Wikipedia:Trivial mentions

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The general notability guideline clearly states that sources that only contain a "trivial mention" of a topic are insufficient to establish that topic's notability.

Summary

Wikipedia articles

independent sources
. The guideline states that these sources need to provide "significant coverage" of the topic, and this coverage must consist of more than a "trivial mention".

Quotes from WP:Notability

The general notability guideline states that:

  • "If a topic has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject, it is presumed to satisfy the inclusion criteria for a stand-alone article or stand-alone list."

The meaning of significant coverage is explained:

  • "'Significant coverage' means that sources address the subject directly in detail, so no original research is needed to extract the content. Significant coverage is more than a trivial mention but it need not be the main topic of the source material."

A bullet point indicates the meaning of trivial mention using an example:

  • "Martin Walker's statement, in a newspaper article about Bill Clinton, that 'In high school, he was part of a jazz band called Three Blind Mice' is plainly a trivial mention of that band."

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