Wikipedia:Article Feedback Tool/Basics

The encyclopedia you can [edit]

Wikipedia is a global collaborative encyclopedia written by people from all over the world.

Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia in the world. It is intended to provide a balanced and impartial overview of previously published information about encyclopedic topics that meet inclusion guidelines. Because the articles can be edited by anyone—no credentials required—it is important that content in articles refer to verifiable, authoritative sources. This helps reassure readers that content is accurate and that articles are not personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions, which are not allowed. Wikipedia's volunteers work hard to eliminate bias. It is in part for this reason that articles can in principle be edited by anyone. No one owns or controls any article; the community of volunteers work together to build content, discussing issues with each other when they disagree.

Like most publications, Wikipedia does have style guides and guidelines, but contributors (and their contributions) are not expected to be perfect. You should feel free to participate, without worrying too much about making mistakes. Prior versions of articles are saved, so no damage is irreparable. If you run into problems or need help, there's always another volunteer around to give assistance. On the right hand side of every page is a menu bar that includes a section on "interaction." First in this section is a link to "help" with many resources, including places where you can leave questions and even a web-based forum where you can speak directly to live volunteers.

What can you do? Almost anything!

There are many different roles you can play on Wikipedia. Here are some of the roles and what they do:

• Copy-editor: Improves the language and grammar in an article.
• WikiGnome: Makes minor edits such as spelling corrections.
• Maintainer: Monitors articles for biased edits and corrects them. A maintainer watches out for changes made by contributors with a personal agenda or political/philosophical point of view and ensures that factual accuracy and neutrality is maintained in articles.
• Illustrator: Uploads images, maps, photographs and relevant visual aids to place in articles.
• Author: Creates new articles or adds information to articles based on books, websites, newspapers, and other credible sources.
• Formatter: Structures or "wikifies" articles, using wiki markup, so they are easier to read.
• Mediator: Moderates discussions on controversial topics, helps resolve disputes, and provides guidance on contributor behavior.
• Administrator: Works with the larger community to help support policies through temporarily protecting, deleting or restoring articles as well as blocking access to vandals or users who refuse to work with the community. An administrator is an experienced volunteer who has been selected for the role by other volunteers.