Wikipedia:Arguments to make in deletion discussions
This is an essay on the deletion policy. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: This page gives a set of good arguments to use in deletion discussions. |
Wikipedia discussions |
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Arguments to avoid in |
Arguments to make |
Common outcomes |
References
- Keep: I have added valid references to this page. NewRefs (talk)
- Keep: References are available. I cannot add them myself, but here they are. RefsAvailable (talk)
- Delete: Article has no references, and no reliable ones appear to exist. NoRefs (talk)
- Delete: Non-notable subject. Article has no references, and I can't find any coverage of the subject. The lone external link is subject's own site. OwnSite (talk)
When notability is in doubt, and that is the reason given for deletion, the very best way to counteract that is to demonstrate notability. Especially if the topic sounds obscure or trivial or gives the appearance of original research without the references, proving otherwise will solve this problem.
If you feel you do not have what it takes to improve an article itself when it is up for deletion, you can recommend sources that others can use. Google News, Google Books, and Google Scholar are good places to find sources.
On the other hand, if the page does not appear to be notable, and you believe it should be deleted, the best way to get the page deleted is to prove that. Simply having no references on the page may not be grounds for deletion; you will have to demonstrate that none can ever likely be found. As for articles with a
Wikipedia policies and guidelines
- Keep: Per WP:ThisPolicy, which states in these exact words that an article like this is perfectly acceptable. PolicyFavorsKeeping (talk)
- Delete: Per WP:ThisPolicy, which states in these exact words that this type of article does not belong. PolicyFavorsDeleting (talk)
An AfD discussion is not a vote. It is a discussion of whether policies (and broadly accepted guidelines, such as many of the topic-specific notability guidelines) allow or disallow the type of article. Referencing policies, and where appropriate, guidelines is what will make or break it. Even if ten editors state an article should be deleted, and one editor states the article should be kept, but the one who wants it kept gives a good argument citing policy, while the other ten give none, this is sufficient grounds for keeping an article. In the case of guidelines, which carry less weight, it may be less clear cut, but basically the more support an argument has from well-accepted guidelines that reflect Wikipedia community consensus, the more likely it is to prevail.
When you make your comment on an AfD board, familiarize yourself with as many Wikipedia policies and guidelines as possible. There are so many, it may take time to know them all. Keep in mind that what you are saying is
Per essay
- Keep per WP:ThisEssay, which suggests that an article like this is acceptable for the following compelling reasons... EssayFavorsKeeping (talk)
- Delete per WP:ThisEssay, which at these places perfectly sums up the reasons this article is not acceptable. EssayFavorsDeleting (talk)
An
Temporary or permanent
- Delete – The subject received coverage just for a day or two, and never again. BriefCoverage (talk)
- Keep – A long time has passed since this event started, and there still continues to be significant coverage. ContinualCoverage (talk)
Multiple events
- Keep – This person has been involved in multiple notable events. Here is what they are: (name and discuss the events) MultipleEvents (talk)
The
Not a dictionary entry
- Keep: This may be a stub, but this is more than just a dictionary definition. DicDefPlus (talk)
- Keep: While this glossary article has some under-developed definitions, most of it is written encyclopedically, not dictionarily and cites sources. GlossariesAreNotDicDefs (talk)
Stubs are permitted, but many stubs have been proposed for deletion on the grounds that they are
If you want to save an article on the basis that it is more than a dictionary entry, the best things you can do are to add some sourced encyclopedic information to the article, and to demonstrate that more sourced information does exist.
Has potential
- Keep There is a lot more you can include in this article. CanInclude (talk)
- Keep With sourced information that does exist, it is possible to write about the history and uses of this product. HistoryAndUses (talk)
Many articles start out looking
Links
- Keep: Many pages link to this one. Linked (talk)
For this purpose,
Being
Parent article size
- Keep per WP:ARTICLESIZE. The parent article became too long and it became necessary to split it into subarticles. AppleFromTheTree (talk)
Long articles have many problems. They can be overwhelming to read. They can be slow to load in older computers and in many mobile devices. They can be hard to edit. It is for this reason that it is a long accepted practice to split a long article into two or more smaller articles.
Exactly what information to split into separate articles and how to split is done on a case-by-case basis. Generally, it should be done logically, and the subarticles should all be linked from the parent article in a way they can easily be found.
Often, the result of splitting is that the subarticle does not appear to meet inclusion criteria, either because it seemingly does not meet notability guidelines for a standalone article with its sources alone, is sourced by primary sources only, or is otherwise not judged as content worthy for inclusion in an encyclopedia. Nevertheless, common sense says that the information contained in the article does belong on Wikipedia.
If this is the case, one arguing for the article to be kept should identify in their argument information like the title of the parent article (if the has not already been done), the length of the parent article before its division, where the information in the article up for deletion would be located if it were in the parent article, and why it should belong in an encyclopedia at all.
Keep it concise
The examples above share a characteristic. Each is clear, concise, and focused which will gain more positive notice from the closing admin than a long impassioned essay lacking specifics. Such lengthy comments will not outweigh other editors and can harm your credibility in the process.
See also
- Wikipedia:List of policies to cite in deletion debates
- Wikipedia:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions