Help:Notability

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Editors often have questions regarding notability. There is a difference between the English language definition of notability and Wikipedia's concept of notability. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines notability as "unusual and worth noticing; very successful or respected". Simple English Wikipedia's guideline is Wikipedia:Notability.

On Wikipedia, notability is a test used by editors to decide whether a subject can have its own article. With few exceptions, articles at Wikipedia need to be about notable subjects to be included. This is a basic standard to avoid Wikipedia's becoming a collection of everything. Article and list topics must be notable, or "worthy of notice". Determining notability does not necessarily depend on things such as fame, importance, or popularity. Those may help the acceptability of a subject that meets the guidelines. It is never enough to say a subject is notable. Notability must be shown with reliable source citations.

Considerations

On Wikipedia, notability is a word that is used to explain what makes things important enough to have an article at Wikipedia. Articles should do two things: give information that shows notability (according to the guidelines on notability), and support that information with reliable sources. When looking over a page, there are things to notice regarding notability.

1. Does the page clearly claim notability (for example: "She won an Olympic gold medal...")?
2. Are the claim(s) of notability supported with reliable sources?
3. If the page doesn't do either of the above, is the subject actually notable anyway?

The following do not show notability

A. Unreliable, trivial or false source citations. Poor quality source citations should be replaced with reliable source citations if possible. Just mentioning the subject in a source may not be enough to show notability. The source citation{(s) must directly support the statement(s) showing the subject is notable. Synthesis is not allowed. Self-promotion, autobiography, and product placement are not reliable sources for an article.

B. Having a page on another Wikipedia. While other Wikipedias may use the same or similar guidelines for notability, each community is free to implement them differently. Notability is not established because another wiki has a page on the subject. However, an article on another Wikipedia might contain sources that can be used to show notability. (Also note that not having a page on another Wikipedia does not mean a subject is not notable.)

C. Personal opinion (e.g. "I think this subject is important"). Regardless of personal opinions about a subject, editors should remain objective. Please see Wikipedia:Neutral point of view.

What actions an editor can take

• A page may be tagged {{notability}}: (article's subject may not meet the notability guideline). It is always better if editors solve the problems they find themselves if they can. If you cannot fix something, there is still value in pointing it out to others. Please see Wikipedia:Tagging pages for problems.
• If an editor decides to ask for an article to be quickly deleted (QD'd) for notability, factor 1 is the primary consideration. A page that does not claim notability may be QD:A4, if it is about one of the topics that qualify for the A4 option. An administrator will decide whether to delete the page.

Note – If a page does not claim notability but an editor determines it is notable, the editor's responsibility is to make a claim of notability.

• For RfD, factor 1 and 2 are relevant. A page that claims notability but does not support the claim may not be notable. An RfD discussion will usually decide whether a page is notable enough to keep.
  • If there is any uncertainty whether to QD or RfD, it should go to RfD for discussion.
  • A page should not be QD'd or Rfd'd if it can be fixed. See: en:WP:BEFORE.

Exceptions

• Legally recognized, populated places are presumed to be notable.

Notability guidelines

Simple English Wikipedia guidelines

• Wikipedia:Notability – Explains notability and contains the General Notability Guideline (GNG). Be sure to read all pertinent footnotes
• Wikipedia:Notability (movies) – Helps decide if movies are notable enough to have their own article
• Wikipedia:Notability (music) – Helps decide if musicians, music groups, composers, lyricists, albums, singles, and songs are notable
• Wikipedia:Notability (people) – Helps decide if a person is notable. This guideline has additional sections on:
  • Any biography
  • Academics
  • Athletes
  • Creative people – scientists, academics, economists, professors, authors, editors, journalists, moviemakers, photographers, artists, architects, engineers...
  • Crime victims and perpetrators
  • Diplomats
  • Entertainers (including pornographic actors and models)
  • Politicians

Simple English Wikipedia does not have all the rules. If there are no rules here about something, the English Wikipedia rule should be used as a guideline. See: Wikipedia:Follow English Wikipedia

English Wikipedia guidelines

• en:Wikipedia:Notability (academics) – Academics include scientists, researchers, philosophers, and other scholars
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (astronomical objects) – Significant physical entities or structures that current science has confirmed to exist in outer space
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (books) – A book is notable if it meets one or more of the criteria in this guideline
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (events) – How to determine if an event is notable
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (geographic features) – Notability regarding geographical area, location, place, or other object
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (media) – This applies to all forms of "traditional media" - including newspapers, magazines, radio, and television
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (music) – This guideline applies to musicians, ensembles, composers, lyricists, albums, singles, and songs
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (numbers) – This helps determine notability of individual numbers, kinds of numbers and lists of numbers
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies) – How to determine if an organization of any kind is notable
• en:Wikipedia:Notability (people) – This helps determine if a person is notable either for their own article or to be included in an article

Differences

The English Wikipedia has a clause not used in the Simple English Wikipedia. "Notability is based on the existence of suitable sources, not on the state of sourcing in an article." It adds: "Notability requires only the existence of suitable independent, reliable sources, not their immediate presence or citation in an article. Editors evaluating notability should consider not only any sources currently named in an article, but also the possibility or existence of notability-indicating sources that are not currently named in the article."

Simple English Wikipedia requires reliable source citations in the article to show notability.

This is not an all-inclusive list and may not reflect recent changes at either Wikipedia.