Help:References
References are an essential way to cite sources in articles. Using them in articles helps legitimize claims made within the text without bogging the article down in quotes from source material.
There are two ways in which references appear on an article. There are numbers which appear on the pages as such: [1][2]. At the bottom of the page, there is a reference list which shows the full text of these references. Clicking on one of the numbers takes the reader to the appropriate reference. The references should be listed before the navboxes and not at the very bottom. To add references on a different part of the page, type {{ref}} into the article in the desired location.
Adding a reference
To insert a reference into a page, type the following code:
<ref>insert text here</ref>
Insert that immediately after the text that calls for the reference, after any punctuation. For instance:
- Kirby is pink[1] and lives on Planet Popstar. is correct
- Kirby is pink,[1] but Waddle Dee is not.[2] is correct
- Kirby is pink[1], but Waddle Dee is not.[2]. is not correct
There are a number of different ways to add a properly formatted reference to an article. For more information, see the Citing policy.
Requesting sources
Sometimes a statement on an article is dubious in nature and requires a proof call. If the editor finds such a statement in an article, but does not have the time or resources necessary to prove or disprove it, the editor can add the {{fact}} template at the end of the statement. This will inform readers that the statement in question is disputed. Further discussion can then take place on the article's talk page to find a solution.
