Wikipedia:Put a little effort into it

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This page in a nutshell: When creating a new article, try to put in at least a little bit more than just the absolute minimum.

If you want to start building a house, why not lay at least a few bricks?

Not every article comes out of the chute as featured article-class, we all know that. Articles have to grow over time to represent Wikipedia's best work. There's nothing wrong with just a stub. But if you're going to make a stub, at least put a little effort into it. Even just a one-sentence stub becomes a little more if you leave a useful external link or a couple of categories, or even a specified stub template, to give the next user in line a little bit more to go on.

Leaving even one source will also give a jumping-off point for the next writer in line, so that he or she can maybe read the source and use it to add info from the article. Any dab of "basic" information will be very helpful. If it's a singer who's had a chart single, at least mention that in the article. If it's an author, maybe add a bit about what makes his or her works notable. If it's an actor, maybe list a couple of his or her major roles. If it's an album, at the very least provide a tracklist. Even adding an infobox is always a good idea.

Just saying "(name of person/place/thing) is/was a (blank)." and nothing else is about the least amount of effort one can contribute to an article, and while it is by no means a sign of laziness, a little more context may just help an article avoid speedy deletion.

See also