User:Pigsonthewing/Citations - the future

This is a sketch of how I envisage citations might operate, in the long term.

For each work, create a Wikidata¹ entry, Qnnnnn
- This will include author(s) (and possibly their ORCID(s), if there is no separate item), title, publisher/journal, ISBN/ISSN/DOI, etc. Maybe also translations of the title.
- Perhaps initially, only for works with ISBNs or DOIs
- Editors will be able to enter a citation as they do now, or using a simple wizard, in the manner of Citoid, and the tool will then create the Wikidata item, if none already exists
To cite a work use a template like <ref>{{Cite Q|Qnnnn}}</ref>
- To cite a specific page, use <ref>{{Cite Q|Qnnnn|page=34}}</ref>
- To cite with a quotation, use <ref>{{Cite Q|Qnnnn|page=34|quote="Hello, World"}}</ref>
- To cite with a note, <ref>{{Cite Q|Qnnnn|page=34|note=Later disproved}}</ref>
- For clarity, use meaningful reference names, like <ref name="Smith-2015">
- Alternatives like <ref>{{Cite Q|isbn=FOO}}</ref> or <ref>{{Cite Q|doi=FOO}}</ref> should also work. A bot can later substitute the equivalent QID
Each signed-in reader can then set, under "preferences", the format in which they wish to see citations rendered - no more WP:CITEVAR arguments!
A gadget will display full citation metadata during subsequent editing
There will be "Special:" pages showing the articles in which any given work, or any given author, is cited.
- See a mock-up of the latter.

[1] Or in a parallel Wikibase instance.

Updates

2017-05: Demonstrator template at {{Cite Q}}.
2017-09: Bots are creating, in bulk, Wikidata items for works cited (ongoing)