This template is used in articles to identify an example that has one or more inline citations but which fall under self-sourcing examples in popular culture. It produces a superscripted notation like the following:
- References
- 1. Walt Disney (1940). Pinocchio.
- 2. Nugent, Frank S. (February 8, 1940). "Pinocchio - The Screen in Review". The New York Times.
Example template usage for copy-pasting:
{{Better source needed example|date=February 2026}}
{{Better source needed example|date=February 2026|importance=yes}}
{{Better source needed example|date=February 2026|reason=Provide reason here}}
{{Better source needed example|reason=The citation discusses the example in a different context than the one in the article|date=February 2026}}
Usage
You can include a |reason= note, which displays as a tooltip upon mouse hover, to leave a better record for future editors. For example, the following usage might be appropriate when the source discusses the example is an example in one context, while the article discusses the example in a different context:
{{Better source needed example|reason=The citation discusses the significance of the example (Jiminy Cricket) in a different context (films) than the one in the article (literature)}}
- References
- 1.Vincent H. Resh; Ring T. Cardé (2009), "Insects in Movies", Encyclopedia of Insects, Academic Press, pp. 668–674, ISBN 9780080920900
Set the parameter |importance= to any non-empty value to produce the superscript [importance?], or use {{importance example}} to question the example's importance:
Adding this template to an article places the article into Category:All articles lacking reliable references or a dated subcategory thereof, part of a family of categories identifying articles with reliable-sourcing issues. To find all such articles, see Category:Wikipedia articles with sourcing issues.
The optional |date= parameter is allowed; it requires using a non-abbreviated month name and four-digit year. A bot will add this parameter if it is omitted. The simplest way to use this parameter manually is to copy the following example:
{{Better source needed example|date=February 2026}}
A user warning template, {{Uw-refexample}}, is available to notify contributors that an article they created needs its referencing improved.
When not to use
Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be removed immediately. Do not tag it: remove it. For more information, see the section on contentious material in the Biography of Living Persons policy.
Material which is doubtful and harmful may be removed immediately, rather than tagged. See Unsourced material.
If no citation is given, use the {{Citation needed}} tag instead. If the source given is self-published, use {{Self-published inline}}. If you think the author has a conflict of interest or is otherwise too close to the subject, use {{Third-party inline}}. If the source has been surpassed by a newer, reliable publications that no longer support the claim in the article, use {{Obsolete source}}.
If you have the time and ability to find a better reference, please do so. Then correct the citation yourself, or correct the article text. After all, the ultimate goal is not to merely identify problems, but to fix them.
See also
- {{Self-sourcing examples}}, article/section has self-sourcing examples
