What sources can I use?
editFirst and foremost, remember that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia – not a medical journal, or a clinical practice guideline, or a "compendium of everything". This means we do not try to be the "breaking news" of the medical field – there are quite literally hundreds of academic journals dedicated to that topic which we can let be the breaking news. This means that we don't just write what any source says – instead summarizing what we consider "MEDRS" (medical reliable sources). The guideline is linked there, but you can also find it by typing its shortcut, WP:MEDRS, into Wikipedia's search bar. To summarize, we prefer secondary sources such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and similar sources. We also prefer newer over older – because both clinical knowledge and clinical practice change over time – meaning what was true in 2000 might have changed. Sources from the last five years are preferred, but an older source may be used if there is absolutely no newer source available. Very rarely is it appropriate to cite a primary source such as a single randomized controlled trial, case report, or other study – and if it is appropriate, it's important to identify the content as such, for example A study in 2020 found... – or similar. There are literally dozens, if not hundreds of high quality journal articles published daily – and again, Wikipedia is an encyclopedia – our job is not to just copy everything the journals publish. Wikipedia strives to publish content based on medical consensus and well established science – even if some studies/articles disagree. We also are not a clinical guideline or resource – while it may be acceptable and beneficial for a resource such as UpToDate to include the results of every study that contradicts each other, that is not within the scope of what Wikipedia is. It is also always important to consider the soundness of the research, article, and journal – for example, not including content from "predatory" journals or those which have a low quality of peer review process.
How can I cite my sources?
editThe easiest way to cite your sources is by using the reference toolbar built into the edit window in source mode, or to use the reference button in visual edit mode. The reference toolbar can be selected by clicking "cite" on the edit toolbar, and then selecting the type of resource you'd like to cite – primarily this will be book (for things like books, textbooks, etc) or journal (for published journal articles). To make it quicker, you can input a DOI, or PubMedID in the appropriate fields, and click the magnifying class next to the field to "auto fill" the source information – but be sure to double check it pulls the correct and complete information. You can also add a "name" to the reference – which should be a clear indication of which reference it is. The name will show up as so: <ref name="NAME"> and should be something that can be recognized – for example "journal year" or "author year", or similar. If you wish to input another citation to the same reference, instead of creating a new citation, you can just input <ref name="NAME" /> – note the forward slash before the closing bracket in that code. This will number the reference the same in both instances – helping people see which information is cited to the same resource, and helping make sure the references section is easier to read by preventing duplicate references from clogging it up. If you have any other questions about citing sources, please don't hesitate to ask on WT:MED.
How should I write?
editWikipedia has articles written in an encyclopedic tone – this means we do not offer guidance, advice, or "help" to people reading. Your edits should not include statements like "you should" or "how to" type statements, nor should it be written as if it is giving advice to people. Generally speaking, it's best to just try to only report the facts – and let people make their own decisions as to whether it's applicable or how to apply it. Some examples are below, but feel free to ask at the Medicine Project talk page if you have any specific questions:
- You should get an exam/screening every year to check your cholesterol – instead say Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association recommend screening people for high cholesterol yearly – with a citation to the guideline, of course.
- Take this medication with food, and do not drive or drink alcohol on this medication as it may make you drowsy – instead say <medication> is best absorbed when it is taken with food. One common adverse effect of <medication> is drowsiness, which may impair driving ability and be enhanced if alcohol is consumed in combination with it
- If you have these symptoms, see your doctor or similar – do not include these sorts of statements at all in an article – just report the facts of the symptoms.
It's also important to write from a neutral, and global point of view – this means we do not attempt to take sides in a debate. If there is genuine disagreement as to the correct course of action, or whether one thing or another is true, we will report both sides of the issue, respecting the amount of consensus in the scientific community each has – this means for example that an article may include information that you yourself do not agree with or use in practice. The important thing is to attribute the statements to their sources – for example, by saying "In <country>, guidelines from <whoever> recommend XYZ" and including multiple countries as applicable.
What if my edits are removed or edited?
editFirst, it's important to remember that while you own your contributions, you do not control what happens to them after you contribute them. Wikipedia is a collaborative project, which means that other people will, and are encouraged to improve upon your contributions. Furthermore, people are allowed to legitimately disagree with whether your sources are acceptable, or to make edits to your content to make it easier to read or better in other ways. The important thing to do when you disagree with another editor is to discuss the issue with them – you can do this by going to the "talk page" for the article, found either by clicking the "Talk" or "Discuss" link at the top of the page, or by adding Talk: in front of the article title. You can ask another editor to join the discussion by "pinging" them, using the following code at the beginning of your comment: {{ping|USERNAME}} – this will notify them of your post. Through discussion, you can resolve your differences/concerns with the content and come to a consensus about what the best action is.