Wookieepedia:Sourcing

• To credit a source for providing useful information and to avoid claims of plagiarism.
• To show that your edit is not original research.
• To ensure that the content of articles is credible and can be verified by any reader or editor.
• To help users find additional reliable information on the topic.
• To improve the overall credibility and authoritative character of Wookieepedia.
• To reduce the likelihood of editorial disputes, or to resolve any that arise.

The infobox, introduction, and article body should be completely referenced, including the "Behind the scenes" section for in-universe articles.

• Although so-called "self-sourcing"—for example, citing a claim in the Behind the scenes section about a subject's appearance in a Star Wars film to said film—may seem redundant, fully sourcing an article's text removes any possible uncertainty regarding unsourced claims. Additionally, reference notes serve as navigational anchor points between the article body and the "Notes and references" section, allowing readers to quickly find all instances in an article being referenced to a particular source.
• If an entire paragraph can be sourced to only one source, add the reference at the end of the paragraph. However, if there is more than one source, then reference specific sentences as necessary. Finally, if that is not enough, tag individual words as a last resort.
• Do not insert more than one reference per claim unless necessary, such as when making exceptional claims. If more than one reference is used to cite a claim, list them in ascending order. For example, , not .
• If something can be attributed to a source that is already referenced in the article, reuse that reference instead of adding a new one, if possible.

The following exceptions apply for referential need:

• : This field is used to populate Special:BookSources and should not contain references.
• : Because all information present in the introduction should also appear in the article body, the introduction should not be referenced. Articles with a body shorter than 165 words, as established by the Layout Guide, do not feature an introduction, meaning that the entire article should be referenced.
• : All files uploaded to Wookieepedia must be properly sourced on the file description page, as mandated by the Files policy. As such, images and other files used in the article should not be referenced.
• : Verbatim excerpts using the {{Excerpt}} template require a source, but not a separate reference.
• : The content of the {{App}} and {{Credits}} templates used in articles on Star Wars media do not need to be referenced after the release of said media.

Wookieepedia uses the built-in MediaWiki reference handling system.

We recommend you use the Source editor rather than VisualEditor (VE) while managing references. This guide explains how to manage references using Source editor.

On the first usage of a reference, insert the following code:

Replace the placeholders with the appropriate content:

Examples:

Individual references only need to be defined once. Upon subsequent insertations of the same reference, use the following code:

Examples:

Some transcluded templates, like the Year infobox, automatically generate one or more references. These will automatically appear at the bottom of the page unless {{Reflist}} is used, as outlined below.

The list of references used on a page—the "reflist"—should be added in a dedicated section called "Notes and references." This is achieved by using the {{Reflist}} template:

For rules regarding the placement and formatting of the Notes and references section, refer to the Layout Guide.

If a cited source does not explicitly portray or otherwise describe the subject of the article in which a statement or passage is being referenced, the reference should explain the logic behind using that particular source. Some common examples include:

• : Star Wars media that explicitly dates events does not necessarily mention the subject presented in an article.
• : A source might establish a property that applies to a group of subjects, without mentioning a specific subject in that group.

• References go immediately after punctuation and outside of quotation marks, with no space between the end of a sentence and a reference tag. The following exceptions apply:
• References should be formatted like entries in the Appearances and Sources sections. This includes italicization where appropriate, as with book titles, etc.
• Only references that constitute full sentences should receive a period (full stop).
• For linking purposes, all references are treated as independent entities. Therefore, all mentioned subjects must be linked upon their first mention in each reference.
• Articles shall cite information from comic books by individual comic issue or comic story, not by overall series, story arc, or compilation (such as trade paperbacks or hardcover collections).
• References may not cite information by individual page or chapter number, unless there is a specific referential need. This does not apply to citation templates that include page-number parameters, such as {{CSWECite}}.
• Unless a dedicated citation template exists for the purpose, references to works not covered by articles on Wookieepedia should be cited in Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. Additionally, the designation "Print" in the citation itself is not to be used.
• An individual's gender must be cited to a source that explicitly mentions it or refers to the individual by gendered terms (e.g. "princess" or "boy"). Pronouns do not indicate an individual's gender, and if no source specifies the individual's gender, then it should not be assumed.
• An individual's pronouns must likewise be cited to a source that explicitly mentions those pronouns. If no source specifies the individual's pronouns, the article may use non-assumptive singular "they/them" pronouns.

Use citation templates where available. Wookieepedia has standardized the following practices for citation template usage:

• Citation templates designed for the purpose of citing multiple parameters in a single reference may not be used merely to adorn the name of a source
• Citation templates may not be used or created simply to adorn the name of a source with a logo
• Available citation templates must be used in Appearances, Sources, Notes and references, External links, and index pages whenever applicable, with the exception of {{CSWECite}}, as noted below
• The optional parameters "author," "date," and "quote" may only be used in Notes and references in an article.

• {{CSWECite}}, including all parameters, must be used in individual citation references when applicable
• {{CSWECite}} may not be used in the Sources list, with the only exception being when a subject is referenced in an entry but does not have a specific entry of its own. In that case the template must be used without specifying page numbers.

When citing an external link, a permanent archival link (also called a backup link) must be included in the reference. Use Internet Archive's Wayback Machine or archive.today for this purpose.

• Social media posts must likewise include a backup link. In the instance a social media post cannot be archived through one of the aforementioned archiving services, an accompanying screenshot of the post must alternatively be uploaded to Wookieepedia and linked in the reference itself.
• The Wookieepedia community, particularly the article-reviewing panels through the article-nomination processes, may judge the validity of expired external links, including social media posts, that cannot produce a backup link or screenshot. The original URL must be provided in the reference, accompanied by a note indicating that its content has expired, such as .

• References cannot be placed within another reference. does not render correctly.
• References located under a {{Reflist}} are not listed in the reflist. This is why the Layout Guide places succession box above the Notes and references.

• Wookieepedia:Attribution
• Wookieepedia:Attribution FAQ
• Extension:Cite on MediaWiki.org: explains the technical aspect of referencing.
• Help:Cite on MediaWiki.org: contains more examples as well as explanations to error messages.