Quick Start

For any topic, use the "5W+H Framework":

1. Start with main article search
2. Check infobox for key facts (Who/What/When/Where)
3. Scan lead paragraph for Why/How
4. Follow 3-5 most relevant links
5. Cross-check with "References" section

Example: Search "photosynthesis" → Read lead → Check "Light-dependent reactions" link → Verify with cited sources

Workflow

Phase 1: Strategic Search

• Use specific terms over general ones ("Byzantine Empire" not "history")
• Try redirects if exact match fails
• Check disambiguation pages for precise topic
• Use "Search in:" dropdown for namespace filtering

Phase 2: Source Evaluation

• Read citation quality: [1][2] = reliable, [citation needed] = questionable
• Check article talk page for known issues
• Note protection status (semi-protected = contentious topic)
• Scan edit history for stability vs. edit wars

Phase 3: Information Synthesis

• Extract core facts from infobox
• Read full lead section (summary of entire article)
• Target specific sections via table of contents
• Follow "See also" for related concepts

Progress:

• Initial search and disambiguation
• Main article evaluation
• Cross-reference 3+ related articles
• Fact verification via citations
• Synthesis of findings

Examples

Example 1: Input: "How does CRISPR gene editing work?" Output: From main CRISPR article: Uses guide RNA (gRNA) + Cas proteins to cut DNA at specific sequences. Key mechanism: gRNA binds to target → Cas9 cuts → Cell repairs cut with new DNA. Cross-checked with "Gene editing" and "Cas9" articles. 95% of citations from peer-reviewed journals (high reliability).

Example 2: Input: "When was the Berlin Wall built and why?" Output: Built August 13, 1961 (from infobox). Why: East German government wanted to stop emigration to West Berlin (347,000 fled in 1961 alone). Cross-verified with "Inner German border" and "East German uprising of 1953" articles. Talk page shows stable consensus on dates.

Best Practices

• Start broad, go specific: "Climate change" → "Greenhouse effect" → "Carbon dioxide in atmosphere"
• Use the "Main article" links: Often lead to more detailed sub-articles
• Check image captions: Often contain concentrated factual information
• Follow citation chains: Good articles cite other reliable Wikipedia articles
• Use CTRL+F strategically: Search for years, numbers, "because", "resulted in"

Common Pitfalls

• Don't cite Wikipedia directly - use it to find primary sources in References
• Don't trust single sentences without citations, especially about controversial topics
• Don't assume redirect articles have full information - check the target article
• Don't ignore hatnotes at article tops - they often clarify scope or point to better articles
• Don't overlook regional variations (check if article has country-specific versions)