Wikipedia:Vagueness
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This essay contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints. Consider these views with discretion. |
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This page in a nutshell: Try to use clear and well defined words in all articles. |
Pronouns are neat little words, they allow you write a word only a couple of times and use a short word instead. Unfortunately, sometimes people use pronouns without using a noun first, resulting in utter confusion for the reader. Imagine an article on Marie Curie simply called "her", Wouldn't that be confusing? Here are some possible examples:
On Joseph Biden's article:
Wrong: Palin was picked as his running mate Whose?
Better: Palin was picked as John McCain's running mate.
On the Salton Sea article:
Wrong: For decades they have contaminated the lake. What?
Much Better: For decades pesticides have contaminated the lake.
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[edit] Vague Time
Phrases such as "in the past", "presently", "soon" and "once was" reduce the clarity of an article when used too often. Worse yet, without citations they can be used to make false claims and statements. Here's some possible examples:
Vague: In a few years, New York City will begin installing parking meters that accept credit cards.
Better: In three years, New York City will begin installing parking meters that accept credit cards.
Vague: In the past, few people opposed slavery.
Better Before the 1800s, few people opposed slavery.
Vague: The Catholic Church was once the single supreme authority in Europe.
Better: During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the single supreme authority in Europe.
Of course, sometimes an exact date is not known, or disputed. In the case of a disputed historical date, use a question mark or a "c" (for "circa") after the date. For example, The birth of Grace O' Malley's birthdate is believed to be around 1530, so it could be written as: Grace O' Malley was born in 1530?. Or: Grace O' Malley was born c.1530. the latter is generally preferred in an encyclopedia. The use of vague time words is sometimes acceptable when talking about the future, just try to avoid them whenever possible and try to be as specific as you can. Also remember, Wikipedia is not a crystal ball so avoid speculative statements in all articles.
[edit] Vague Words and Incorrect Statements
When used by the merely clueless, vague words make an article confusing and cause them to lack possibly important information. In the hands of those with more sinister intents, they can be used to make articles that are readable enough to impart wrong or biased information, but confusing enough to prevent readers from questioning the reliability or factuality of the article. Vandals can also vandalize an article by replacing specific information with vague statements. Always use citations, especially when - for whatever reason - you must use somewhat vague words. Doing this helps Wikipedia become more reliable and accurate.
[edit] How to Improve Vague Articles
When you come across an article that is very vague, begin by replacing vague statements with clearer facts. If you lack the time or the expertise to do so, use one of the tags below:
| Tag | Template that will be shown (and correct usage) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| {{cleanup-confusing}} |
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| {{vague}} |
[vague]
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| {{Specific time}} |
[Specific Time?]
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| {{when}} |
[when?]
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