Template:Fact/doc

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Warning icon orange.svg This template is used on a large number of pages.

In order to prevent unnecessary server load, edits should be kept to a minimum. Please experiment in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpage, or in your own sandbox, and consider discussing your changes on the talk page before applying them.

Information icon.svg Editing a template causes all pages that use the template to be re-rendered. If the template is used often, this can put a lot of load on the server since it fills up the job queue.

The {{fact}} tag, when inserted in an article, looks like this: [citation needed], except that it links to the help page for references. It means one of three things:

  1. What was just asserted in the text is being questioned (or could potentially be questionable), and needs a legitimate citation, or reference, in order to stand.
  2. The author at the time was not exactly sure of the fact they were writing, and is begging your help to make sure it is correct.
  3. The author at the time was making a funny statement about the sort of things that might need a citation.

In the first two cases, immediately dropping whatever you are doing, researching the matter to the best of your ability, and fixing the article, would be appreciated.

In the third case, adding "|joke" to the template will stop it appearing on the list of pages that really do need citations, and will make it appear as [citation needed].

See also