Template:Refimprove section

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This template is intended to be placed at the top of sections of articles which need additional references. Many editors understand this template to be redundant when it is used on articles clearly marked as stubs.

Usage

This template also includes support for using the |date= parameter. Adding this parameter sorts the article into subcategories of Category:Articles needing additional references and out of the parent category, allowing the oldest problems to be identified and dealt with first. A bot will add this parameter if it is omitted. Be careful not to abbreviate the date, because then it will automatically add a redlinked category instead of the correct category. The simplest way to use this parameter manually is {{Refimprove section|{{subst:DATE}}}} but it can be done more explicitly as {{Refimprove section|date=August 2026}} (both result in the same output).

Listed below are three options for usage:

{{Refimprove section}}

{{Refimprove section|date=August 2026}}

{{Refimprove section|{{subst:DATE}}}}

{{Refimprove section|{{subst:DATE}}|talk=Talk page section name|small=y}}

Differences from related templates

General advantages

The naming scheme of {{Refimprove section}} parallels that used for {{Ref begin}}, {{Ref end}}, and {{Reflist}}, thereby reducing confusion in compliance with the KISS principle.

{{Refimprove section}} is easy to use.

Differences from {{Primary sources}} and {{Unreferenced}}

{{Refimprove section}} uses simple, general wording so that the template can be used any time referencing in an article section needs improvement.

Differences from {{Citation needed}}

{{Refimprove section}} works for general and specific references whereas {{Citation needed}} can only be used in place of specific references.

Unlike {{Citation needed}}, {{Refimprove section}} places a very conspicuous banner at the top of the article section.

Note that {{Citation needed}} was formerly called {{fact}}.

Redirects

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Refimprove section in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Refimprove section

This template is intended to be placed at the top of sections of articles which need additional references.

Template parameters[Edit template data]
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Month and year	`date`	Provides the month and year of the refimprove request; e.g., 'January 2013', but not 'jan13' Auto value `{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}`	String	suggested
talk	`talk`	no description	Unknown	optional
small	`small`	no description	Unknown	optional

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Refimprove section/doc.
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox and testcases pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.

v t e Citation and verifiability article maintenance templates
Sourcing	{{Circular}} {{Excessive citations}} {{Expand with relevant sources}} {{Further reading cleanup}} {{More citations needed}} {{More citations needed section}} {{More footnotes}} {{No footnotes}} {{One source}} {{One source section}} {{Only primary sources}} {{NRIS-only}} {{Partisan sources}} {{Primary sources}} {{Refexample}} {{Refexample section}} {{Religious text primary}} {{Self-published}} {{Self-reference}} {{Text-source}} {{Third-party}} {{Unreferenced}} {{Unreferenced section}} {{Unreliable sources}} {{Uncited category}} {{User-generated}}
BLP-specific	{{BLP unsourced}} {{BLP unsourced section}} {{BLP primary sources}} {{BLP self-published}} {{BLP sources}} {{BLP sources section}} {{BLP IMDb-only refimprove}} {{BLP IMDb refimprove}} {{BLP no footnotes}} {{BLP more footnotes}} {{BLP one source}}
Topic specific	{{Localist}} {{Media IMDb refimprove}} {{More medical citations needed}} {{More science citations needed}} {{Neologism}} {{Science review}} {{Unreferenced-law}} {{Unreferenced-law section}} {{Unreferenced-medical section}}
Dispute-related	{{Cite check}} {{Cite check section}} {{Disputed}} {{Dispute about}} {{Disputed section}} {{Expert needed}} {{Hoax}} {{Original research}} {{Original research section}} {{Speculation}} {{Speculation section}} {{Synthesis}} {{Verifiability}} {{Verify sources}}
Citation improvements	{{Bad linked references}} {{Citation style}} {{Citations broken}} {{Cleanup bare URLs}} {{Format footnotes}} {{Full citations needed}} {{Ibid}} {{Page numbers improve}} {{Page numbers needed}} {{Ref expand}}
General advice	Citing sources Reliable sources Maintenance template removal Citation needed Find sources Combining sources Referencing styles