| Revision as of 13:46, 23 December 2006 view sourceUncle G (talk | contribs)Administrators52,482 edits Added a parenthetical note and a footnote, and fixed copy-and-paste.← Previous edit | Revision as of 14:14, 23 December 2006 view source Uncle G (talk | contribs)Administrators52,482 edits Added paragraph to introduction summarizing subsequent sections per discussion on the talk page. Please improve. Added short rationale for PNC.Next edit → | ||
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| A topic is '''notable''' if it has been the subject of multiple, non-trivial published works with ] and each other. All topics must meet a minimum threshold of '''notability''' in order for an article on that topic to be included in Misplaced Pages. This requirement ensures that there exists enough source material to write a ] encyclopedia article about the topic. | A topic is '''notable''' if it has been the subject of multiple, non-trivial published works with ] and each other. All topics must meet a minimum threshold of '''notability''' in order for an article on that topic to be included in Misplaced Pages. This requirement ensures that there exists enough source material to write a ] encyclopedia article about the topic. | ||
| "Notable" here is used in its adjectival sense of "worthy of being noted"<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=notable|encyclopedia=Random House Unabridged Dictionary|publisher=Random House, Inc.|date=2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=notable|encyclopedia=American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|edition=Fourth Edition|date=2000|publisherHoughton Mifflin Company}}</ref> not in its other adjectival sense of "prominent or important", nor in its noun sense of "a celebrity". It is '''not''' synomyous with fame or importance. ]. ]. | |||
| The guidelines in the table on the right have been created, or are under discussion, to set out more precisely some additional criteria in certain areas. | The guidelines in the table on the right have been created, or are under discussion, to set out more precisely some additional criteria in certain areas. | ||
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| * "Non-triviality" is an evaluation of the depth of content contained in the published work, exclusive of mere directory entry information, and of how directly it addresses the subject.{{fn|3}} | * "Non-triviality" is an evaluation of the depth of content contained in the published work, exclusive of mere directory entry information, and of how directly it addresses the subject.{{fn|3}} | ||
| One rationale for this criterion is that the fact that people independent of a subject have not''ed'' that subject in depth (by creating multiple non-trivial published works about it) demonstrates that it is not''able''. | |||
| ==Dealing with non-notable topics== | ==Dealing with non-notable topics== | ||
| Topics that do not satisfy notability criteria are dealt with in two ways: ] and ]. The most appropriate route depends on how the subject fails to satisfy the criteria (in the main how it fails to satisfy the primary criterion). | Topics that do not satisfy notability criteria are dealt with in two ways: ] and ]. The most appropriate route depends on how the subject fails to satisfy the criteria (in the main how it fails to satisfy the primary criterion). | ||
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| * {{fnb|6}} Wikipedians have been known to frown on nominations that have been inadequately researched. | * {{fnb|6}} Wikipedians have been known to frown on nominations that have been inadequately researched. | ||
| == References == | |||
| <references /> | |||
| <!-- essays and the like should go in the category below, which serves as a general list of 'related issues' --> | <!-- essays and the like should go in the category below, which serves as a general list of 'related issues' --> | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 14:14, 23 December 2006
 | This page documents an English Misplaced Pages ]. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page. |
]
 | This page's designation as a policy or guideline is disputed or under discussion. Please see the relevant talk page discussion for further information. |
| Notability |
|---|
| General notability guideline |
| Subject-specific guidelines |
| See also |
A topic is notable if it has been the subject of multiple, non-trivial published works with sources independent of the subject itself and each other. All topics must meet a minimum threshold of notability in order for an article on that topic to be included in Misplaced Pages. This requirement ensures that there exists enough source material to write a verifiable encyclopedia article about the topic.
"Notable" here is used in its adjectival sense of "worthy of being noted" not in its other adjectival sense of "prominent or important", nor in its noun sense of "a celebrity". It is not synomyous with fame or importance. It is not measured by Misplaced Pages editors' own subjective judgements. It is not "newsworthiness".
The guidelines in the table on the right have been created, or are under discussion, to set out more precisely some additional criteria in certain areas.
The primary notability criterion
One notability criterion shared by nearly all of the subject-specific notability guidelines, as well as Misplaced Pages:What Misplaced Pages is notTemplate:Fn, is the criterion that a topic is notable if it has been the subject of multiple non-trivial published works, whose sources are independent of the subject itself.
- What constitutes "published works" is intentionally broad and encompasses published works in all forms, including but not limited to newspapers, books and e-books, magazines, television and radio documentaries, reports by government agencies, scientific journals, etc.
- The "independence" qualification excludes all self-publicity, advertising by the subject, self-published material, autobiographies, press releases, and other such works affiliated with the subject, its creators, or others with a vested interest or bias.Template:Fn
- "Non-triviality" is an evaluation of the depth of content contained in the published work, exclusive of mere directory entry information, and of how directly it addresses the subject.Template:Fn
One rationale for this criterion is that the fact that people independent of a subject have noted that subject in depth (by creating multiple non-trivial published works about it) demonstrates that it is notable.
Dealing with non-notable topics
Topics that do not satisfy notability criteria are dealt with in two ways: merging and deletion. The most appropriate route depends on how the subject fails to satisfy the criteria (in the main how it fails to satisfy the primary criterion).
Merging
A topic can fail to satisfy the criteria because, though it may be found in published works that are not simple directories and that are from sources that are independent of the subject, it is mentioned trivially rather than being a main subject of the works. Information which is given only superficial treatment or which is tangentially mentioned in discussions surrounding the actual focus of a work, is not sufficient to build a full, sourced encyclopedia article that stands independent of the main subject.
One common recommendation across all notability guidelines is not to nominate articles on such subjects for deletion but to rename, refactor, or merge them into articles with broader scopes, or into the articles that discuss the main subject, which may be created if they do not already exist.Template:Fn
- For related issues, see Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view#Undue weight, Misplaced Pages:Content forking, and Misplaced Pages:Summary style.
Deletion
A topic can fail to satisfy the criteria because there are insufficient published works from reliable sources that are independent of the subject.Template:Fn Without such sources, a proper encyclopedia article cannot be built at all. Such articles are usually nominated for deletion, via Proposed Deletion, Articles for Deletion, or (for articles about a non-notable person, group, band, company, club, or website that does not even assert the notability of the topic) Speedy Deletion.Template:Fn
- For related issues see Misplaced Pages:Autobiography and Misplaced Pages:Independent sources.
Topics that cannot be substantiated in any published works at all are simply unverifiable and must be deleted.
Rationale for requiring a level of notability
- In order to have a verifiable article, a topic must be notable enough that the information about it will have been researched, checked, and evaluated through publication in independent reliable sources.
- In order to have a neutral article, a topic must be notable enough that the information about it will be from unbiased and unaffiliated sources; and that those interested in the article will not be exclusively partisan or fanatic editors.
- Misplaced Pages is not an indiscriminate directory of businesses, websites, persons, etc. Misplaced Pages is an encyclopedia.
Notability is not subjective
Subjective evaluations are not relevant for determining whether a topic warrants inclusion in Misplaced Pages. Notability criteria do not equate to personal or biased considerations, such as: "never heard of this", "an interesting article", "topic deserves attention", "not famous enough", "very important issue", "popular", "I like it", "only of interest to ", etc.
Notability is not judged by Misplaced Pages editors directly. The inclusion of topics on Misplaced Pages is a reflection of whether those topics have been included in reliable published works. Other authors, scholars, or journalists have decided whether to give attention to a topic, and in their expertise have researched and checked the information about it. Thus, the primary notability criterion is a way to determine whether "the world" has judged a topic to be notable. This is unrelated to whether a Misplaced Pages editor personally finds the subject remarkable or worthy.
Notability is generally permanent
If there are multiple independent reliable published sources that have a topic as their subject, this is not changed by a lack of continued frequency of external coverage. Thus, if a topic satisfies the primary notability criterion, it continues to satisfy it over time.
Other factors that may influence the notability of topics in the context of Misplaced Pages include the fact that policy and guidelines as well as consensus can change over time.
See also
Essays related to notability:
- Misplaced Pages:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions - An essay arguing against the use of subjective criteria such as "I like it" and "I don't like it"
- Misplaced Pages:Independent sources - An essay explaining further why independent sources are needed to write an encyclopedia article.
- User:Uncle G/On notability - An essay on the necessity of considering notability to determine inclusion or exclusion of articles. This essay is the source of the Primary Notability Criterion, described above.
- Misplaced Pages:Notability/Arguments - A list of arguments for both application and non-application of notability.
Notes
- Template:Fnb That is, "has been featured in several external sources" — "featured" and "several" corresponding to "non-trivial" and "multiple".
- Template:Fnb Self-promotion, autobiography, and product placement are not the routes to an encyclopaedia article. The published works must be someone else writing about the subject. (See Misplaced Pages:Autobiography for the verifiability and neutrality problems that affect material where the subject of the article itself is the source of the material. Also see Misplaced Pages:Independent sources.) The barometer of notability is whether people independent of the subject itself (or of its manufacturer, creator, author, inventor, or vendor) have actually considered the subject notable enough that they have written and published non-trivial works of their own that focus upon it.
- Template:Fnb Examples: The 360-page book by Sobel and the 528-page book by Black on IBM are plainly non-trivial. The 1 sentence mention by Walker of the band Three Blind Mice in a biography of Bill Clinton (Martin Walker (1992-01-06). "Tough love child of Kennedy". The Guardian.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)) is plainly trivial. - Template:Fnb Some examples:
- Misplaced Pages:Notability (fiction) recommends that individual articles on minor characters in a work of fiction be merged into a "list of minor characters in ..." page.
- Misplaced Pages:Notability (schools) recommends that individual articles on schools where there are no non-trivial published works from sources other than the school itself be merged into articles on the towns or regions where schools are located, or into articles on the school districts, education authorities, or other umbrella school organizations as appropriate.
- Non-prominent relatives of a famous person tend to be merged into the article on the person, and articles on persons who are only notable for being associated with a certain event tend to be merged into the main article on that event.
- An article on a band that doesn't satisfy the Misplaced Pages:Notability (music) criteria, such as the garage band that John Kerry used to play in, is merged into John Kerry.
- Template:Fnb In other words, the only discussion of the subject is in published works from sources that are not independent of the subject, such as autobiographies.
- Template:Fnb Wikipedians have been known to frown on nominations that have been inadequately researched.
References
- "notable". Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, Inc. 2006.
- "notable". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition ed.). 2000.
{{cite encyclopedia}}:|edition=has extra text (help); Text "publisherHoughton Mifflin Company" ignored (help)