutorials

A video that articulates the diversity and enthusiasm of the Wikipedia Community. (4:10 min)
  • Introduction: our main tutorial to the core principles of how to edit contained in thirteen short modules (as listed below).
  • The Wikipedia Adventure: a module-guided tour with fun, interactive learning, and practice.
  • Your first article: an article that discusses some of the dos and don'ts, then shows you how to create an article. Note: The ability to create articles directly in mainspace is restricted to autoconfirmed users, though non-confirmed users and non-registered users can submit a proposed article through the Articles for Creation process, where it will be reviewed and considered for publication.

Topic-specific introductions

  • Introduction to navigating Wikipedia: a seven-part guide to navigating Wikipedia: Introduction; Namespaces; Searching pages; Page histories; Redirects and shortcuts; Useful links; and Summary.

Protocols and conventions

Editing with Source editor

  • Introduction to editing: a six-part guide to editing: Editing pages; Formatting; Links and wikilinks; Saving your changes; Creating new articles; and Summary.
  • Introduction to referencing: a five-part introduction to referencing: Verifiability; Inline citations; RefToolbar; Reliable sources; and Summary.
  • Introduction to uploading images: a four-part guide on uploading images: Introduction; Uploading images; Using an image; and Summary.
  • Introduction to tables: a four-part guide to putting tables in pages: Introduction to tables; Editing tables; Expanding tables; and Summary.
  • Introduction to talk pages: a six-part guide to using talk pages: Talk pages; User talk pages; Layout; Examples; Drawing attention; and Summary.

Editing with VisualEditor

Training for student assignments

These self-guided trainings help users involved with student assignments to learn the basics of Wikipedia.

  • Training for students: students start here! A four-part, 57-page training intended for students doing assignments on Wikipedia, with more detailed introductions to core Wikipedia policies, editing basics, and more specific editing advice for students. Chapters: Welcome (4 pages); The Core (14 pages); Editing (24 pages); and Advanced and background (15 pages).
  • Training for educators: educators start here! A five-part, 97-page training for professors and other educators who want to run Wikipedia assignments for class, with introductions to core Wikipedia policies, editing basics, and an overview of best practices for designing and implementing Wikipedia assignments.

Guides

Quick guides

Overview articles

Books and videos

  • The Missing Manual: a comprehensive how-to book that explains everything about contributing for novice to expert editors.
  • Wikipedia instructional material : a listing of screencasts, videos, and books.
  • The Bookshelf: (external link) a vast collection of high-quality, freely licensed, user-generated informational material about Wikipedia.

Specialised tutorials

Help resources and assistance

Use only if necessary. {{For}} and {{About}} are also templates you can use for this purpose.
For other uses, see Subject's last name (disambiguation).
Socrates (example)
The Ancient Greek philosopher
Born470 BC
Died399 BC
OccupationPhilosopher
SpouseXanthippe

Subject's complete name (birthdate – death) can be a lead-in to the subject's popular name. Describe the subject's nationality and profession(s) in which the subject is most notable. Provide a description of the subject's major contributions in the immediately relevant field(s) of notable expertise.

To add pictures, use this format: [[File:Photo.ext|thumb|Photo caption]].

Biography

Ensure that the following sections are organized by year.[1]

Early life

Explain the subject's early life historically using a journalistic style.[1]

Marriage and children

If the subject married and gave birth, describe the marriage and list their children.

  • Subject's son (birthdate – death) If notable, provide a brief single-line description.
  • Subject's daughter (birthdate – death) If notable, provide a brief single-line description.

Death

[If applicable] Legacy If any, describe. See Charles Darwin for an example.

Philosophical and/or political views

Wikipedia is not a soapbox for individuals to espouse their views. However, views held by politicians, writers, and others may be summarized in their biography only to the extent those views are covered by reliable sources that are independent of the control of the politician, writer, etc.

Published works

If any, list the works organized by date of publication. See Charles Darwin for an example.

Recognition

Include honours, decorations, awards, and distinctions in this section, if any.

See also

List related Wikipedia articles in alphabetical order. Common nouns are listed first. Proper nouns follow.

References/Notes and references

Always cite your sources! No original research!

  1. ^ a b Last, first (date). Name of page. Page xx. Publisher: xxxx

Further reading

Add links to further readers' research.

List official websites, organizations named after the subject, and other interesting yet relevant websites. No spam.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Instructional videos on using Wikipedia.
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