An embedded citation is one method of citing sources on Wikipedia. With this method, the URL link to the source website displays within the text, like the note at the end of this sentence.[1] However, because of the difficulties in associating them with their appropriate full references, the use of embedded links for inline citations is not particularly recommended as a method of best practice. For details about the other inline citation methods see Wikipedia:Citing sources.

Description

Embedded citations provide an option for citing sources on Wikipedia. This approach is to place a numbered external link in the text of the article like this: [2] and also put a full citation in a References section.

• This style of external link should only be used as a citation for a specific section or fact. Other external links should go in an External links section as described at Wikipedia:External links.
• A separate entry in the References section is required. It should include as much information as possible about the source! If the link breaks, other editors must still be able to find the source, either as a paper copy or at another URL.
• A full citation might include the link, quoted title, author, title of publication, volume, issue, page, the date of publication, and the date retrieved.
• An embedded external link is placed after the period at the end of a sentence, or, when within a sentence, after the comma or semicolon at the end of a clause, without intervening space.
• Embedded links in references do not have to comply fully with the Wikipedia:External_links#Links to avoid guidelines. For example, in the case of an academic journal article, do not omit an external link in a full reference solely because the reference is not freely available to all readers. When multiple links are available for the same content, please choose the link that best complies with the guidelines.
• If you are not yet familiar with external link syntax, read Wikipedia:External_links#How_to_link first.

Examples

In article

Adding this text during an edit:

In 2005, Sorrell accused Murdoch of panic buying.
[http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html]

Would appear as the following, in the article, after the edit was saved:

In 2005, Sorrell accused Murdoch of panic buying.[3]

In references

A full citation may be composed by hand or using one of the citation templates developed for aiding in this process. Both techniques are shown and used below with the same result.

Adding this text during an edit:

* Plunkett, John. "[http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html 
Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying]", ''The Guardian'', 2005-10-27. Retrieved 
on [[October_27]], [[2005]].

* {{cite news 
|last=Plunkett 
|first=John 
|url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html 
|title=Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying 
|publisher=The Guardian 
|date=2005-10-27 
|accessdate=2005-10-27}}

Would appear as the following, in the article, after the edit was saved:

• Plunkett, John. "Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying", The Guardian, 2005-10-27. Retrieved on October 27, 2005.
• Plunkett, John (2005-10-27). "Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying", The Guardian. Retrieved on 27 October 2005. 

Notes

One advantage of embedded links is that it is easy for readers and editors to check sources by clicking on the links and jumping immediately to the cited articles. Another advantage is that links are easy to create and maintain.

A disadvantage is that many embedded links soon become dead links, often without sufficient information being available to find another copy. Another disadvantage is that the reader has to deal with at least two citation systems on a page, since embedded links will not work when no link is available.

See also

• Wikipedia:Citing sources
• Wikipedia:Harvard referencing
• Wikipedia:Footnotes

References

1. "Embedded citations". Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation (2007-02-08). Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
2. Plunkett, John (2005-10-27). "Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying", The Guardian. Retrieved on 27 October 2005.