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This world is home to billions of humans, and these humans are then divided into thousands of different cultures. Around the globe, there are so many different cultures followed, with different aspects of what they eat, what they wear, and what way they speak. Even though we all communicate with each other using words, these words are not the same everywhere. People around the globe speak with each other in hundreds of different languages.
The language we speak is the identity of our culture and our mode of communication with others. Using language, we talk to people, express our feelings, and understand what they are trying to say to us. It is how we connect with one another. Among all these hundreds of languages, there’s one that rules all; the English Language.
It is one of the most spoken languages around the world and has reached the level of being an international language. A language that is recognized as a mode of connection between two or more cultures from different parts of the world. A language that is used all over the internet to share information with people, to answer their questions, and more importantly, a language that is the basis of the world’s largest online encyclopedia; Wikipedia.
But here’s a question, is it necessary that everyone in the world know and understand English? What if people cannot understand English, they cannot write and read the language? What will they do? Will they not have access to the largest source of information on the internet? Or will they have to learn the English language in order to get their answers?
Well, you don’t have to worry, because Wikipedia has not limited itself to those who can only understand English. Wikipedia is a site that was created with an aim to answer the questions of individuals across the globe, it was aimed to become the ultimate answer book for the world! Thus, no language could become a barrier for someone who wants to get their answer through Wikipedia.
You can create a Wikipedia page in any language you want, and not just that, Wikipedia has an option in which each article on Wikipedia could be translated into up to 300 languages spoken around the world.
All you need to learn is how to create a Wikipedia page in another language, and for that, Wiki Specialist Inc. has created this guide to help you out so you can do it with ease. Follow the guide till the last step, and we are sure you will have a Wikipedia page in the language that you want!
Step 1. Understanding The General Rules of Page Creation
If your aim is to create a Wikipedia page in another language and not translate the already existing one, it is important that you begin from the beginning. To start from scratch, you need to understand a few general policies and guidelines set by Wikipedia that must be followed by all new entries that must get on the platform. These rules are important as they decide the fate of your page and whether it gets published or rejected by Wikipedia. Among all the other policies and guidelines set by Wikipedia, we have listed three of the most important ones that you must know before you set your foot on Wikipedia. Take a look and understand them the best you can;
1. Notability Policy
Even though Wikipedia is the largest online platform that allows editing and writing authority to anyone around the world, it is very clear about one thing; the eligibility criteria to get on Wikipedia. The criteria are pretty simple; if you are notable enough, you can get a Wikipedia page. Here, notability is referred to the online presence of the subject on other platforms on the internet.
The rule is if Wikipedia could not find you or the subject you are writing the page about on different online platforms, it will not recognize your existence, and your page request will be denied. No matter what language you are writing in, if the notability principle is not met, you cannot get on the internet.
2. Content Policies
No matter what language you are writing a Wikipedia page in, you will obviously be adding information on that page because then what’s the point of having a Wikipedia blank page? So, the content is basically what makes or breaks your page, Wikipedia has made three core content policies, and all of these are extremely important to know for anyone who wants to have a Wikipedia page despite the language they want to use. Take a look;
3. Neutral Point of View
If you are not neutral on Wikipedia, you cannot be on Wikipedia. The platform is very clear that it is not a marketing page, a blog, or any promotional site; it is an encyclopedia and must be treated like that. All the content that you want to add to your page must be written with a neutral point of view and could not use biased or personal opinions.
4. No Original Research
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia where you add information from different platforms on the internet. So, there’s no room for adding original information. Wikipedia has no original research rule according to which any fact, statement, theory, allegation, or achievement that has not been published on reliable secondary resources could not be added on Wikipedia.
5. Verifiability
For Wikipedia, having verifiable content on any page is extremely necessary. No matter which language the page is being created in, you need to make sure the content you are adding to the page can be verifiable through reliable secondary resources. This means that for any statement or fact that you are stating on Wikipedia, you must provide a credible source to back that information up, or you might end up failing the verifiability test on Wikipedia. This rule is extremely important as Wikipedia is a global platform that needs to have credible information to keep its status as the largest source of information.
6. Vandalism
Vandalism is the most common activity on Wikipedia, especially if any article is being translated to any other language. By vandalism, we mean editing an existing article on Wikipedia by targeting the subject in a negative way and adding false information. Many people end up doing that while translating an article into other languages because they might think that most people will not understand this; well, that might be true, but Wikipedia understands that very clearly! So, if you think you can get away with vandalism on Wikipedia, you cannot. Yes, there would be no problem if the statement you add is credible and true, but if it is a false accusation, Wikipedia will deny your edit request.
Step 2. Select The Language From The Beginning
The best answer to your question of how to create a Wikipedia page in another language is to find your language from the beginning. As you open Wikipedia and go to the main page, you can see a globe of Wikipedia with several languages written across it. Not just that, you will see a search bar on the side of which you can see the initials EN written before the search icon initially. That EN means English, the language in which Wikipedia initially opens at.
See the drop-down arrow near the initials and click on it to open a dialogue box with a list of different languages spoken around the globe. Select the language that you want to work in and search. If you want to find an existing article, you can write the title of the article in the search bar along with the required language to see if that article is available in your language or not. And if not, don’t worry; you can always translate that into your language.
Another way to find your language and the list of articles written in your language is to click on the “read Wikipedia in your language” box and find your language under the list. Select your language, and you will be directed to a page where you can see a list of articles written in your language or have been translated to it.
Step 3. Create Your Account
Usually, account creation is always the first step of starting your journey on Wikipedia. But to make things easier for you in the later process, we have made you choose your language first and then create your account in that language only. So, now that you have selected your language of choice, it is time that you create your account.
On the top-right corner of your page, you can see “create account” written in your language. No matter if you have chosen Deutsch, Italiano, French, or any other language, that tab will always be there. Click on the tab, and you will be taken to the page on which you will be asked to enter your basic details such as username, email address, password, and CAPTCHA.
It is recommended that you use your nickname instead of real so that whenever you make edits or create a page, your real name is not shown to the world. We are recommending this for security purposes and not if you intend to practice wrong edits or vandalism. Another thing to keep in mind is to provide a verifiable email address because Wikipedia will send you a link to verify your account.
Step 4. Create Your Wikipedia Page
After your account creation in your own language, now let’s get to the ultimate goal, page creation. Go to create a page and start searching for the title you wish your page to have. As you will start writing in the search bar, you will be shown either a blue or a red link by Wikipedia that will decide whether or not you can have a page with the same title you are searching for.
Wikipedia has a policy according to which no two pages can have the same title, and a blue link would mean that there is a page under the title you are searching for, and you cannot use it. While a red link is a green signal for you to keep going and tells you that the title you are searching for is unique and does not have any Wikipedia page.
Getting a red link on Wikipedia when you are using another language is pretty easy because there are chances that the title has not been used in your language. So, there’s a plus point for you!
Step 5. Write Content
Now things are pretty easy for you, all left is adding the content and getting the page submitted to Wikipedia. Start writing the information you have collected through credible secondary sources on Wikipedia to create an article that could easily get approved by Wikipedia. Shape your content in a neutral yet interesting way so that your readers could stay with you till the end.
Divide the content into headings and subheadings and create small paragraphs so that you don’t end up with jargon of words. The reason behind this is that the attention span of a reader is pretty less, and you will make it even lesser by writing a big page with continuous sentences.
Lastly, add citations for everything that you are writing on Wikipedia. Not just throughout the article but in the last as the list of references. Since you will be doing all of it in the language you have chosen, make sure you translate the citations as well to that language.
Step 6. Submit The Final Draft
Stay put, you are almost there. Once you are done with the content writing for your Wikipedia article, you need to give it a read to make sure that there are no obvious errors. After being satisfied, it is time for you to submit your final draft to Wikipedia and wait for approval. This could take a while, but you can relax if you have followed all the guidelines we have mentioned.
The Bottom Line
Creating a Wikipedia page in another language is a tough task. There are many things to look at, from language to Wikipedia guidelines and rules to create a page that could get approved. If you are new to Wikipedia, we are sure this all might be too much for you to take in. Hence, to make things easier for you, you can contact us at Wiki Specialist Inc. We will take the trouble off you and do the job for you. Not only do we know how to create the best Wikipedia page, but also we can create a Wikipedia page for you in any language that you want. Call us now!
