Wikipedia Articles for Deletion (AfD) Process and Explanation
It’s estimated that more than 200 articles are deleted from the English Wikipedia daily. The process for removal from Wikipedia is called “Articles for Deletion”. Articles for Deletion (AfD) is an important quality control mechanism on Wikipedia. Additionally, it’s a community-driven process where articles that may not meet Wikipedia editing standards are put forward for discussion regarding their deletion, retention, or improvement. The primary goal of AfD is to maintain the high quality and reliability of Wikipedia’s content.
ToC
- Key Stages
- Notability and Content Standards on Wikipedia
- Benefits and Applications of AfD
- Challenges and Limitations of AfD
- Future Prospects and Implications of AfD
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Stages to Delete a Wikipedia Article
The AfD process consists of several key stages:
- Nomination: A user nominates an article for deletion when they believe it doesn’t meet Wikipedia’s standards. To do this, editors typically add a specific template to the article and start a discussion page.
- Discussion: Once nominated, the Wikipedia community weighs in by providing arguments for or against the article’s deletion or potential editing. This discussion is open to any user with a Wikipedia account.
- Consensus: After a predetermined period, usually seven days, editors close the discussion and determine a consensus. This could result in deleting the article, keeping it, or renominating it for further discussion.
Key participants in the AfD process include:
- Nominators: Users who suggest an article for deletion
- Editors: Contributors to the discussion with arguments and evidence
- Administrators: Responsible for closing discussions and enforcing consensus decisions
AfD serves as Wikipedia’s quality control mechanism, allowing the community to collectively decide the fate of articles that may not be up to par. This participatory process helps maintain the integrity of Wikipedia.
Notability and Content Standards on Wikipedia
One of the main criteria for an article to remain on Wikipedia is its notability. Notability refers to the significance of a topic as evidenced by reliable, published sources. An article is more likely to face AfD if it lacks notable sources that verify its importance.
Wikipedia’s content standards extend beyond notability and include:
- Verifiability: Reliable sources must back information
- Neutrality: Articles should present information fairly, without bias
- Reliable sources: Citations should come from reputable and credible sources
Examples of articles that might be subject to AfD include:
- Unverifiable topics: Articles on subjects with little to no information from credible sources
- Original research: Articles that present theories or ideas without external validation
- Advertising content: Articles written to promote a business or individual without factual and neutral presentation
Ensuring your Wikipedia article survives requires more than just meeting notability requirements and doing a couple minutes of light editing; it must adhere to strict content guidelines. This ensures the platform remains a trusted source of information, reflecting a balanced and verified perspective on a multitude of topics.
Benefits and Applications of AfD
The AfD process plays a significant role in maintaining the integrity and quality of editing and publishing Wikipedia content. Here are some key benefits:
- Maintaining Quality: AfD helps remove low-quality or irrelevant content, ensuring Wikipedia remains a trusted resource. Deleting spam pages and articles about non-notable topics frees up space for more deserving content, enhancing the platform’s overall quality.
- Community Engagement: It encourages active participation from users, fostering a collaborative environment where anyone can contribute to decision-making. This involvement creates a sense of ownership and responsibility towards the platform.
- Conflict Resolution: AfD can resolve disputes over an article’s relevance, leading to improvements or clarifications of Wikipedia’s content standards. Through a structured and transparent process, AfD ensures fair treatment of all subjects and helps maintain a neutral point of view.
Successful AfD outcomes underscore its importance. For example, significant deletions of spam pages and non-notable topics not only liberate space but also enhance the platform’s overall credibility. Additionally, engaging in the AfD process educates participants about Wikipedia’s standards and improves their future contributions. This instructional experience further solidifies Wikipedia’s reliability as a source of information, ensuring contributors are well-informed and aligned with the community’s guidelines.
Challenges and Limitations of AfD
Despite its benefits, the AfD process is not without challenges and critics (especially by the authors of the articles being nominated). Common issues include:
- Bias and Conflict of Interest: Discussions can sometimes be influenced by personal biases or conflicts of interest, affecting the neutrality of the decision.
- Vandalism and Disruptive Editing: AfD Wikipedia pages can sometimes be disrupted by users with malicious intent, making the process more chaotic.
- Decision Fatigue: Administrators handling numerous AfD cases may experience decision fatigue, which we’ve found can interfere with editors’ ability to make balanced judgments.
To address these issues, Wikipedia relies on guidelines and policies when editing. So for example, discouraging canvassing (soliciting votes from editors) helps ensure discussions remain unbiased. Additionally, Wikipedia encourages a consensus-building approach over just voting, favoring well-reasoned arguments over numerical superiority.
These measures, backed up by community vigilance, help ensure that despite disruptive elements, the integrity of the AfD process is maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is AfD on Wikipedia?
AfD, or Articles for Deletion, is a community-driven process on Wikipedia where articles that might not meet the platform’s standards for notability or content are discussed and decided upon by users.
How does AfD work on Wikipedia?
The AfD process involves three main steps: 1) nomination, 2) discussion, and 3) voting. It starts with a user nominating an article that may not fulfill Wikipedia’s criteria. This is followed by a period of discussion where community members, including the nominator, the article’s creator or editor, and other users, share their views. Finally, the community votes on whether the article should be kept, merged, redirected, or deleted.
What is notability on Wikipedia?
Notability determines whether a subject qualifies for its own Wikipedia article. This is generally established through the presence of significant coverage by independent, reliable sources. Notability ensures that the subject is important enough to be covered in an encyclopedia. See our article on notability for more information.
How can I participate in AfD on Wikipedia?
Anyone with a registered Wikipedia account can join the AfD discussions and vote, provided they have made at least 10 edits on
Wikipedia.
What happens to articles that are deleted through AfD?
Articles deleted through the AfD process are removed from Wikipedia’s public view. However, they might still be accessible via Wikipedia’s archives or external sources. In some cases, if an article later meets Wikipedia’s standards, it can be restored to the platform.
Tags: Wikipedia.
