Wikipedia Translation Guidelines and Best Practices
Translating content for Wikipedia requires more than just linguistic accuracy; it involves adhering to specific community standards to ensure content quality, proper categorization, and legal compliance regarding copyright. Following these structured steps ensures that translated articles are integrated seamlessly into the encyclopedia.
Key Facts
- Categorization: Specifying a topic is essential for large categories (e.g., those with over 1,210 articles).
- Quality Control: Unreliable or low-quality source text should not be translated.
- Attribution: Copyright attribution is mandatory in the edit summary.
- Documentation: The {{Translated}} template should be used on the talk page.
Managing Content Categorization
When adding a new translation to a main category that is already densely populated—such as those containing 1,210 or more articles—it is important to specify a more precise topic. Using the | topic = parameter helps maintain an organized structure and makes the content more discoverable for readers and editors.
Quality Assurance and Verification
Accuracy is the cornerstone of Wikipedia. Editors are advised against translating text that appears to be unreliable or of low quality. To maintain high standards, editors should verify the claims in the source text by checking the references provided within the original foreign-language article before proceeding with the translation.
Copyright and Attribution Requirements
Because translated content is a derivative work, proper copyright attribution is required. This must be documented in the edit summary accompanying the translation.
Using Interlanguage Links
The most effective way to provide attribution is by including an interlanguage link to the source article. For example, a model attribution summary would state: "Content in this edit is translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at [[:Ru:Сефевие]]; see its history for attribution."
Talk Page Documentation
In addition to the edit summary, editors may add the {{Translated|Ru|Сефевие}} template to the article's talk page to provide a clear record of the translation's origin for other contributors.
Translation Workflow Summary
| Phase | Action Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Verify source quality and references | Ensure reliability |
| Categorization | Specify | topic = for large categories |
Improve organization |
| Attribution | Add interlanguage link to edit summary | Legal copyright compliance |
| Documentation | Add {{Translated}} template to talk page | Transparency for editors |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if the source text seems unreliable?
You should not translate text that appears to be low-quality or unreliable. Whenever possible, verify the information using the references provided in the original foreign-language article.
How do I handle attribution for a translated article?
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary by including an interlanguage link to the source article and directing users to its history for full attribution.
Why is specifying a topic necessary for some categories?
In main categories that are very large (for instance, those with 1,210 articles), specifying a topic helps with better categorization and navigation.
Where should the translation template be placed?
The {{Translated}} template should be added to the talk page of the article.
Where can I find more detailed guidance on this process?
Further instructions and comprehensive guidance can be found at Wikipedia:Translation.