Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trivia sections

This guideline is a part of the English Wikipedia's Manual of Style.

It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though occasional exceptions may apply. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Shortcuts

This page in a nutshell: Sections with lists of miscellaneous information (such as "trivia" sections) should be avoided as an article develops. Such information is better presented in an organized way.

Avoid creating lists of miscellaneous facts. A number of articles contain lists of isolated facts, which are often grouped into their own section labeled "Trivia", "Notes" (not to be confused with "Notes" sections which store footnotes), "Facts", "Miscellanea", "Other information", etc. This style guideline deals with the way in which these facts are represented in an article — not with whether or not the information contained within them is actually trivia, or if trivia belongs in Wikipedia.

Trivia sections should be avoided, but if they must exist, they should in most cases be considered temporary, until a better method of presentation can be determined. Lists of miscellaneous information can be useful for developing a new article, as it sets a low bar for novice contributors to add information without having to keep in mind article organization or presentation — they can just add a new fact to the list. However, as articles grow, these lists become increasingly disorganized and difficult to read. A better way to organize an article is to provide a logical grouping and ordering of facts that gives an integrated presentation, providing context and smooth transitions, as appropriate in text, list or table.

Guidance

See also Wikipedia:Handling trivia#Practical steps

Such sections should not be categorically removed: it may be possible to integrate some items into the article text. Some facts may belong in existing sections; others can be grouped into a new section of related material. Convert bullet points to prose or narrowly-focused lists (such as "Cameos" or "Continuity errors"), as seems most appropriate.

It may be necessary to perform research to give each fact some context, or to add references where appropriate. Some entries may be speculative, or factually incorrect, and should be removed; others, such as "how-to" material, may fall outside Wikipedia's content scope policies. Some entries may be more specific to other subjects, and should be moved into articles covering those subjects. Some trivia is especially tangential or irrelevant, and may not warrant inclusion at all.

What this guideline is not

There are a number of pervasive misunderstandings about this guideline and the course of action it suggests:

This guideline does not suggest removing trivia sections, or moving them to the talk page. - If information is otherwise suitable, and can be referenced, it is better that it be poorly presented than not presented at all.
This guideline does not suggest always avoiding lists in favor of prose. - Some information is better presented in a list format.
This guideline does not suggest omitting unimportant material. - This guideline does not attempt to address the issue of what information is included or not — only how it is organized.

Not all lists are trivia sections

For further information concerning the use of lists in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Lists

In this guideline, when we refer to a trivia section, we are referring to its content, not its section name. A trivia section is one that contains a disorganized and unselective list. These disorganized items are in need of cleanup, either by incorporating them into the prose of another section, or by filtering the list to be more selective. A selectively populated list with a narrow theme is not necessarily trivia, and can be the best way to present some types of information.

Other policies apply

Keep in mind that no content provided for WP articles can be exempt from our rules and style guidelines. Wikipedia is not supposed to be a dumping ground for speculation, rumor, invented "facts", or libel — continue to follow Wikipedia:Neutral point of view, and Wikipedia:No original research. It is best practice to cite your sources. Both Wikipedia:Biographies of living people and Wikipedia:Copyrights also apply and should be considered. If there are doubts about whether a particular item of information is suitable for inclusion, it can be placed on the talk page instead where other interested contributors can help in considering the item's inclusion and locate suitable references.