Wikipedia:Featured article criteria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shortcuts: WP:WIAFA WP:FACR WP:FA?

Featured content:

Featured article tools:

Featured article criteria
Featured article candidates
Featured article review
Today's featured article
- This month's queue
- Main page requests
Featured article log
Featured article statistics
Former featured articles

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 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, except for edits made in response to the featured article process.
It follows the style guidelines, including:
- (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 and table of contents that is substantial but not overwhelming (see section help);
- (c) consistently formatted inline citations using either footnotes^[1] or Harvard referencing (Smith 2007, p. 1), where they are appropriate (see 1c). (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).

[edit] See also

The path to a Featured Article

Start a new article Develop the article Check against the featured article criteria Get creative feedback (Peer review) Apply for featured article status Featured articles