User:Pigsonthewing/Citations - the future



This is a sketch of how I envisage citations might operate, in the long term.


 * 1) For each work, create a Wikidata1 entry, Qnnnnn
 * 2) * This will include author(s) (and possibly their ORCID(s), if there is no separate item), title, publisher/journal, ISBN/ISSN/DOI, etc. Maybe also translations of the title.
 * 3) * Perhaps initially, only for works with ISBNs or DOIs
 * 4) * Editors will be able to enter a citation as they do now, or using a simple wizard, in the manner of Citoid, and the tool will then create the Wikidata item, if none already exists
 * 5) To cite a work use a template like
 * 6) * To cite a specific page, use
 * 7) * To cite with a quotation, use
 * 8) * To cite with a note,
 * 9) * For clarity, use meaningful reference names, like
 * 10) * Alternatives like  or   should also work. A bot can later substitute the equivalent QID
 * 11) Each signed-in reader can then set, under "preferences", the format in which they wish to see citations rendered - no more WP:CITEVAR arguments!
 * 12) A gadget will display full citation metadata during subsequent editing
 * 13) There will be "Special:" pages showing the articles in which any given work, or any given author, is cited.
 * 14) * See a mock-up of the latter.

[1] Or in a parallel Wikibase instance.

Updates

 * 2017-05 : Demonstrator template at Cite Q.
 * 2017-09 : Bots are creating, in bulk, Wikidata items for works cited (ongoing)