Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Common outcomes

VfD etiquette

• VfD voters are expected to be familiar with the policies of Civility, Wikiquette and Don't bite the newbies.
• Don't make personal attacks against people who disagree with you.
• Don't add tally boxes to the deletion page.
• Repeat offenders of the above may be subject to temporary blocking.

Words

• COPYVIO
• Dictionary definitions
  • If the definition can be expanded to a viable encyclopedia article, add a {{stub}} tag.
  • If not, it belongs in Wiktionary; add a {{move to wiktionary}} tag.
• Foreign language texts need translation; add a {{notenglish}} tag.
  • However, try a foreign Google search, or a Babelfish translation, to see if the article is meritable; if not, mark it for deletion.
• Guidebooks and how-to texts belong in Wikisource; add a <{{move to wikisource}} tag.
• Recipes belong in Wikisource; add a {{move to wikisource}} tag.
• Neologisms are notable if they have been widely used in several parts of the world. The google test tends to be very appropriate here.
• Slang
• Quotes belong in wikiquote
• Lists of words (e.g. Latin words in the English language) belong in wiktionary
• Gibberish
• Test pages (i.e. "Hello, does this edit thingy work?") should be deleted, add a {{testpage}} tag.
• Inherently POV articles (i.e. "Best songs ever") should be deleted.
  • Sometimes, a variant page with an objective criterium (i.e. "Songs that have been #1 hits") can be created.
• Attack pages (i.e. "John Doe is a moron!")
  • Often these were good articles that were vandalized; check the 'history' tab
  • If not, they can be speedily deleted; add a {{db|attack page}} tag.

Original research

An article qualifies as original research if at least one of the following is true:

1. It introduces a theory or method of solution
2. It introduces original ideas
3. It defines new terms
4. It provides new definitions of old terms
5. It purports to refute another idea
6. It introduces neologisms

The following are not original research:

1. Listing well-known claims which have few (or possibly just one or two) adherents (e.g. Shakespearean authorship theories or Linus Pauling's advocacy of Vitamin C)
2. Listing notable claims which contradict established axioms, theories, or norms (e.g morphogenetic fields or conspiracy theories)
3. Including research that fails to provide the possibility of reproducible results (e.g. theological or philosophical theories)
4. Citing viewpoints that violate Occam's Razor, the principle of choosing the simplest explanation when multiple viable explanations are possible (e.g. Phlogiston, Aether)
5. The ideas have been accepted for publication in a peer reviewed journal
6. The ideas have become newsworthy: they have been repeatedly and independently reported in newspapers or news stories (such as the cold fusion story).

Remarks on notability

Cities and villages

• Bars, pubs, cafes and hotels should be listed on WikiTravel
• Cities themselves are notable, regardless of size
• Malls are not generally notable
• Streets are not generally notable
• Suburbs should generally be listed under the city they're part of
• Touristic information should be listed on WikiTravel
• The tag {{city-stub}} is obsolete, please don't use it.

Companies

• Blatant advertising pages are subject to deletion
• Products that have been planned but not created yet, are not generally notable
• Small companies are not generally notable

Education

• High schools are the subject of much debate, there currently exists no consensus of them
  • However, a well-written non-stub school article has a higher likelihood of being kept
• High school teachers, clubs, classrooms or lessons are not notable.
• Classes are not notable (but they are usually about a notable subject, e.g. psychology)
• Professors are notable if they have made significant contribution to one or more books (not just papers)
• Students are not notable

Entertainment

• Celebrities are notable
• Radio stations are notable if broadcast at least regionally (i.e. not limited to a single city)
• Reality show contestants should generally be listed in the article on the show
• TV stations are notable if broadcast at least regionally (i.e. not limited to a single city)

Geography

• Cities and villages are notable
• Highways and interstates are notable
• Highway exits should be listed in an article on a highway, not on a separate article
• Landmarks (i.e. lakes, mountains, etc.) are notable
• Using the tag {{geo-stub}} is discouraged, please use more specific tags (e.g. US-geo-stub).

Internet

• Communities, message boards and blogs are generally not notable
• Programming languages are notable if somewhat widely used; Google is a reasonable test
• Webcomics are notable if they have had frequent (weekly or better) updates for over a year

Literarture

• Authors and writers are notable if they have released a book (other than through vanity press)
• Books are notable if well-known, and should be listed under the author if not
• Characters from books
  • Major characters are notable if well-known, and should be listed under the book if not
  • Minor characters should be listed under the book, or in an article that lists and describes minor characters
• Fanfic is not notable
• Literary texts themselves belong in WikiSource, but tend to be copyright violations
• Locations in books follow the same guidelines as characters, see above
• Poems belong in WikiSource, but are sometimes copyright violations

Music

• Albums are notable, but please provide the name of the band, and more info than a mere tracklist
• Bands and musicians are notable if they have released an album on a notable label
• Band members should generally be listed under the band, rather than in a separate article
• Lyrics belong in WikiSource, but tend to be copyright violations
• Radio stations are notable if broadcast at least regionally (i.e. not limited to a single city)
• Songs are not generally notable, and should be listed under album or artist as appropriate
• Shows and tours of bands should be listed in the band article, not in a separate article