Wikipedia:Article wizard/version1/old/biography

Writer's checklist

Biography requirements

General information

Writing about yourself or people close to you is strongly discouraged. Wikipedia has a notability guideline to determine which biographies merit an article of their own. The person must have been the subject of published secondary sources that are reliable and independent of the subject. Some good indicators of notability are things such as: The person has received significant recognized awards or honors. Politicians who have held international, national or statewide/provincewide office, and members and former members of a national, state or provincial legislature. Entertainers with significant roles in notable films, television shows, stage performances, and other productions. The person is known for originating a significant new concept, theory, or technique. Living people About one in ten Wikipedia articles are about a living person. Articles on living people have unique challenges which make them more difficult to maintain. Wikipedia's greatest gaps in content are in other areas. Please consider carefully whether the person merits an article before creation. Wikipedia has a strict policy about biographies of living persons. Any information about a living person must come from a reliable source.

Are you ready to write?

If your article meets the above criteria, you're almost ready to start writing it! Before you begin writing, there are just a few things to do first.

• Check your sources. All Wikipedia articles should be written based on reliable sources and those sources should be listed in the article.
• Check your facts. Make sure everything is correct and you have information to provide adequate context to all potential readers.
• Consider taking a tour first through our tutorial to learn how to format your text using our easy-to-use markup language.

Then: