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{{short description|Project page}}
{{about||the overall list style guideline|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists|embedded lists|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Embedded lists|notability requirements for a stand-alone article|Wikipedia:Notability|additional list-related material|Wikipedia:Lists}}
{{GuidelineSubcat guideline|content guideline|Stand-alone lists|WP:SAL|WP:STAND|WP:STANDALONE}}
{{Nutshell|Stand-alone lists, like other articles, are subject to [[Wikipedia:Core content policies|Wikipedia's: Core content policies]]. They should be used for [[#Appropriate topics for lists|appropriate topics]], and have clear [[#Selection criteria|selection criteria]]. A well-written [[#Lead|lead section]] is important, especially if there is little or no other non-list content.}}
{{Guideline list}}
'''Stand-alone lists''' (also referred to as '''list articles''') are [[Wikipedia:What is an article?|articles]] composed of one or more [[WP:EMBED|embedded lists]], or series of items formatted into a list. Many stand-alone lists identify their content's format in their titles, beginning with descriptors such as "'''listList of'''" ([[List of sovereign states]]), "'''timelineTimeline of'''" ([[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic]]), or similar.
 
In the interests of centralization of advice, this guideline page includes content guidelines, listed first; for style guidelines particular to stand-alone lists, atsee {{section link||Style}}; andfor naming conventions, atsee {{section link||Titles}}.
 
== Notability ==
{{excerpt|Wikipedia:Notability|Stand-alone lists|templates=-Shortcut}}
 
== List contents ==
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====Specialized list articles====
{{Shortcut|WP:TYPEOFLIST}}
 
* '''[[Wikipedia:Outlines|Outlines]]''', from the general ([[Outline of mathematics]]) to the somewhat specific ([[Outline of algebraic structures]]), are part of Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:Contents|Contents]] navigation system, and are indexed at [[Wikipedia:Contents/Outlines]]. A type of [[tree structure]], they are hierarchies of subjects organized as a structured list including headings, subheadings, and list items (usually bulleted, and preferably annotated). ''For more information, see [[outline (list)]], and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Outlines|WikiProject Outlines]].''
* '''[[:Category:Wikipedia indexes|Indices]]''', alphabetized lists of articles on a given subject, are part of Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:Contents|Contents]] navigation system, and are listed at [[Wikipedia:Contents/Indices]]. Examples include [[Index of psychology articles]] and [[Index of Syria-related articles]]. ''For more information, see [[index (publishing)]], and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indexes|WikiProject Indexes]].''
* '''[[Wikipedia:Timeline|Timelines]]''', using a [[Wikipedia:Timeline standards|standardized layout]] to present a chronological summary of a topic; examples include [[Timeline of architectural styles]] and [[Graphical timeline of the Big Bang]]. There is a special [[Wikipedia:Timeline syntax|MediaWiki timeline syntax]], but most Wikipedia timeline list articles do not presently use this recently<!--as of 2015--> introduced feature. ''For more information, see [[timeline]].''
* '''[[Order of battle]]''' &ndash; a representation of armed force components that shows the hierarchical organization and [[command structure]].
* '''[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists of works|Lists of works]]''' include [[bibliographies]] and [[discographies]]. Bibliographies are a list of relevant references for a subject area, including books, journal articles, and web articles; discographies are a listing of all recordings on which a musician or singer features, or may be compiled based on genre or record label.
* '''[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Glossaries|Glossaries]]''', using one of several [[WP:Manual of Style/Glossaries#Glossary formatting styles|glossary formatting styles]], are usually alphabetized lists of terms with annotations defining them in an encyclopedic way; examples include [[Glossary of philosophy]] and [[Glossary of pinball terms]]. The format can also be used for some other purposes. Non-encyclopedic glossary material may be migrated to [[Wiktionary]] {{crossref|(see {{section link||Lists of words}} for more information)}}. ''For more information, see [[glossary]], and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Glossaries|WikiProject Glossaries]].''
*'''[[Wikipedia:Set index articles|Set index articles]]''' &ndash; document a set of items that share the same (or a similar) name. They are different from [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation|disambiguation]] pages in that they are full-fledged articles meant to document multiple subjects, while disambiguation pages are for navigation purposes only. Not all set index articles are lists.
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Lists that are too general or too broad in scope have little value, unless they are split into sections. For example, a list of brand names would be far too long to be of value. If you have an interest in listing brand names, try to limit the scope in some way (by product category, by country, by date, etc.). This is best done by sectioning the general page under categories. When entries in a category have grown enough to warrant a fresh list-article, they can be moved out to a new page, and be replaced by a <nowiki>See [[new list]]</nowiki> link. When all categories become links to lists, the page becomes a list repository or "[[#Lists of lists|List of lists]]" and the entries can be displayed as a bulleted list.
 
Lists that are too specific are also a problem. The "list of one-eyed horse thieves from Montana" will be of little interest to anyone other than the creator of the list. A list should be defined so that a reasonable number of readers seek it out.
 
Some Wikipedians feel that some topics are unsuitable by dint of the nature of the topic. Following the policy spelled out in [[WP:NOT|What Wikipedia is not]], they feel that some topics are trivial, non-encyclopedic, or not related to human knowledge. If you create a list like the "list of shades of colors of apple sauce", be prepared to explain why you feel this list contributes to the state of human knowledge.
 
====Lists of people====
{{shortcut|WP:LISTPEOPLE|WP:PEOPLELIST}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:ALMAMATER|Wikipedia:Namechecking|WP:MEDCASE}}
Because the subject of many lists is broad, a person is typically included in a list of people only if both of the following requirements are met:
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====Lists of companies and organizations====
{{shortcut|WP:LISTCOMPANY|WP:LISTORG}}
A company or organization may be included in a list of companies or organizations whether or not it meets the [[Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies)|Wikipedia notability requirement]], unless a given list specifically requires this. If the company or organization does not have an existing article in Wikipedia, a citation to an [[Wikipedia:Independent sources|independent, reliable source]] should be provided to establish its membership in the list's group.
 
====Lists of lists====
{{shortcut|WP:LoL|WP:LISTOFLISTS|WP:LISTSOFLISTS}}
Wikipedia has many articles that are primarily or entirely lists of other lists (see [[List of lists of lists]]). On lists of lists, nonexistent lists should not be included. That is, all the links in a "lists of lists" should be active (blue, not red).
 
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===Selection criteria===
<!-- Wikipedia:Notability (people)#Lists of people links here -->
{{anchor|Inclusion criteria|reason=More common usage on WP; consider changing section name.}}{{shortcut|WP:LSC|WP:SELCRIT|WP:LISTCRIT|WP:LISTCRITERIA}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Notability (people)#Lists of people|Wikipedia:Notability#Stand-alone lists|Template:List criteria}}
{{further information|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists#Adding individual items to a list}}
 
{{em|Selection criteria}} (also known as {{em|inclusion criteria}} or {{em|membership criteria}}) should be unambiguous, objective, and supported by [[WP:RS|reliable sources]]. [[WP:no original research|Avoid original]] or [[WP:IINFO|arbitrary]] criteria that would [[WP:SYNTH|synthesize]] a list that is not plainly [[WP:V|verifiable]] in reliable sources. In cases where the membership criteria are subjective or likely to be disputed (for example, lists of [[Wikipedia:Unusual articles|unusual things]] or [[List of terrorist incidents|terrorist incidents]]), it is especially important that inclusion be based on reliable sources given with [[WP:CITE|inline citations]] for each item.
 
When establishing membership criteria for a list, ask yourself if any of the following are true:
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As [[WP:Wikipedia is an encyclopedia|Wikipedia is an encyclopedia]] and [[WP:NOT|not]] a directory, repository of links, or means of promotion, and should not contain indiscriminate lists, only certain types of lists should be exhaustive. Criteria for inclusion should factor in encyclopedic and topical [[WP:Relevance|relevance]], not just verifiable existence. For example, all known species within a taxonomic family are relevant enough to include in a list of them, but [[List of Norwegian musicians]] would not be encyclopedically useful if it indiscriminately included every garage band mentioned in a local Norwegian newspaper. While [[WP:Notability|notability]] is often a criterion for inclusion in overview lists of a broad subject, it may be too stringent for narrower lists; one of the functions of many lists on Wikipedia is providing an avenue for the retention of encyclopedic information that does not warrant separate articles, so [[WP:Common sense|common sense]] is required in establishing criteria for a list. Avoid [[WP:Red link|red-linking]] list entries that are not likely to have their own article soon or ever.
 
====Documenting selection criteria====
{{shortcut|WP:DOCLISTCRIT}}
Once [[WP:consensus|consensus]] on selection criteria is achieved, it should be documented in two places. First, it should be clearly described in the list's [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists#Introductory material|introductory material]]. Second, it should be added to the list article's talk page, using [[Template:List criteria]], including a link to document where the consensus was established. If list criteria include acceptable [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid|self-references to Wikipedia]] (see "common selection criteria" below), it should be formatted in the article using [[Template:Self-reference link]].
 
In contrast, list articles lacking sufficient statements of list criteria should be tagged with [[Template:List missing criteria]].
 
====Common selection criteria====
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Lists are commonly written to satisfy one of the following sets of objective criteria:
 
* {{anchor|all notable}} ''Every entry meets the [[Wikipedia:Notability|notability criteria]]'' for its own non-[[WikipediaWP:RedirectWhat is an article?|redirectarticle]] article in the English Wikipedia. [[Wikipedia:Red link|Red-linked entries]] are acceptable if the entry is [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|verifiably]] a member of the listed group and it is reasonable to expect an article could be forthcoming in the near future. Red-linked entries should be accompanied by citations sufficient to show that the entry is sufficiently notable for an article to be written on it (i.e., citations showing [[WP:SIGCOV|significant coverage in reliable sources independent of the subject]]). This standard prevents Wikipedia from becoming a collection of [[WP:IINFO|indiscriminate lists]]; prevents individual list articles from becoming targets for [[WP:SPAM|spam]] and [[WP:PROMO|promotion]]; and keeps individual lists to a size that is manageable for readers.
* {{anchor|all not notable}} ''Every entry in the list fails the notability criteria''. These lists are created explicitly because most or all of the listed items do not warrant independent articles: for example, [[List of Dilbert characters|List of ''Dilbert'' characters]] or [[List of paracetamol brand names]]. Such lists are almost always better placed within the context of an article on their "parent" topic. Before creating a stand-alone list, consider carefully whether such lists would be better placed within a "parent" article. (Note that this criterion is never used for living people.)
* {{anchor|complete and verifiable}} ''Short, complete lists of every item that is verifiably a member of the group''. These should only be created if a complete list is reasonably short (less than 32&nbsp;[[kilobyte|KKB]]) and could be useful (e.g., for navigation) or interesting to readers. The inclusion of items must be supported by reliable sources. For example, [[Listed buildings in Rivington]]. If reliable sources indicate that a complete list would include the names of ten notable businessesbuildings and two non-notable businessesbuildings, then you are not required to omit the two non-notable businessesbuildings. However, if a complete list would include hundreds or thousands of entries, then you should use the notability standard to provide focus to the list.
 
"Creation guide" lists—lists devoted to a large number of [[Wikipedia:Red link|redlinked]] (unwritten) articles, for the purpose of keeping track of which articles still need to be written—don't belong in the main namespace. Write these in your userspace, or in a [[WP:Wikiproject|Wikiproject]]'s space, or list the missing articles at [[Wikipedia:Requested articles]].
 
===Citing sources===
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Stand-alone lists are subject to Wikipedia's content policies and guidelines for articles, including [[WP:Verifiability|verifiability]] and [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|citing sources]]. This means statements should be [[WP:BURDEN|sourced where they appear]], and they must provide [[Wikipedia:Inline citations|inline citations]] if they contain any of the [[WP:MINREF|four kinds of material absolutely required to have citations]].
 
When an inline citation is not required by a sourcing policy and editors choose to name more sources than strictly required, then either [[Wikipedia:General references|general references]] or inline citations may be used. It is generally presumed that [[Wikipedia:You don't need to cite that the sky is blue|obviously appropriate material]], such as the inclusion of [[Appleapple]] in the [[Listlist of fruits]], does not require an inline citation.
<!-- CONTENT GUIDELINE ENDS HERE -->
 
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====Taxonomic links====
For many genera there may be a considerable number of species. For the smaller genera a [[Wikipedia:taxobox|taxobox]] may suffice but for the more speciose including genera such as ''[[Anopheles]]'' it is probably better to move these into their own page. The bulk of the page will be taken up by the list. Such lists do qualify as encyclopedic: for many of these genera there are specialized monographs to assist in the identification of these species.
 
===Bulleted and numbered lists===
* Do not use lists if a passage is read easily as plain paragraphs.
* Use proper wikimarkup- or template-based list code ''(see [[WP:Manual of Style/Lists]] and [[Help:List]])''.
* Do not leave blank lines between items in a bulleted or numbered list unless there is a reason to do so, since this causes the Wikiwiki software to interpret each item as beginning a new list.
* Use numbers rather than bullets only if:
** a need to refer to the elements by number may arise;
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==Titles<span id="Naming conventions"></span>==
{{main|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (lists)}}
{{For2for|multi-page lists (a.k.a. "long lists")|{{section link|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (lists)|#Long (split) list naming recommendations}}}}
{{Subcat guideline|section=y|naming convention|lists, stand alone|WP:LISTNAME|WP:NCLIST|WP:NCSAL}}
{{Bad summary|section|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (lists)#Long (split) list naming recommendations}}
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* [[Help:Table]]
* [[Portal:Contents/Outlines]]
* [[Wikipedia:Comparison Articles and Original Research]]
 
 
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Stand-alone_lists"