Skip to Main Content
Syracuse University Libraries

Guide to Wikipedia Editing

Curious about making your own contributions to the shared knowledge resource, Wikipedia? This guide will walk you through the steps of creating a Wikipedia account, choosing and researching a subject, and troubleshooting.

Choosing a subject

A suitable subject is one that:

  • Meets Wikipedia’s notability criteria.
  • Has good, third-party sources and references to cite and link to. We recommend at least three independent, reputable sources. (Note: Wikipedia does not accept ‘original’ research or unpublished interview material.)
  • Is about someone/something that isn’t already on Wikipedia.
  • Is not about you, your company or organization or your friends. (That is, a subject that you do not have a conflict of interest with.)
  • Is not an advertisement, personal essay, or other type of article that you would not find in an encyclopedia.

References and Sources Advice:

  • Collect at least three reliable, published, and independent sources for your subject before you start writing your article. (Refer to suggestions below.) Articles that do not cite reliable published sources are likely to be deleted.
  • Avoid references to personal blogs and websites, Facebook, and YouTube. These are considered unsuitable, and material obtained from them may be challenged by other Wikipedia editors and removed.
  • Link your article to other Wikipedia pages. This is vital to ensure that your article doesn’t become an ‘orphan’.
  • Remember, sources must be cited, not copied word-for-word. Please avoid plagiarism. 

Databases - Sexuality and Gender

Databases - Latin American History

Databases - Biography

Databases - Newspaper

Finding Images

Images are an important addition to Wikipedia articles – both portraits of subjects and images of their work. However, images used on Wikipedia must meet clear criteria. When in doubt about an image’s copyright, do not upload it.
The Wikipedia Image Use Policy explains that images can be used if they abide by one of the following conditions:

  • Own work: You own all rights to the image. This usually means that you created it yourself.
  • Freely licensed: You can prove that the copyright holder has released the image under an acceptable free license. When in doubt, do not upload copyrighted images.
  • Public domain: You can prove that the image is in the public domain, that is free of all copyrights.
  • Fair use: You believe that the image meets the special conditions for non-free content, which exceptionally allow the use of unlicensed material, and you can provide an explicit non-free use rationale explaining why and how you intend to use it.

Freely licensed image databases: