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To add a reference in Wikidata, open the statement, click "add reference", and choose a sourcing property: P248 (stated in) for a published or catalogued work, or P854 (reference URL) for a web page, ideally with P813 (retrieved) for the access date. A good reference cites the underlying source, not another Wikimedia project. The most common mistake is leaving statements unreferenced or relying on P143 (imported from), which reviewers treat as no source at all.
Why do references matter so much in heritage data?
A statement without a reference is an assertion no one can verify, and in heritage work — where dates, attributions and provenance are routinely contested — that is fatal to trust. Referenced statements survive scrutiny, can be re-checked years later, and let downstream users decide for themselves how much to rely on a claim. They are also what distinguishes a serious institutional contribution from anonymous guesswork.
How do I add a reference through the web interface?
- Find the statement (for example, a
P571inception date). - Click add reference beneath it.
- Choose the sourcing property —
P248(stated in) orP854(reference URL). - Fill the value: a work item for
P248, a full URL forP854. - Add
P813(retrieved) with today's date for web sources. - Save.
For a catalogue entry the result reads "inception: 1605, stated in: Catalogue of the Beverley Archive". That is defensible.
Which reference properties should I reach for?
| Property | Meaning | Use for |
|---|---|---|
P248 | stated in | published works, catalogues (as items) |
P854 | reference URL | web pages, online catalogues |
P813 | retrieved | the access date of a URL |
P1476 | title | the title of the cited page/work |
P304 | page(s) | exact page reference |
P143 | imported from | bot provenance only — NOT a real source |
Prefer P248 when the source is itself a catalogued item, because it links into the graph; use P854 for live web resources and pair it with P813.
How do I reference statements in bulk?
Doing this one statement at a time does not scale. In QuickStatements, append the S-properties on the same line as the statement:
text
Q42 P571 +1605-00-00T00:00:00Z/9 S248 Q123456 S304 "f. 12r"In OpenRefine, define a reference block in the schema once and it applies to every row in the upload. This is the practical way to source a whole collection import rather than leaving thousands of bare claims.
What makes a reference reliable enough to survive review?
Editors remove references that are circular or non-reliable. Three rules keep yours intact:
- Cite the source, not Wikipedia. Referencing a Wikipedia article is circular; cite what that article cites.
- Use stable links. A dead
P854URL is little better than none — add an archived copy where you can. - Be specific. "Stated in a book" is weak; "stated in Catalogue X, page 12" is strong.
A reference that another editor can follow and confirm is the goal.
What pitfalls trip people up most?
The biggest is treating P143 (imported from Wikimedia project) as a real reference — it only records that a bot copied data and carries no evidential weight. Others include referencing the wrong granularity (citing a whole database when a specific record exists), forgetting the retrieved date on volatile web pages, and over-referencing trivially obvious statements while leaving the genuinely contested ones bare. Spend your sourcing effort where the claim is actually challengeable.
Key Takeaways
- Reference every challengeable statement; unsourced claims do not survive scrutiny.
- Use
P248(stated in) for catalogued works andP854(reference URL) for web pages. - Always add
P813(retrieved) to URL references and archive volatile links. P143(imported from) is bot provenance, not a reliable source.- Apply references in bulk via QuickStatements
S-properties or an OpenRefine schema block. - Cite the underlying source specifically, never another Wikimedia project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every statement on Wikidata need a reference?
Not strictly, but every non-trivial or challengeable statement should have one. Facts derived from a published source, an archive or a database are far more trustworthy and survive scrutiny when referenced.
What is the difference between 'imported from' and a real reference?
P143 (imported from Wikimedia project) records where a bot copied data and is not considered a reliable source. A real reference cites the underlying authority, such as a stated-in publication or a reference URL.
Which property should I use to cite a website?
Use P854 (reference URL) for the link, ideally with P813 (retrieved) for the access date and P1476 (title) where useful. For a published work, prefer P248 (stated in) pointing to the work's item.
Can I add the same reference to many statements at once?
Yes. In QuickStatements append the S-properties to each line, and in OpenRefine map a reference block in the schema so it applies across rows. Manually, you copy the reference block between statements.
Why was my reference removed by another editor?
Common reasons are citing a non-reliable source, circular references to Wikipedia, or a dead link with no archive. Use stable, citable sources and add an archived URL where possible.
Should I reference with a URL or a stated-in item?
Prefer P248 (stated in) for published or catalogued sources because it links to a structured item; use P854 (reference URL) for web pages, ideally alongside a retrieved date.