User:Stoub/COinS

How to cite sources
Since templates are transcluded, being able to fix the templates that render citations would correct everywhere that template is used.

However:
 * Use of the citation templates is not required. You are entitled to either format citations by hand (no particular style is encouaged) rather than using the templates.
 * Many editors find citation templates a distraction.
 * Editors may be sensitive to templatizing citations. You're supposed to get consensus on the Talk (a.k.a. "discussion") page before making changes like this.

There are some semi-bots that aid in fixing citations:
 * User:CitationTool is a semi-bot for finding citation errors (sequencing and duplication errors) and fixing them.
 * User:SmackBot fixes ISBNs
 * User:Cyde/Ref converter converts articles that use the older and  system into the more recent Cite system ( and )

Note that most templates are protected; I'll need to ask an admin to implement changes to the templates.

Wikipedia Citation Templates
To view the actual template, view the source of the template page. To understand the syntax of the if statements, see ParserFunctions.


 * is the generic form. The COinS portion is in Template:Citation/core.
 * 
 * 
 * conference report or paper
 * 
 * news article
 * and

The ones above have COinS in the templates. The ones below do not.


 * website
 * newsgroup posting
 * paper thesis dissertation
 * television or radio episode
 * court case
 * television or radio episode
 * court case

Also, the Special:Booksources page (where hyperlinked ISBNs go), has COinS.

History

 * December 3, 2006 - January 9, 2007
 * Omegatron (talk) expressed interest in adding COinS to  template (see  discussion) and  template (see discussion).


 * April 18-21, 2007
 * Gwern (talk) added COinS to template though Omegatron noted this only works for books (see discussion).


 * May 28 - June 8, 2007
 * COGDEN (talk) removed COinS from  template  but Omegatron talked him through their return (see discussion).


 * November 8, 2007
 * Karnesky (talk) suggestion about improving rft.genre in  template (see discussion).


 * April - August 2007
 * Pigsonthewing (talk; banned until August 19, 2008) seems to have added COinS to other templates (e.g., Infobox Book) but these seem to have been reverted.