View source for Template:Obsolete source/doc

{{Documentation subpage}}

==Usage==
This [[Wikipedia:Template messages|template]] is used in articles to identify sentences or short passages with information or analysis that has a [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|citation]] to [[WP:RS|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]]''.{{dummy reference|1}}{{Obsolete source}}
<!-- Fake reference -->
:'''References'''
:1. Old edition of a list of fungal species

You can also include a {{para|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:

: <code>{{Tlx|Obsolete source|reason{{=}}This source is from 1995, but this entire fungal family was taxonomically reorganized in 2000–2001|date{{=}}{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}}}</code>

Please check that your given {{para|reason}} renders as a tooltip as intended. For instance, if you include a " character, it cuts the tooltip short.

General template for copy-pasting:

: <code>{{Tlx|Obsolete source|reason{{=}}|date{{=}}{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}}}</code>

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:Wikipedia articles with sourcing issues]].

=== When not to use ===
Note that not all citations to material that is obsolete in some contexts is citation to obsolete material in {{em|every}} context.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.

Contentious material about [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|living persons]] that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be '''removed immediately'''. Do not tag it: remove it. For more information, see the section on [[WP:BLPREMOVE|contentious material]] in the Biography of Living Persons policy.

Material which is doubtful and harmful may be removed immediately, rather than tagged. See [[Wikipedia:Citing sources#Unsourced material|Unsourced material]].

If the source is unreliable for a reason other than obsolescence, use {{tlx|Better source}} instead. If no citation is given, use {{Tlx|Citation needed}}.  If the source given is self-published, use {{tlx|Self-published inline}}.  If you think the author has a conflict of interest or is otherwise too close to the subject, use {{Tlx|Third-party inline}}.

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, {{strong|the ultimate goal is not to merely identify problems, but to fix them}}.

== See also ==
*{{Tl|Unreliable source?}}, inline template to flag a citation to a source the reliability of which is questioned but uncertain
*{{Tl|Cite check}}, article/section may have inappropriate or misinterpreted citations
*{{Tl|Refimprove}}, article/section has weak or incomplete sources/references/citations
*{{Tl|Unreferenced}}, article/section has no sources/references/citations given at all
* [[Wikipedia:Citing sources]], especially [[Wikipedia:Citing sources#Unsourced material|Unsourced material]]
* [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources]]
* [[Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup#Verifiability and sources]]
* [[Wikipedia:Template messages/Sources of articles]]
* [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check]]

{{Inline tags}}

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