As a professional Wikipedia editor, I spend quite a lot of time correcting errors on Wikipedia.
Prospective clients have contacted me distraught after they have tried (in the way they believe is best) to correct information that is false or worded incorrectly. Ultimately, they wound up turning a simple edit into an edit war. This can sometimes cause the Wikipedia page to get locked from editing and even get the user banned for edit warring.
Another issue?
Page protection (“locked” pages).
The follow up email I often receive is how to edit locked Wikipedia pages. Why? Well, because they attempted the same edit over and over. A Wikipedia administrator then came along and locked the page so that no one can edit.
While correcting errors on Wikipedia can be difficult, here are the best ways to do so without paying a professional to do so.
Protected Wikipedia Pages:
Prior to jumping right into how to correct Wikipedia, let’s discuss page protection (or “locked” pages).
Wikipedia editors are able to apply page protection to pages that are vandalized or involved in edit wars. There are different levels of protection that can be applied, allowing only experienced editors to edit the page.
Most pages are locked due to vandalism, but many are done because of edit warring.
Here is how that happens.
Someone makes an edit that is reverted and then editors go back and forth fighting over the edit. Wikipedia administrators then lock the page to force a discussion of the edit. This keeps people from disrupting the status quo of the Wikipedia article until a consensus on the edit can be reached.
So what are the different levels of protection?
The screenshot above shows the different levels of protection. Note that even when a page is locked, most experienced editors can still edit the page. This is because “pending,” “semi,” and “extended confirmed” as the most used protection levels.
Now, regardless of the page protection status, the methods of correcting errors is the same. The only exception is that you will not be able to make the change yourself on a locked page unless you are an experienced Wikipedia editor.
So, let’s discuss how you can make the change yourself, assuming the page is not locked.
Make the Change Yourself:
This seems like the easiest, most logical solution. After all, it’s just a quick fix right?
Well, not so fast.
While editing Wikipedia seems easy, there are many guidelines and policies that govern editing. For instance:
- Does the edit have a proper citation (reliable source according to Wikipedia guidelines)?
- Are you editing from a neutral point of view?
- Has the edit been attempted and reverted previously based on a valid policy reason?
- Are the edits to that page governed by potential sanctions from the arbitration committee?
- Is the edit promotional in tone (or disparaging to the subject)?
- Are you trying to remove information from your own biography?
Let’s assume that the page is not locked and that the edit you want to make fits within Wikipedia guidelines. Here is the process of making the edit:
I. Create an Account
- Go to the Wikipedia Homepage.
- Click on the “create account” link int the top right hand corner.
- Follow the instructions on the screen (choose a username and password and pass the Captcha test).
- Note – You do NOT have to have an account to edit Wikipedia, but edits made by people without accounts are often frowned upon.
II. Go to the Page You Want to Edit
- Enter the page name in the search bar at the top
- Once on the page, click the “edit” button at the top of the article.
III. Make the Changes
- Edit the text through either source editor or visual editor.
- Remember to add a reliable secondary source if you are adding or correcting information.
- Once you make the change, click on the “preview” tab at the bottom of the page to review the change.
- Add an edit summary to describe the edit you are making and why.
- Click “save.”
Remember to follow Wikipedia’s guidelines for content and behavior, including citing reliable sources and maintaining a neutral point of view.
Now, if the edit you make is reverted, do NOT attempt the edit a second time. Instead, you will need to follow the steps outline in the rest of this article. Failure to do so will likely lead to the page being protected as described in the previous section.
So what do you do if it gets reverted? Or, if you simply aren’t sure if the change meets guidelines?
Requesting The Change:
If you are unfamiliar with Wikipedia guidelines but you feel that there is a factual error that needs correction, you can always leave it up to the volunteer edit community. However, they will not know that an error exists and therefore need to be prodded.
The best way to do this is to leave a comment on the talk page of the article.
Simply click on the “talk” tab and you will be taken to the article talk page.
The talk pages of articles are used to discuss the actual page and often used to gain a consensus on what information should and should not be included in the article. It is also a place to discuss errors with the page and also request changes be made.
Simply leave a new comment on the page, informing readers of the issue and provide supporting information such as links to references that prove such.
Once you leave a comment, do not expect it to be answered right away.
There are so many articles and the volunteer editor base is declining which makes the time you have to wait for a response could be quite a long time. The more popular a page, the quicker of a response you will receive as pages that are visited more are likely to have their talk pages viewed more often.
Prodding Editors for Wikipedia corrections:
After looking at the edit history of a page, you are likely to see a pattern from one or more editors who edit that page regularly.
There is nothing wrong with going to that user’s talk page and letting them know that you are working on correcting errors on Wikipedia and that you left a request on an article talk page. However, I would advise that you make sure that you have actually let a request on the talk page.
The screenshot above shows the recent edit history of the Hillary Clinton Wikipedia page. It shows at least five experienced editors who you can reach out to with your request. To make it easy, Wikipedia includes a link to each editor’s talk page in the edit history next to the name of each editor – (talk|contribs)
To leave a proper request for an editor, simply let them know on their talk page that you noticed they have previously had an interest with editing article “XYZ” and that you left an edit request on the talk page for “XYZ.”
Simple as that.
You have now not only stated your request in the proper forum (on the talk page), but you have also prodded editors interested in the topic who will likely read the request quicker.
Contacting WikiProjects:
What is a WikiProject?
A WikiProject is a group of editors who consult with each other on various topics they have a similar interest in. For instance, Wikipedia has a project for editors who have an interest in and edit mostly video games.
If you are looking for a WikiProject related to the page you want to edit, there are two ways to find one. The first is to go to the WikiProject page and use the search bar on the page. However, the easiest is to go to the talk page of the article you want to edit and look at the top. The banners will indicate which projects the page falls into.
Once you find the particular project related to that page, navigate to and use the talk page of that project to request a specific edit. Being that these editors are more familiar with that topic, you will likely receive a quicker and more thorough response.
Wikipedia Edit Request Template:
If you have a conflict of interest with your edit (e.g., you are related to the subject of the page or are being paid to do so), you need to use a COI edit request template.
The COI template is the right way to do the edit if you have a conflict. The template not only makes your request on the talk page (as described earlier in this article), but also notifies editors there is a request. So, your request is placed in queue and editors will come around to review the request and either approve or decline.
Note – If your edit request is declined, editors will normally provide you with the reasoning. If not, use the talk page of the person who declined the request to see what can be done to get the edit approved.
The proper Wiki-code to use is: {{request edit}}.
Here are the full instructions:
After leaving the template, editors monitoring change requests should come and address the issue. I recommend only following up if no one has responded to you for at least 30 days. The reason being is that bureaucratic editors do not like people being pushy and may feel that they are being “told what to do” if you immediately leave the template.
Unfortunately, dealing with bureaucratic processes is all part of correcting errors on Wikipedia.
Final Thoughts:
Yes, correcting errors on Wikipedia can be difficult. Especially when Wikipedia does not care about facts. Make sure to use the methods outlined herein in order not to upset the bureaucracy of Wikipedia. When in doubt, use the talk page of a Wikipedia article and be as civil as you can. Editors tend to want to assist when they see new editors respecting the process.
If you are still having issues with correcting an error, reach out and see if we can help.
