This is an inline template which should be placed immediately after the material in question, as with a footnote. For example:
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This sentence needs attribution.{{Attribution needed|date=September 2024}} → This sentence needs attribution.[attribution needed]The wikilink on "attribution needed" is set to Wikipedia:Attribution needed. The functionality of this template is the same as {{clarify}} but differs in when it is applied.
Use this to request in-text attribution or an inline citation for perspectives and opinions that the Wikipedia article asserts is held by someone, but you don't know who holds the view.
If the material is supported by a citation to a reliable source, then look at the source to find out who holds the view, rather than adding this tag to the sentence.
Do not demand in-text attribution for simple, non-controversial facts. Simple facts, like "The Earth is round", should not be attributed to one person, because that attribution implies that very few people agree with the statement. In-text attribution is normally reserved for minority views, controversial claims, and other widely disputed material.
Avoid "drive-by tagging" and "tag bombing". It is much more constructive to edit an article to resolve a problem than it is to just leave a tag. Only tag if a resolution to the problem is not apparent.
Use this template in the body of an article as a request for other editors to explicitly attribute a preceding passage, sentence or phrase to a person. This will be an author of a cited work or a person referred to in a source in which they have been directly or indirectly quoted. The passage tagged may indicate research, be opinion, a point of view or contain words to watch which may be appropriate to retain in the article if they are properly attributed. The tag can be resolved by attributing the identified passage, sentence or phrase as either a direct or an indirect quote. Alternatively, the material may be rewritten in language which is not contentious.
In making an in-text attribution to a person, it is usual (in the first instance) to establish their "credentials" and why their opinion is of consequence. Identifying them as an author, historian, critic, company president, manager or such, establishes their credentials and, the relevance and credibility of their opinion or other statement.
A secondary use of the template is for direct quotations (such as indicated by quote marks or a block quote) which is not immediately followed by an inline citation to explicitly indicate the source of the quote.
In writing this, it was the editor's intent to quote from the source cited; however, the citation for a quote should be explicit.
Resolved as:
In this case, the source of the quote is even less clear.
This example has similarities to the use of {{Specify}}, where two opposing views are expressed but which sources apply is not clear. The distinction in usage is that this template is applied at the point of the quote and is to resolve which source applies to the quote.
This is an example of where the article editor appears to be quoting a phrase from a source, as opposed from using quote marks for use–mention distinction or a scare quote. The citation should be bought closer to the quote.
This is appropriate where the quoted phrase is not reasonably mistaken as use–mention distinction or a scare quote.
Where the quoted phrase might be mistaken as use–mention distinction or a scare quote.
Scare quotes should, in general, be attributed, since they usually represent a "point of view", unless they are the subject of discussion.
If a quoted phrase is the subject of discussion, once its "provenance" has been established by an initial citation, it is not necessary to require further citations at each subsequent mention.
Where a citation at the end of a sentence refers to a quoted phrase, the proximity of a quoted phrase to the citation is of significance. The more words between the quoted phase and the citation, the less clear it is that the quote is drawn from the citation.
In the resolved case, it is clear that the quoted phrase is supported by a citation and not an editorial use of quote marks.
When the problem is not one resolved by making the attribution clear one may use {{specify}} instead. For dealing with dubious information, please use one of the following: {{citation needed}}, {{verify source}}, {{dubious}} or {{disputed-inline}}. This if the problem is a reference to vague "authorities" such as "serious scholars", "historians say", "some researchers", "many scientists", and the like, use {{who}}. If the problem is with text that is difficult to understand, use {{clarify}}.
This template is a self-reference and so is part of the Wikipedia project rather than the encyclopedic content.
Abbreviated parameter sets:
{{Attribution needed|date=September 2024|reason=}}{{Attribution needed|date=September 2024|reason=|text=}}Full parameter set:
{{Attribution needed|date=September 2024|reason=|text=|pre-text=|post-text=}}Parameter descriptions
|date= : This template allows an optional date parameter that records when the tag was added. If this template is added without the date parameter, the date parameter will be added soon after by a bot. Alternatively, you may add the date automatically (without requiring bot intervention) by substituting the template. That is: {{subst:Attribution needed}} is equivalent to {{Attribution needed|date=September 2024}}. This technique also works if other parameters – |reason= |pre-text= |post-text= – are given.|reason= : Because it may not be immediately apparent to other editors what about the tagged passage is in need of attribution, it is generally helpful to add a brief reason for the tag: {{Attribution needed|reason=What the problem is}} (this is preferable to using an HTML <!-- comment --> after the tag, as it is tidier to keep all of the {{Attribution needed}}-related code inside the template). If the explanation would be lengthy, use the article's talk pageAs well as being visible in the source code for editors' benefit, |reason=, if provided, displayed when the mouse is hovered over the "attribution needed" link in the article. For technical reasons, this mouse-over feature does not work if the reason text contains double quotes. Use single quotes instead, or use the code " if it is essential to include a double quote.|text=: The particular text needing attribution may be highlighted by wrapping this template around it:{{Attribution needed|text=unattributed text,|date=September 2024}}, text following the template.|pre-text=|post-text=: One can specify additional text to appear before and/or after the "attribute" tag using the two parameters listed above.Examples:
{{Attribution needed|pre-text=remove or}}{{Attribution needed|post-text=(unattributed opinion)}}{{Attribution needed|post-text=(see talk)}}TemplateData for Attribution needed
Use this inline template as a request for other editors to attribute text that may research, opinion, a point of view, contain ''words to watch'' or is a quote that has not been clearly attributed. Place immediately after the material in question.
Adding this template to an article will automatically place the article into Category:Wikipedia articles needing words, phrases or quotes attributed, or a dated subcategory thereof.