Everything You Need to Know About Stub Wikipedia Articles

Introduction

A stub is a very short article. Most stubs are just a few paragraphs long. They are often used as placeholder articles or for starting an article.

Stubs can be very useful. They help readers by giving them a basic idea of what an article is about. They also help other editors by providing a starting point for expanding an article.

However, stubs can also be a problem. They are often of very poor quality and can give readers a false impression of what Wikipedia is like. They can also make it harder for other editors to improve an article, as there is often not enough content to work with.

In this article, I will teach you everything you need to know about stub articles. I will also give you effective tips on improving your stub templates for better quality.

What is a Stub Article in Wikipedia?

A stub article in Wikipedia is an article deemed too short for providing encyclopedic coverage of a subject. Wikipedia defines the minimum length of an article as "400 words of readable prose not counting infoboxes, lists, categories, references, or any other template content."

A stub article is often created when a new topic is started on Wikipedia or when an existing article is determined to be too short. They are used as a placeholder until more information can be added about the subject.

There are different types of stubs, including:

* Very short Articles, often just a few pages long

* Articles that have some content but need more information

* Articles that are just a list of facts, with little or no discussion

Stub articles are not necessarily bad articles. They need more information to be considered complete. Wikipedia's goal is to have a comprehensive encyclopedia, and stub articles help achieve this goal.

If you come across a stub article, you can help improve it by adding more information. This is a great way to get involved in the Wikipedia community and help improve the encyclopedia.

Things to Keep in Mind When Editing a Stub Article

There are many mistakes people make when creating Wikipedia articles. However, there are a few things to remember when editing a stub article. Let's go over each one.

1. Ensure that the information you add is accurate and well-sourced 

When adding information to a stub article, ensure that the information is accurate and comes from reliable sources. Wikipedia's policy on verifiability states, "The burden of evidence lies with the editor who adds or restores material. All quotations and any material challenged or likely challenged must be attributed to a reliable, published source using an inline citation." This means that you must provide a source for any information you add to an article and that the source must be reliable.

You can find reliable sources by looking for references at the bottom of the stub article or using the search function on Wikipedia. Once you have found a source, you can add it to the article using citation templates.

2. Be sure to expand on all aspects of the topic, not just the ones you are most interested in

When editing a stub article, it is often tempting to focus only on the aspects of the topic that interest you most. However, it is important to remember that a stub article is, by definition, incomplete. This means that there are likely many aspects of the topic that have yet to be covered. Be sure to expand on all aspects of the topic, not just the ones you are most interested in, to make the article as complete and comprehensive as possible.

3. Keep the article's tone neutral and objective

When editing a stub article, it is important to keep the article's tone neutral and objective. You should not use first-person pronouns such as "I" or "we", and you should not express your own opinions in the article. Instead, focus on presenting the facts in an unbiased way.

Ensure to avoid any bias or opinionated language. You should also stick to the facts and present them in a way that is easy to understand. Avoid adding your own interpretations or opinions to the article.

Doing this will ensure that your article is of the highest quality and will be more likely to be featured on the site.

4. Write clearly and concisely

Always use simple language when editing stubs—for instance, choosing words that are easy to understand and avoiding jargon. Also, break up the text into short, manageable paragraphs. This will make the article more readable and easier to navigate. Otherwise, your Wikipedia article can be deleted.

How to Improve Wikipedia Stubs

There are several ways to improve a stub article on Wikipedia. Here are some tips on how to make your stub articles better:

1. Start with the basics - Ensure the article has a good title and is placed in the correct category. You can show that the article is a stub by adding {{stub}} to the top of the page. This will help different editors know that the article needs some more work. Alternatively, you can hire a Wikipedia editor to help you out.

2. Add content - The most important thing you can do to improve a stub article is to add more content. This can be in the form of text, images, or both. Try to make the article as comprehensive as possible, and cite your sources. You should properly define your topic and explain why it is notable. You can also add links to other articles on Wikipedia to help readers learn more about your topic.

3. Format the article - Once you have added some content to the article, take a moment to format it. This includes adding headings, lists, and infoboxes where appropriate. If your article is about a place, give full information about its location. You can also add templates to the article to help give it a professional appearance. If it's about an event, clearly state where it happened and when. Last, if it's about a person, include their date and place of birth, as well as any other relevant information. Remember, a well-defined, comprehensive, and properly formatted stub article is more likely to attract other contributors who will help expand it.

4. Avoid using promotional words - When writing a stub article, it is important to avoid words that promote your subject matter. Words such as "best," "greatest," and "most important" can make an article sound biased and can turn off other editors who might be interested in helping to improve the article. Instead, focus on writing an accurate and objective article that provides readers with all the information they need to know about your topic.

5. Try to give a little more detail - To improve your stub article, try adding more details about your topic. For instance, if you are writing about a place, ensure you include information about its history, culture, and geography. If you are writing about a person, you can include information about their early life, education, and career. The more detail you can provide, the better.

6. Check for errors - Always check for spelling or grammatical errors before saving your changes. You can also use the preview button to check your work before publishing it. Once you have confirmed that your article is error-free, save it with a change summary to let other editors know what you have done so they can check it over. Remember to check your article for any new contributions regularly.

Summary

A stub is a very short article that can be expanded with more information. Most stubs are created when someone starts an article but doesn't have enough time or knowledge to make it a full-fledged article. Some stubs are created deliberately in the hope that someone with more expertise will come along and expand them. When editing a stub Wikipedia article, you should ensure that the article is well-referenced, accurate, and free of errors. You can also add more content to the article to help expand it. Remember to be bold when editing stubs, as they can always be improved! For more tips and tricks on editing Wikipedia articles, check out our Wikipedia guides. Thanks for reading!

FAQs

Q: Why should I care about improving stub articles?

A: Since Wikipedia is built by its community, every little bit helps. Plus, it's a great way to learn more about a topic and share your knowledge with others.

Q: How can I tell if an article is a stub?

A: If an article is a stub, it usually says so at the top of the page. You can also tell by the article's length - stubs are usually quite short.

Q: What makes a good stub article?

A: A good stub article is well-written and provides enough information to give the reader a basic understanding of the topic.