Making a short and simple Wikipedia page can be a challenge, but understanding a few key things can help you do it.
When Wikipedia was first launched in January of 2001, it was intended to be a virtual encyclopaedia to help internet users. Fast-forward 20 years, and it has become the key platform for information of all kinds. With over hundreds and thousands of categories and almost 6 and a half million articles in English alone, the platform is now a key player in information passed around the globe.
But, if a platform is intended to provide information in detail and provide an in-depth and unbiased perception of various subjects, how can you go about creating articles that are short and simple? The first thing to understand here is the nature of Wikipedia. For instance, let’s take your favourite book and see what you can do better.
Chances are, you might think of a variety of subjects, chapters, sentences, lines, or stories that you can make better. But, the key difference between a piece of literature and an encyclopaedia is fact and fiction. In Simpler words, an encyclopaedic piece of content is going to be the length that it is supposed to be.
If the page’s subject matter can be portrayed in a sentence or to, then it shall be. Then, if it requires a multitude of scrolls, then there is no sort of compression tool that can make a Wikipedia page shorter. So, if you still wish to make something short and firm, then to understand the process to keep it as short as possible, let us dive in deeper.
Understand Simple English Wikipedia Pages
The reason that you need to understand Simple English Wikipedia is that it is the key to help you make short and simple pages. Bear in mind that the only difference between the two is to help people with different needs. For academic purposes, a simple edition of the encyclopaedia provides information only that is relevant to the subject. Of course, it can change according to the nature and category of the page, however, the primary difference between regular Wikipedia is the target demographics compared to a simple one. Here are some examples:
- To help students find only the pertaining or relevant information to their subject or research
- Children, who wish to understand the general nature of a topic
- Adults, children or people of all ages with a learning disability
- For people of all kinds and to shed a simple light on understanding complex topics
Another common group of people who benefit the most from short and simpler pages are ESL or English as the second language. The primary benefit of making such pages is wider accumulation, as a large number of people around the globe are either not fluent or ESL people. But, even for a native speaker, some topics might be too complex or intricate to grasp. So, to help such demographics, creating an alternate or only the simple edition version of a page can help a page find greater exposure or visibility.
Creating The First Page
Now, if you wish to understand the process behind creating simple Wikipedia pages, then bear in mind that there are no shortcuts. The process of a simple wiki page or a regular one is the same, and it goes for all languages as well. However, there are certain things that you can keep in mind, such as not branching your primary subject into secondary ones. So, here are a few key steps of the process and how to do them to make a page short.
1. Fundamentals
Registering an account is one of the first and the most important fundamentals of making a Wikipedia page. Bear in mind that you have to understand the nature of your pages as well, as Wikipedia itself states that creating pages about people and their lives can be one of the most difficult pages to make. So, start by targeting something simple and plain.
2. Becoming An Editor
Wikipedia has a mark-up language, which is both easier to understand and write. However, to grasp writing subjects in a neutral tone, you need to understand the nooks and crannies first. So, start by editing existing articles, as successful & informative edits will also make you eligible to create pages.
3. Searching For An Existing Article
Wikipedia’s Article Wizard: where you will find all the tools needed to make pages or search articles.
When you wish to make a page, the first thing you will have to do is create an article. However, making an article can be a problem if it already exists, so make sure you do your research. If the article of your desired subject does not exist, then you can apply for one. This might take a week or so, but you will be the first author of the page.
4. Gather Information
A list of examples showing the credible sources recognized by Wikipedia.
Before you dive into the page’s content, it is imperative that you gather all the necessary information. So, you need resources, publications, mentions of your subject etc. This will help you create your draft easily and ensure that you stay focused on the content.
5. Create The Draft
Now, this is the part where the length of your article is decided. You will have to make sure that you create a draft in a language that is easy to understand but still of encyclopaedic nature. But, you can always make an alternative draft for simple Wikipedia or vice versa.
6. Formatting
Formatting is the key, as it can help you categorize your page and also help you ensure that the page makes it past the approval phase. So, what will you have to do? Understand the category and niche of your article and format it accordingly.
7. Citations
The key thing with the length of an article is how short or simple you keep the citations. For instance, you can write the whole quote from a personality or you can simply state the link or reference for the said quote. This will help you throughout your content and help you keep it simple and short.
How To Keep It Short?
Now that we understand the procedure of a page’s creation and the importance of various editions of Wikipedia, how do you go about keeping it short? To keep it straight to the point, all of it depends on the nature of your page and its subject. If some particular event or section of the page requires you to be elaborate, then there is no way around it. However, for the simple edition of the encyclopaedia, you can do it.
Yet, it is imperative that you focus on the creation process of the page, as there is no such thing as shortening or cutting down key information because then Wiki administrators might mark your article as incomplete or take it down because of misinformation. Therefore, your focus should be on the creation, resource gathering and fundamentals of a page. Then, you can always create a shorter and alternate version on the simple edition of the platform.
Things To Avoid
We talked about what you need to do when you start your process of creating a Wikipedia page. But, first let’s discuss what to avoid. You need to steer clear of the lack of resources. Bear in mind that a page’s approval and eligibility, as well as notability, is decided on how well it is known in pop culture or general knowledge of an average Wikipedia user.
So, you need to make sure that your page has all the necessary sources for citation. Lastly, you need to make sure that your page is not an orphan. An orphaned page is an article without any links or references to other Wikipedia pages. Not only will it struggle with visibility, but also with the creation itself. This is why you need your pages to be interconnected with existing pages on Wikipedia to avoid it becoming an orphaned article.
How to avoid misinformation when making short pages?
The important thing about the length of any Wikipedia page is that if the subject is capable of being conveyed with a short amount of words, then it shall be. However, if the subject demands an in-depth understanding and general information regarding it, then trying to make it short can result in misinformation or incomplete information. So, try to avoid it by not branching secondary information and focusing on the subject matter itself.
What’s the difference between Wikipedia & Simple Wikipedia?
Simple Wikipedia is Wikipedia itself, without the addition of complex words, terms or industry jargon. The intention of this Wikipedia is to cater to people with different needs, such as students, children or ESL people.