Wikipedia:Don't be an ostrich

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
When standing upright, ostriches have a wide field of view. Try to emulate this one that can sing "Hello, Dolly!"

Nominating articles for deletion can sometimes be a controversial action. Articles on notable authors, scientists, and artists have been nominated for deletion simply because the nominators hadn't heard of them and, more importantly, hadn't put in a little work to investigate the subject.

It is important for editors who create articles to cite reliable sources and assert significance. However,

newcomers
often need help. Experienced Wikipedians know this, and should act accordingly.

Don't be an ostrich.

Don't put your head in the sand.

Don't keep your head in the sand.

Just because you don't know the subject of an article doesn't mean it is without merit for inclusion on Wikipedia. We do not make our own judgments about the importance of a topic, we use reliable sources instead.

Assume good faith
in new editors. A little research on a topic you are unfamiliar with will take just as much time as putting an article up for deletion. Once it has been made clear that an article meets guidelines, there is no point in going forward with deletion.

  • If the
    non-notable
    , consider first whether the article or list is a necessary fork of a larger main article or series of lists. Think about whether deletion of the sub-topic would disrupt the overall cohesiveness of the main topic.
  • Before nominating a recently created article, please consider that many good articles started their Wikilife in pretty bad shape. If the article can be fixed, this is usually preferable to deletion. Unless it is obviously
    disputed
    }} instead; this may be preferable if the article has some useful content.
  • Read and understand the Wikipedia deletion policy, which explains valid grounds for deletion.
  • Familiarize yourself with the frequently-cited guidelines
    WP:COI
    .
  • Read the article's
    talk page
    , which may provide reasons why the article should or should not be deleted.
  • Do a search engine test on the topic of the article. This technique is used by supporters for weeding out hoaxes, fictions, and personal hypotheses and conjectures. It is also used to ascertain whether a topic is of sufficiently broad interest to merit inclusion in the wiki.
  • Click "what links here" in the article's sidebar, to see how the page is used and referenced within Wikipedia.
  • Consider making the page a useful
    AfD
    .
  • Confirm that the article does not meet the criteria for
    Wikipedia:speedy deletions or Wikipedia:Proposed deletion
    .

See also