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This template is used in articles to identify sentences or short passages which have an inline citation but improperly reference a primary source.
Adding {{Primary source inline|date=June 2024}} produces a superscripted notation like the following, usually placed immediately after the citation to the primary source (following <ref>...</ref> if used):
You can also 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 in response to the arguable claim that "Most people believe in ghosts":
{{Primary source inline|reason=Citation of the results of a survey on the Ghostbusters company website|date=June 2024}}Adding this template to an article places the article into one of a family of categories identifying "Articles with unsourced statements". To find all such articles, see Category:All articles with unsourced statements.
For larger paragraphs citing only primary sources, the parameter |plural= can be added:
{{Primary source inline|plural=yes}}
This template can be put into non-categorizing demo mode (also good for talk pages and other non-articles) with |demo=yesor|nocat=yes (and another value such as =y will also work).
Use this template to "tag" information or analysis that you believe is improperly or unnecessarily supported by a primary source, so that other editors can see whether this use is appropriate and/or replace it with a citation to a stronger source. Primary sources may be used on Wikipedia, but they need to be handled with care.
"Primary source" does not mean that the author is too close to the subject. As a general rule, primary sources include all scientific journal articles about experiments, "eyewitness" newspaper stories, and historical documents. If you are looking for an independent, third-party source, use {{third-party inline}} instead.
Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be removed immediately. Do not tag it: delete it. See the Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons § Remove contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced policy.
Even outside of biographies, material which is dubious and potentially harmful may be removed immediately, rather than tagged (see WP:Citing sources § Unsourced material).
{{citation needed}} tag instead.{{self-published inline}}. This template also has special features for:
{{user-generated inline}} if it comes from a user-edited site like another wiki or other publicly editable database.{{third-party inline}}.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.
Some editors object to what they perceive as overuse of inline tags, particularly in what is known as "drive-by" tagging, which is applying a dispute or cleanup tag without attempting to address the issues at all. Consider whether adding this tag in an article is the best approach before using it, and use it judiciously.
This template is intended for specific passages which need citation. For articles or sections which have significant material lacking sources (rather than just specific short passages), there are other, more appropriate templates, such as {{unreferenced}}. If the article as a whole relies on primary sources (rather than the independent, secondary sources required by the content policies), consider adding the {{primary sources}} tag to the top of the article. It can also be used to flag a section of an article: {{primary sources|section}}.
To identify sentences or short passages which have an inline citation but improperly reference a primary source.
| Parameter | Description | Type | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reason for request | reason | A note, which displays as a tooltip upon mouse hover
| String | optional |
| Month and year | date | Month and year of tagging; e.g., 'January 2013', but not 'jan13'
| String | suggested |
