Template:Obsolete source
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Template documentationUsage[edit]
This template is used in articles to identify sentences or short passages with information or analysis that has a citation to an insufficiently reliable source because the source has been surpassed by a newer edition, a followup article, a widely accepted rebuttal, a retraction, or some other advance in knowledge. It produces a superscripted notation like the following:
- The scientific name of powdery mildew fungus is Sphaerotheca fuliginea.[1][obsolete source]
- References
- 1. Old edition of a list of fungal species
You can also include a |reason= note, which displays as a tooltip upon mouse hover, to leave a better record for future editors. For example, the following usage might be appropriate when later sources indicate a taxonomic change:
{{Obsolete source|reason=This source is from 1995, but this entire fungal family was taxonomically reorganized in 2000–2001|date=January 2025}}
Please check that your given |reason= renders as a tooltip as intended. For instance, if you include a " character, it cuts the tooltip short.
General template for copy-pasting:
{{Obsolete source|reason=|date=January 2025}}
Adding this template to an article places the article into Category:All articles lacking reliable references (and its dated equivalent), part of a family of categories identifying articles with reliable-sourcing issues. To find all such articles, see Category:Articles with sourcing issues.
When not to use[edit]
Note that not all citations to material that is obsolete in some contexts is citation to obsolete material in every context. For example, in an article section on changes in standardized writing style, it is perfectly reasonable to cite a 1950s edition of a style and grammar guide for what its rule was on a particular matter in that era, even if its present edition recommends something completely different.
Material which is doubtful and harmful may be removed immediately, rather than tagged. If no citation is given, use {{Citation needed}}.
If you have the time and ability to find a better reference, please do so. Then correct the citation yourself, or correct the article text. After all, the ultimate goal is not to merely identify problems, but to fix them.
See also[edit]
- {{Unreliable source?}}, inline template to flag a citation to a source the reliability of which is questioned but uncertain
- {{Refimprove}}, article/section has weak or incomplete sources/references/citations
- {{Unreferenced}}, article/section has no sources/references/citations given at all
