User:Phantomsteve/refs/doc

= Overview =

This template is for providing a basic guide to using references.

If the standard section header is being used, this must be SUBSTituted, or an error will be generated. If the header is not being used, SUBSTing is not required.

= Syntax =



= Variables =


 * article=article name:
 * If the user is being given this information in relation to a specific article, it can be named.


 * header=:
 * To add a section header reading "A quick guide to references"
 * Please note that if this option is used, the template must be SUBSTituted, or an error will be produced

= Examples =

Basic use
--  Phantom Steve / talk &#124; contribs \ 11:24, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

With article name
--  Phantom Steve / talk &#124; contribs \ 11:24, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

With header
If you find a book, magazine, newspaper article, etc that you want to use as a reference, just type one of the following after the information in the article which the reference is about:
 * Newspaper/Magazine article:


 * Book:


 * Website:

For example:
 * John Smith was appointed by the UN as an ambassador to Mars in June 1986.
 * John Smith is regarded as a world expert on creating references.
 * While a known as a world-respected physicist, Smith is also a well-known skier who has participated in the Olympic Games representing Patagonia.

Then at the bottom of the page, make sure you have the following two lines:

-or-

This would generate (for the above examples):


 * John Smith was apointed by the UN as an ambassador to Mars in June 1986. [1]
 * John Smith is regarded as a world expert on creating references. [2]
 * While a known as a world-respected physicist, Smith is also a well-known skier who has participated in the Olympic Games representing Patagonaia. [3]

References
 * 1) ^ An article in a well-known newspaper, John E. Beegood, (The New York Times, 1 August 1987, page 6, col 2)
 * 2) ^ How do I create references?, Met-al Icca, (Heinemann Publishing, 1964, pp. 16-17)
 * 3) ^ How to Create Useful References, PhantomSteve, 12 March 1999, a-reputable-website.org

With basic references like this in place, more experienced editors can tidy them up! The hard bit can be finding references!

Please make sure you read the guideline Reliable Sources which details the kind of sources Wikipedia prefers to use.

If you have any questions, just ask me! Regards, --  Phantom Steve / talk &#124; contribs \ 11:24, 17 December 2009 (UTC)