Help:References

Table of Contents

Introduction

References, sometimes referred to as "footnotes", are an important method of providing context and factuality to the content of articles. It's important to provide references to the books or other source material so that facts can be confirmed and proven trustworthy. This is particularly true when a strong statement is being made, or when a fact is not well known. This page will tell you everything you need to know about citing references and making notes.

If you are unable to provide references. See the Editorial Notations section below for other ways you can help.

The Notes Section

References are housed in the Notes Section of an article. As discussed in the Guidelines article, this section is the last section of a page, before the various category tags. To have references made in the body of an article automatically list in the notes section, a reference tag (<references />) must be used.

Next we'll talk about how to create references.

Reference Templates

The standard method of creating references can get a bit complex—see MediaWiki's guidelines for an overwhelmingly in-depth guide—thus we have simplified this process by creating reference templates. (Keep in mind that a full knowledge of templates and their function is not necessary for understanding reference templates, however you can find more information regarding them in the Templates article.)

To implement one of these templates you must call it by using the correct wikitext. Templates are easy to spot as they are surrounded by double curly braces ({{ and }}), with the template name as the first parameter, followed by the various other parameters required—all of which are separated by vertical bars (|). The parameters required vary depending on which reference template you choose; and the appropriate template to choose is determined by the type of source being referenced.

There are two types of parameters: named and unnamed. Named parameters, such as text=, can be recognized by their use of an equals sign (=), which is required with a named parameter. The equals sign is followed by your input. Unnamed parameters, which you'll find in all caps in the examples below, should be completely replaced by your input.

Note: References at the end of sentences should be placed directly after the period.

Next we'll list the most common reference templates, the parameters they require, and examples of how to use them. For a complete list of all reference templates see Reference Templates.

Basic Reference Template

A Basic Reference Template, as the name suggests, is the most basic method of making a reference. This type of reference template should be used when you wish to provide a textual footnote that is not a reference to a particular source, but may be a small note of clarification that does not belong in the body of an article.

Basic Reference {{ref}}

Looks like: {{ref|text=input}}, where:

• ref is the name of the template and is required for this template.
• text= is a named parameter and is required for this template.
• input is the input. This is the text you would like to appear in the footnote. This can be anything you want, however for this type of reference it is best to keep it brief.

Example: Basic Reference Template
You Type	You Get
This is a sentence that needs a reference/footnote.{{ref|text=This is a reference/footnote.}} == Notes == <references />	This is a sentence that needs a reference/footnote. Notes

Note: If you need to add a reference that is not strictly text or a specialized reference using one of the reference templates below, it is recommended you use the standard MediaWiki reference tag: <ref>FOOTNOTE TEXT</ref> See MediaWiki's Cite Guide for more information on how to use this tag.

Book Reference Templates

Book Reference Templates are used to refer to a book written by Beth Brower that has a corresponding summary page. For all non-Emma M. Lion books, you can use the general book template, which is listed first. However, the Emma books use a more specific template because of the way they are structured. These templates will automatically generate a footnote that links to that respective book's summary page.

General Book {{book ref}}

Looks like: {{book ref|BOOK|CHAPTER}}, where:

• book ref is the name of the template and is required for this template.
• BOOK is the full book name or its accepted abbreviation.
• CHAPTER is the chapter number, "prologue", or "epilogue".

Example: General Book Template
You Type	You Get
The Q is located on Gainsford Street.{{book ref|tq|1}} == Notes == <references />	The Q is located on Gainsford Street. Notes

Emma M. Lion Book {{emma ref}}

Looks like: {{emma ref|BOOK|DATE}}, where:

• emma ref is the name of the template and is required for this template.
• BOOK is the full book name or its accepted abbreviation.
• DATE is the date. All date formats should be accepted.

Example: Emma M. Lion Template
You Type	You Get
Lapis Lazuli House is located on Whereabouts Lane.{{Emma ref|e1|5 march 1883}} == Notes == <references />	Lapis Lazuli House is located on Whereabouts Lane. Notes

File Reference Template

A File Reference Template is used to refer to a file hosted by The Reed and Rite, such as artwork or a map.

General File {{file ref}}

Looks like: {{file ref|FILENAME|DESCRIPTION}}, where:

• file ref is the name of the template and is required for this template.
• FILENAME is the file name, including the extension. (e.g., ".jpg", ".png", etc.)
• DESCRIPTION is a brief description of the file.

Example: File Template
You Type	You Get
Located where The Diagonal intersects Sterling Street.{{file ref|Map of St. Crispian's.jpg|St. Crispian's Map}} == Notes == <references />	Located where The Diagonal intersects Sterling Street. Notes

Additional Parameters

Most reference templates can make use of additional parameters not mentioned above. Visit the template pages to learn about these other parameter options, if needed.

Named References

If you are using the same reference multiple times in the same article, it can be useful to create a Named Reference. This will allow you to "nickname" a reference, and then call it again by using the nickname instead of writing out the whole template every time. To do this, append an additional named parameter (|name=) at the end of the first usage of the reference template, assigning it a nickname as your input. Then for all additional uses of the named reference, use the basic {{ref}} tag with the name= parameter to call it.

Example: Named Reference
You Type	You Get
Queen Eleanor studies papers of state in the garden.{{book ref|qg|1|name=qg1}} She is approached by a stranger.{{ref|name=qg1}} == Notes == <references />	Queen Eleanor studies papers of state in the garden. She is approached by a stranger. Notes

Alternate Method

Alternatively, you can reserve the full length reference template for the Notes section and only use the named reference(s) in the article body. To do this, in the Notes Section, you will need to replace the <references /> tag with </references>, and add a <references> tag above it. Then, put all of your long citations (with names added) between the two. See the example below for this alternative method in action.

Example: Alternate Named Reference Method
You Type	You Get
Emma M. Lion arrived in London.{{ref|name=5 March}} She moved into Lapis Lazuli House.{{ref|name=5 March}} == Notes == <references> {{Emma ref|e1|5 march 1883|name=5 March}} </references>	Emma M. Lion arrived in London. She moved into Lapis Lazuli House. Notes

Editorial Notations

Not sure about a particular reference or are a bit daunted by reference templates? No worries! You can still help out by identifying statements that may need some attention. Just insert the following templates as shown in the examples below. Using these tags will automatically generate a category tag, indicating to other editors that that page needs referencing attention.

Editorial Notations
Type	Template Tag	Description
Request Citation	{{cite}}	Acts as a placeholder for future citation. It lets others know that the preceding fact needs a reference. Automatically adds the article to Category: Articles in Need of Citations.
Request Clarification	{{clarify}}	Lets others know that the preceding statement is unclear and needs some work. Automatically adds the article to Category: Articles in Need of Clarification.
Disputed Warning	{{disputed}}	Warns the reader that the preceding information may be incorrect or unverified. If you see something that doesn't sound correct (especially if it has no reference), use this. Automatically adds the article to Category: Articles with Disputed Content.
Expand Notice	{{expand}}	Lets others know that the section or statement with this template requires expansion. Automatically adds the article to Category: Articles Missing Information.

Examples

You Type	You Get
This sentence needs a citation.{{cite}} This sentence needs clarification.{{clarify}} This sentence's claim is disputed.{{disputed}} This sentence need expanding.{{expand}}	This sentence needs a citation.[citation needed] This sentence needs clarification.[clarification needed] This sentence's claim is disputed.[disputed] This sentence need expanding.[expand]

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