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Wikipedia:How to add sources to Wikidata

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When you add information to Wikidata, please cite your sources. Most of the time, it's super easy and requires just four clicks. This page shows how to add sources to Wikidata.

Click 'add reference'

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Find the "Statement" you want to add a source for. In the example, which is based on this edit to the Wikidata entry for Varicella vaccine, the statement that needs a ref is the claim that the vaccine is an WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

Underneath the claim, find "+ add reference". Click that. It will add your source where it currently says "0 references".

Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata
Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata

Click on the type of source you're citing

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The easiest ones to add are plain links to websites or common identifiers (e.g., ISBN, DOI, PMID, etc.) There is a searchable list with common options preloaded. For this example, the webpage https://list.essentialmeds.org/medicines/221 is being added as the source, so click on 'reference URL' in the list:

Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata
Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata

The 'stated in' option allows you to cite a notable work (e.g., any book that Wikidata has an entry for, which includes all books that Wikipedia has an article about). If you want to cite the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, or a notable textbook like Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, then you can use the 'stated in' option and search for the name of that book. (For a non-notable book, use the ISBN-13 or ISBN-10 options instead.)

Paste the source into the empty box

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When you choose the source type, a new empty box appears next to it. That's where you paste your source (e.g., URL, ISBN, or other id number).

Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata
Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata

Wikidata sources do not normally add full citation information (e.g., author or publisher names), so you don't usually need to collect or format anything beyond the URL or other key identifier.

You can cite multiple sources for the same statement. If you want to add another source for the same statement, in the same edit, then click the '+ add' button now and repeat these steps. Alternatively, you can do this as a separate edit.

Click 'publish'

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Click the 'publish' button for the statement.

Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata
Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata

Done

[edit]

You're done!

Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata
Screenshot showing how to cite a source in Wikidata