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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.

Step 1: Create an account

Go to Why Create an Account to learn about the benefits of a Wikipedia account.

Follow the prompts to select a username and password. You will also be asked to provide an email address and verify it. 

Step 2: Understand the five pillars of Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a crowd-sourced, online encyclopedia governed by ‘Five Pillars’.
It is important to keep these in mind:

  • Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
  • Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
  • Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute
  • Editors should treat each other with respect and civility
  • Wikipedia has no firm rules

You can learn more about Wikipedia in the Reading List.

Step 3: Get started

Navigating Wikipedia: learn how to use the features of Wikipedia and its tools

Selecting and Researching a Topic: learn about how to pick a topic and what resources are available to research it

Writing a New Entry: get advice on how to write a new Wikipedia article