Wikipedia:Content removal
This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: When removing content from a page, it is important to be sure there is consensus to do so. |
Content removal is the removal of material that provides information from an article, without deleting the article itself. While an entire page can be deleted only via the deletion process (ultimately completed by an administrator), even a single unregistered editor can boldly remove part of a page. It is an editorial decision that is easy to reverse, and does not damage the edit history.
Removing part of an article needs to be at least explained and in some cases discussed. Unexplained content removal (UCR) occurs when the reason is not obvious; the edit is then open to being promptly reverted.
Changes which remove one or more words without affecting the content need not be explained, though for all but the most minor ones it is a good idea to at least describe them in the edit summary.
Minor edits
A minor edit that removes one or more words or reduces the amount of text is not considered to be content removal at all, since it does not remove information. It is unlikely to be opposed, and need not be discussed in advance.
For example, suppose the original text says:
- There is an the fish in the bowl.
This is ungrammatical, and should be changed to:
- There is a fish in the bowl.
The edit removes one word and shortens another. But since everyone wants to see proper grammar, there is no need for a discussion.
Types of content removal
There are various forms of content removal. When removing content from an article, whether it be a whole section or even just a single word, if the removal is likely to be opposed by one or more other editors, it is important to make sure there is clearly a consensus to remove the content. When in doubt, discuss prior to removal.
If you boldly make the removal, and it is then reverted by another editor, it is especially important that you discuss it prior to making a second removal.
Some examples of content removal are:
Single word
- Old version: The mixture is made from water, clay, sand, and gravel.
- New version: The mixture is made from water, clay, and gravel.
Sentence
- Old version: The elephant lives on the prairie. It walks over three miles to get some water. It spends hours drinking. Then it goes home and goes to sleep.
- New version: The elephant lives on the prairie. It walks over three miles to get some water. Then it goes home and goes to sleep.
The above examples show how removing just a small amount of text under these circumstances can change the meaning of what is stated. This does not mean it should never be done. It just means that when it is done, it should be done with a good reason, should be explained, and if need be, should be discussed with others.
It is not practical in this essay to show comparisons for larger amounts of text involving multiple paragraphs. But given how easily meaning can be changed in the above examples, how much more necessary is it to seek consensus when removing a full paragraph or section from an article?
Reasons for content removal
There are various reasons for removing content from an article. Regardless of the reason, it should be described in the edit summary. If there is any doubt the removal may be controversial, or if it has been restored following a previous removal, it should be discussed on the page's talk page prior to removal.
Unsourced information
Wikipedia's verifiability guidelines require all information to be citable to sources. When information is unsourced, and it is doubtful any sources are available for the information, it can be boldly removed.
If you think a source can be found, but you do not wish to supply one yourself, you can add the template {{fact}} ({{cn}} will also work) after the statement, which will add [citation needed]. This will encourage someone, often the editor who initially added the statement, to add a citation for the information.
Contentious unsourced or poorly sourced information about living people shall be removed immediately, as per Wikipedia's biographies of living people policy, without the use of such a template.