View source for Talk:Artificial intelligence/Citation format


== Current citation format of [[Artificial intelligence]] ==
Simple citations use [[WP:CITESHORT|shortened citations]] with template {{template|sfnp}}.
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
Article text.{{sfnp|Smith|2007}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== Citations ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book | last=Smith | year=2007 | title=Smith's book}}
* {{cite book | last=Jones | year=2011 | title=Jones's book}}
</nowiki>|
Article text.{{sfnp|Smith|2007}}

{{Fake heading|Notes|level=3}}
{{notelist}}
{{Fake heading|Citations|level=3}}
{{reflist}}
{{Fake heading|Sources|level=3}}
* {{cite book | last=Smith | year=2007 | title=Smith's book}}
* {{cite book | last=Jones | year=2011 | title=Jones's book}}
}}

Multiple citations [[WP:BUNDLE|bundle]]d by topic use {{template|Harvtxt}} in a [[WP:BULLET|bullet list]] in {{xtag|ref}} tags, with newlines after the first {{xtag|ref}} and before and after the closing {{xtag|/ref}}.
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
Information covered by several sources.<ref>
Topic of the information: 
* {{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}
* {{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}
</ref>
== Citations ==
{{reflist}}
</nowiki>|
Information covered by several sources.<ref>
Topic of the information: 
* {{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}
* {{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}
</ref>
{{Fake heading|Citations|level=3}}
{{reflist}}
}}

Other bundled references use {{template|Harvtxt}} separate by colons inside {{xtag|ref}} tags, with similar [[newlines]].
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
Information covered by several sources.<ref>
{{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}; 
{{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}
</ref>
== Citations ==
{{reflist}}
</nowiki>|
Information covered by several sources.<ref>
{{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}; 
{{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}
</ref>
{{Fake heading|Citations|level=3}}
{{reflist}}
}}

Quotes in secondary sources also use {{xtag|ref}} tags.
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
"Quote from a secondary source"<ref>
{{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}, quoted in {{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}.
</ref>
== Citations ==
{{reflist}}
</nowiki>|
"Quote from a secondary source."<ref>
{{Harvtxt|Smith|2007}}, quoted in {{Harvtxt|Jones|2011}}.
</ref>
{{Fake heading|Notes|level=3}}
{{notelist}}
{{Fake heading|Citations|level=3}}
{{reflist}}
}}

Verifying quotes use {{template|efn}}. (Use of {{template|sfnp}}'s {{para|ps}} parameter is discouraged.)
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
Some information.{{efn|
Jullianne Smith wrote "This is how Smith explains the information"{{sfn|Smith|2007}}
}}
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
== Citations ==
{{reflist}}
</nowiki>|
Some information.{{efn|
Jullianne Smith wrote "This is how Smith explains the information"{{sfn|Smith|2007}}
}}
{{Fake heading|Notes|level=3}}
{{notelist}}
{{Fake heading|Citations|level=3}}
{{reflist}}
}}

All other footnotes use {{template|efn}}
{{Markup|noheaders=True|<nowiki>
Some information.{{efn|
More details.
}}
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
</nowiki>|
Some information.{{efn|
More details.
}}
{{Fake heading|Notes|level=3}}
{{notelist}}
}}

== Why ==
This citation format is designed to help with the following problems:
# This article has a large number of references to different pages in the same sources (the leading AI textbooks and histories).
# It is heavily referenced. (Because this article has problems with [[WP:UNDUE|undue weight]] and [[WP:Relevance|relevance]], so editors are encouraged to show that each sentence is an "essential" point).
# It uses topical, bundled references (to establish that the topic is covered by most of the central sources).
# A heavily referenced article needs help with "edit window clarity".
# The shortened footnote form looks best in thin columns.

* [[WP:CITESHORT|Shortened citations]] help with (1) and (4).
* Using multi-line form inside {{tag|Ref}} helps with (4).
* Bullet lists for topical bundled citations helps with (5).
* Separating citations (and footnotes that are essentially citations) from explanatory footnotes (and verifying quotes) helps with (5).