Wikipedia:Notability (people)

[[Category:Wikipedia {{{1}}}s|Notability (people)]]

Like any encyclopedia, Wikipedia includes biographies of important historical figures and people involved in current events. Even though wiki is not paper, there are some criteria for inclusion.

See also Wikipedia:Importance, which attempts to be a generic, all inclusive definition of criteria for inclusion.

Deceased People

People who have been deceased for some time pose the simplest question, because history is usually clear about the nature and extent of their importance. With historical perspective, there is less controversy about the facts of their contribution. The basic test in this case is--

• Has the person made a widely recognized contribution that is part of the enduring historical record in the specific field?

People still alive

Biographies on the following people may be included in Wikipedia. This list is not all-inclusive. There are numerous biographies on Wikipedia on people who do not fall under any of these categories, but there is no intention to delete them all.

• Political figures holding international, national or statewide/provincewide office
• Major local political figures who receive significant press coverage
• Widely recognized entertainment personalities and opinion makers
• Athletes who are widely known, widely acclaimed, or highly successful in their sport
• Notable actors and television personalities who have appeared in well-known films or television productions. Notability can be determined by:
  • Multiple features in popular culture publications such as Vogue, GQ, Elle, FHM or national newspapers
  • A large fan base, fan listing or "cult" following
  • An independent biography
  • Name recognition
  • Commercial endorsements
• Published authors, editors, and photographers who have written books with an audience of 5,000 or more or in periodicals with a circulation of 5,000 or more
• Recording musicians who have sold more than 5,000 albums, CDs, or similar recordings
• Painters, sculptors, architects, engineers, and other professionals whose work is recognized as exceptional and likely to become a part of the enduring historical record of that field
• Persons achieving renown or notoriety for their involvement in newsworthy events

Alternative tests

Other tests for inclusion that have been proposed include:

• The professor test -- If the individual is more well known and more published than an average college professor, they can and should be included. (For a discussion, see: Wikipedia talk:Criteria for inclusion of biographies/Academics.)
• Verifiability -- Can all information in the article be independently verified now? (some say) 10 years from now?
• Expandability -- Will the article ever be more than a hideous stub? Could the perfect article be written on this subject?
• 100 year test -- In 100 years time will anyone without a direct connection to the individual find the article useful?
• Autobiography -- Has this been written by the subject or someone closely involved with the subject?
• Google Test -- Does the subject get lots of hits on Google or another well known search mechanism?
• Check your fiction -- Must-read advice for creating biographies of fictional characters.

See also Wikipedia:WikiProject Biography, Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies) and the "Wikipedia is not a biographical dictionary" section of Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary.

For a few specific instances, see Wikipedia:Criteria for inclusion of biographies/cases.

See also: Wikipedia:WikiProject Music/Vanity Band Guidelines