| Add "Citation needed" tags to unreferenced paragraphs | |
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| Description | Inserts "Citation needed" tags to paragraphs lacking references. |
| Author(s) | Phlsph7 |
| First released | March 16, 2023 |
| Updated | March 19, 2023 (12 months ago) |
| Browser support | all modern browsers |
| Skin support | all |
| Source | User:Phlsph7/AddCitationNeededTagsToUnreferencedParagraphs.js |
Add "Citation needed" tags to unreferenced paragraphs is a user script to assist editors in marking unreferenced paragraphs with "Citation needed" tags. "Citation needed" tags are used to make editors aware of violations of the policy WP:Verifiability. The script is accessed through the toolbar on the edit page of articles and adds the tags directly to the wikitext. This script has various limitations and editors should use the preview function to make sure that the marked paragraphs are actually in need of citations before publishing the result. Some of its limitations include that it is unable to recognize references in the deprecated parenthetical style and that it may mistake text in multiline comments or templates for paragraphs.
Installation edit
To install this script, go to your common.js and add the following line:
importScript('User:Phlsph7/AddCitationNeededTagsToUnreferencedParagraphs.js'); // Backlink: [[User:Phlsph7/AddCitationNeededTagsToUnreferencedParagraphs.js]]
If you run into problems or have suggestions on how to improve the script, please discuss them at User_talk:Phlsph7/AddCitationNeededTagsToUnreferencedParagraphs.
Usage edit
After the script is installed, it can be accessed when editing pages via the toolbox by clicking on the link Add "Citation needed" tags. Upon clicking the link, the wikitext in the text editor is changed accordingly and an edit summary is added. A short notification appears to inform the user of how many tags were added and what other tags are already found in the article.
Explanation and limitations edit
According to WP:Verifiability, "all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources" and "any material challenged or likely to be challenged must be supported by inline citations." Inline citations are usually placed after a passage to support it. This normally happens using the reftags (<ref>...</ref>) or similar templates ({{R}}, {{sfn}}, ...).
The script has various limitations that can result in the addition of tags where they do not belong or in the oversight of unreferenced paragraphs. Because of them, it is essential that the editor previews the added tags and makes the necessary adjustments before publishing the result.
- The script is not able to identify some existing references, such as those using the deprecated parenthetical style. It tags such paragraphs even though they are already cited.
- It may mistake text in multiline comments or templates for paragraphs and erroneously add tags.
- It also ignores various Wikipedia policies that say some passages do not need inline references. For example, material that is not likely to be challenged is not in need of inline citations, see WP:V and WP:You don't need to cite that the sky is blue.
- Partially referenced paragraphs and lists are ignored.
- Additionally, the script is unable to detect:
- whether the cited source actually supports the text, and
- whether the cited source is reliable.
Because of these limitations, even articles to which no tags are added may be in violation of the Wikipedia verifiability criteria.