Welcome to the MedLibrary.org Wikipedia Supplement on Wikipedia:Tagging pages for problems -- Please Click to Return to Front Page

This is an essay, a page containing the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. You may heed it or not, at your discretion.

Shortcut: WP:TAGGING

Overview

Identification of problems in articles is an important task in the creation of a reliable encyclopedia. "Tags" are often used to indicate problems. Some people object to tagging instead of fixing, but tags do have their place.

The encyclopedia is way too large for anyone to read the whole thing, and there is a lot of value in tagging particular articles for particular problems. Tagging makes it easier for people who have expertise or interest in a particular area to hone in on things they can work on, it warns readers about rough patches (so they don't think a disputed passage is authoritative), and it encourages more passers-by to pitch in. Sure, it's better if people fix the problems they find, but complex problems can take a long time to untangle, and not everyone has the information immediately at hand to do the job right. An editor who places a tag has no obligation other than to justify the inclusion of the tag on the talk page if the tag is challenged.

Criticisms (as expressed through article tags) and incremental editing are an important part of writing a collaborative encyclopedia, and should be welcomed rather than discouraged. Wikipedia values contributions from everyone, whether or not they have contributed before, and even whether or not they are experts. Even novices and non-experts can help improve presentation without changing the underlying information. It is important to listen to even casual readers who find an article to be biased or confusing or unconvincing. They might not have the expertise to fix those problems, but the fact that they report these symptoms means that the encyclopedia could probably be doing a better job.

Constructive tagging

When adding a tag, keep in mind that other people who might be interested in fixing the problem (or who might dispute the tag) might not immediately see the same problems you do. Even if the problem seems obvious, it's useful to leave a short note on the talk page describing the issue, and suggesting an approach to fixing it if you know how. Some editors feel this should be mandatory and "drive-by" tagging should be prohibited. Other editors feel that some tags are self-explanatory.

Especially in the case of a tag such as {{npov}}, complaints left at a talkpage need to be actionable, so that editors can attempt to address them. It is not helpful to say simply "The article is biased." Instead, some details should be given to help other editors understand what needs to be fixed or discussed. It may help to refer to applicable content policies, such as Wikipedia:Neutral point of view, Wikipedia:Verifiability, Wikipedia:No original research, or Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons, though WikiLawyering is discouraged.

Removing tags

Any editor who sees a tag, but does not see any problem with the article, and who does not see any detailed complaint on the talk page, may remove the tag. It may be wise to place a note on the talk page explaining the removal. It is often the case that even after the initial problem causing the tag is fixed, a tag may accidentally have been left in place. Or perhaps the person leaving the tag simply made a bad judgment call.

If an argument on the talk page has been made as to the reason for the tag, but someone still feels that the tag is inappropriate, they should explain their reasoning on the talkpage. If there is no reply within a reasonable amount of time (a few days), the tag can be removed. If there is disagreement, then normal talkpage discussion should proceed, per consensus-building.

Adding and removing tags without discussion is not helpful, and can be seen as disruptive. Where there is disagreement, both sides should attempt to discuss the situation rather than play whack-a-mole.

Disputes over tags

Tags such as {{npov}} often merely indicate the existence of a dispute without taking a stand whether the article complies with Wikipedia policies. It is important to remember that the NPOV dispute tag does not mean that an article actually violates NPOV. It simply means that there is an ongoing dispute about whether the article complies with a neutral point of view or not. In any NPOV dispute, there will usually be some people who think the article complies with NPOV, and some who disagree. In general, you should not remove the NPOV dispute tag merely because you personally feel the article complies with NPOV. Rather, the tag should be removed only when there is a consensus among the editors that the NPOV disputes have indeed been resolved. Rather than reverting or edit warring, use dispute resolution procedures.

Over-tagging

It is best to be conservative with the use of tags. An article badly in need of cleanup might seem appropriate for multiple tags, but where possible, try to find one that serves multiple purposes. For example, {{wikify}} can describe a laundry list of problems. {{cleanup}} is a good general-purpose tag.

Placing too many tags can be seen as disruptive, or as a violation of Do not disrupt Wikipedia to make a point. It is very rare that more than 2 or 3 tags are needed, even on the worst articles. `

See also

• Wikipedia:Neutral point of view
• Wikipedia:Template messages
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Disputes
• Wikipedia:Dispute resolution
• Wikipedia:Clarify the cleanup
• Wikipedia:NPOV dispute

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 4 May 2008, at 16:02.

Wikipedia Authorship and Review

Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.

Wikipedia Usage Guidelines

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Wikipedia:Tagging pages for problems".

The URL for this specific entry is:

• http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems

All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.