Wikipedia:Accuracy dispute

This page documents an English Wikipedia
consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Some articles on Wikipedia may contain significant factual inaccuracies, i.e. information that is

verifiably wrong. Articles for which much of the factual accuracy is actively disputed should have a {{Disputed}} warning place at the top, and they are listed at Category:Accuracy disputes. Also see a recent list of disputed articles, and the current list of articles that link here

Handling content that may be inaccurate

If you see an article that may be inaccurate, you should do the following:

If the neutrality of the content is in question, see Wikipedia:NPOV dispute for more details about how to handle it.
If only a few statements seem inaccurate, see Disputed statement.
If there are several dubious statements, or if a dispute arises:
- Begin a "Disputed" section on the talk page to describe the problem, alert other editors, and gain more opinions on whether the content is inaccurate and how to handle it.
- Paste {{Disputed}} at the beginning of the article to add a general warning.
- If only the accuracy of a section is disputed, add {{
  Disputed-section
  }} at the beginning of the section.

If you see an article with a factual accuracy warning, please do the following:

Don't remove the warning simply because the material appears reasonable: please ensure that content is
no original research
before removing the notice.
Visit the
talk page
to see what the issues are.
Correct it yourself if you can. Add
reliable sources
to verify the information.
If you are sure that a statement is factually inaccurate then remove it, or move it to the talk page for further discussion. If you are familiar with the subject matter contained in the article but are not sure about the accuracy of a statement, then add "{{
WP:HANDLE
for a more detailed explanation of how to handle potentially false or misleading information.

Several factors can prompt concerns about the accuracy of a statement, including:

Implausible information, without providing adequate references;
Information that is particularly difficult to verify;
Highly detailed information subject to frequent changes, rendering its accuracy variable over time;
Reference to sources that are outdated or whose reliability has been subsequently questioned;
Contributions from users with a history of providing inaccurate information on the subject matter;
Ambiguously worded statements that allow for multiple interpretations due to grammatical issues or subjective phrasing; or
Existence of reliable sources that corroborate divergent claims.

If your work has been tagged:

Engage in
discussion if the reason for the tag is unclear. If you do not get a response, use the "View history" tab to identify who added the tag and notify them of your intention to discuss. Alternatively, you can use the {{Help me
}} template for assistance.

If you encounter a statement with an accuracy warning, please:

Refrain from removing the warning simply because the material looks plausible. Instead, verify it properly.
Consult the article's talk page to understand the underlying issues.
If possible, correct the statement right away, ensuring
Wikipedia:Cite your sources
.

If you encounter a statement that seems to be or is inaccurate, please:

If feasible, correct the statement right away, ensuring
Wikipedia:Cite your sources
.
Should the statement's neutrality be contentious, see Wikipedia:NPOV dispute for more details about addressing the issue.

If you cannot correct it right away:

First, insert a "Dubious" section on the talk page to describe the problem. (Please don't mark up the article text without first describing the problem on the talk page.)
Insert {{Disputed inline}} or {{Dubious}} after the relevant sentence or paragraph. Use {{Disputed inline}} to directly challenge the statement with sources to back up your claim, or {{Dubious}} to point out uncertainty over sources. Add the correct/current month and year to the template.
(Or insert {{Dubious}} replacing 'talkpage section' with the appropriate section on the talk page, if one already exists.)
If there are more than 5 dubious statements, or if a dispute arises:
- First, insert a "Disputed" section on the talk page to describe the problem. This will help focus on contributions from others.
- Insert {{Disputed}} at the beginning of the article to add a general warning. Check dispute resolution for ways to resolve it.
- Once you've found the correct information, edit the page to correct it, remove the warnings, and put something like the following in your
  edit summary
  :

Verified article – removed accuracy dispute

When you add an accuracy warning, you are invited to also help resolve other accuracy disputes or fact-check other articles listed in: