Reliability
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The section "Use in footnotes" starts with the sentence "For a citation to appear in a footnote, it needs to be enclosed in 'ref' tags." This gives the impression that REF tags are the only way. That is how I understood it, now a year ago, when I first learned to cite sources in Wikipedia. Clearly this is not the case as the Sfn template also generates a citation in a footnote. It took me a long time to discover Sfn, which I then preferred over the quite heavy-going REF.../REF for many reasons. I think the Sfn template, which Charlie Gillingham wrote in 2009, has still not found its deserved place in the Wikipedia documentation. - I might be wrong; perhaps most Wikipedians regret that Sfn was ever accepted and would like us all to exclusively use REF.../REF? Whatever might be the case, I do not want to edit this text without consensus and probably a newby like me is not the right person to do it. What do you all think of this? Johannes Schade (talk)

I assume this topic has come up before, but I don’t see it in the archive. The journal Nature offers digitally published scientific reports that are denoted by the equivalent of a volume and an "article number" (but not as an alias for issue). Is this an area of template improvement or does one simply use issue since it follows the same structure? Or perhaps leave it out as there is a doi? Is there another identifier used instead? For example this article 11:1695, A computational platform for the virtual unfolding of Herculaneum Papyri which is in web form and also here in digital document form: A computational platform for the virtual unfolding of Herculaneum Papyri. Ref: in citation or cite journal templates, issue offers an alias for number (ex: |issue=2 #143), but that is conceptually the same as issue. (Side note: the term Article number also refers to what is commonly called a UPC/barcode number and is also different from an Accession number (library science).) Zatsugaku (talk) 19:26, 4 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Zatsugaku: Have you considered |id=? --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 12:21, 5 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Redrose64: Thank you for taking the time to reply. |id= might be a plausible choice failing other options. However, it seems to me from the description that the intent was as provision for nonstandard/unique coding systems (ex: id=NCJ 122967). The growing use of article number is an outgrowth of online-only works where, within a given year (volume) there are typically no issues and all articles start at page 1. I just found that APA now has formal guidance although it is often omitted from concise summaries:

If you have an article number, include it in your reference instead of the page range. This part of your reference should look like this: Nature Human Behavior, 1, Article 0151. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41 (A.Adams of APA to RobertD on its style blog of 10/19)

And in a university APA7 style guide: "For journal issues with article numbers (rather than consecutive pagination) replace with[sic] page numbers with the word 'Article' followed by the article number or eLocator." Victoria University, AU, APA 7 journal articles. Looking at those examples, they are also providing for article number when there is volume and issue but not pagination. So, as an emerging component, they have chosen explicit denotation. Digging back into the official APA6 style blog (circa 2015) it seems they had not yet formulated a coherent standard. Zatsugaku (talk) 16:13, 5 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I came here looking for information on how to cite sources using a doi, pmid or isbn and getting the reference auto-completed. Shouldn't there at least be a pointer to this information here? 80.41.95.252 (talk) 18:01, 24 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

You can search by DOI in Wikidata, obtain the Q-number and site this Q-number with Wikidata citation template (Template:Cite Q). Kazkaskazkasako (talk) 10:57, 31 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I've been told by 109.76.193.171 (talk · contribs) that the |language= parameter isn't to be used for English-language sorces. However, many of the citation templates include language otherwise, like this from {{cite book}}: Because cs1|2 templates are often copied from en.wiki to other wikis, the use of language codes is preferred so that language names render in the correct language and form. Should Template:Cite book/doc (and all others similarly) be updated to reflect the consensus refered to by 109.76.193.171? — Fourthords | =Λ= | 02:29, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

That IP editor is incorrect. The documentation is correct. The archives of Help Talk:CS1 have discussions about this issue. That is where consensus is determined for Citation Style 1 citation templates, including {{cite book}}. – Jonesey95 (talk) 03:00, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Ah! Many thanks for knowing more than I do! — Fourthords | =Λ= | 03:21, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Jonesey95, I doubt you watched the above article after editing it, but with this reversion, 109.76.193.171 reverted you saying See what documentation exactly? Template:Cite_web says 'When the only source language is English, no language is displayed in the citation.' There's no point in tagging non-English languages. — Fourthords | =Λ= | 15:54, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I have no interest in an edit war with someone who ignores WP:BRD. – Jonesey95 (talk) 18:59, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I don't either, but what is the appropriate next-step, if you don't mind my asking? Should it be taken to Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Edit warring? — Fourthords | =Λ= | 19:10, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

My advice is (1) stop fretting about it, because it is a tiny thing, or barring that, (2) continue to follow the steps at Wikipedia:Dispute resolution. It would also help to dig through the Help Talk:CS1 archives to see if you can find the discussions about why at least some people favor putting language=en into articles. – Jonesey95 (talk) 22:10, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

If memory serves, the decision to recommend retaining |language=en arose from discussion at or related WP:MED and the translation of medical articles to other-language wikis.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 22:39, 24 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Important parts of WP:BRD are WP:DISCUSS and WP:STATUSQUO and I reject the above assertion that I was not following the process. I also object to editors asserting that things are required when they cannot explain or show discussions to support their claims. It is also strange when an editor insists on strict markup formatting in one place and in another includes apparently optional unnecessary bloated markup. If the rules were half as clear as some editors claim, then supporting their arguments would be easy.
For the record user Fourthords found an old discussion which explained that "It was requested by editors who copy citations from en.WP to WP in other languages" and that resolved the matter. -- 109.79.160.61 (talk) 11:38, 29 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

There are some articles that cite Chinese books. However the template would Italicize the Chinese characters. I wonder if there can be some way to stop this italicizing feature when it comes to Chinese characters or language. 2001:B011:7000:1613:84F0:68A:70DC:75F4 (talk) 03:23, 10 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

for cs1|2 templates: |script-title=. See Template:Cite book § Title

—Trappist the monk (talk) 12:29, 10 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]