Wikipedia:Featured article criteria
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A featured article exemplifies our very best work and features professional standards of writing and presentation. In addition to meeting the requirements for all Wikipedia articles, it has the following attributes.
- It is well written, comprehensive, factually accurate, neutral and stable.
- (a) "Well written" means that the prose is engaging, even brilliant, and of a professional standard.
- (b) "Comprehensive" means that the article does not neglect major facts and details.
- (c) "Factually accurate" means that claims are verifiable against reliable sources and accurately represent the relevant body of published knowledge. Claims are supported with specific evidence and external citations; this involves the provision of a "References" section in which sources are set out, complemented by inline citations where appropriate.
- (d) "Neutral" means that the article presents views fairly and without bias.
- (e) "Stable" means that the article is not the subject of ongoing edit wars and that its content does not change significantly from day to day; reversions of vandalism and improvements based on reviewers' suggestions do not apply.
- It complies with the manual of style and relevant WikiProjects. Thus, it includes:
- (a) a concise lead section that summarizes the topic and prepares the reader for the greater detail in the subsequent sections;
- (b) a system of hierarchical headings;
- (c) a substantial but not overwhelming table of contents (see section help); and
- (d) where inline citations are appropriate (see 1c above), they should be consistently formatted using either footnotes[1] or Harvard referencing (Smith 2007, p. 1). (See citing sources for suggestions on formatting references; for articles with footnotes or endnotes, the meta:cite format is recommended.)
- It has images and other media where they are appropriate to the subject, with succinct captions and acceptable copyright status. Non-free images or media must meet the criteria for the inclusion of non-free content and be labeled accordingly.
- It is of appropriate length, staying focused on the main topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).
See also
- Wikipedia:What is a featured list?
- Wikipedia:What is a featured picture?
- Wikipedia:What is a featured portal?
- Wikipedia:How to write a great article
- Wikipedia:The perfect article
- Wikipedia:Featured article advice
Advice from individual users
- User:Jengod/Some common objections to featured status and how to avoid them
- User:AndyZ/Suggestions
- User:Tony1/How to satisfy Criterion 1a
- User:Yannismarou/Ten rules to make an article FA
Notes
- ^ Smith 2007, p. 1.
References
- Smith, Jane (2007). The Book of Examples. New York: Best Publishers Inc.