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Wikiquote is a free multilingual anthology which collects and sorts
especially significant or illustrative aphorisms and quotes.
Besides the sentences of people or known characters,
Wikiquote collects also relevant words that are attributed to no one,
such as proverbs and idioms.
Noteworthy quotes by the same author
are entered in a dedicated page.
In the page the sentences are arranged
by work or context of origin:
works of literature, music or theater, television or radio programs,
newspaper articles, comics and cartoons ...
what matters is that they are available and verifiable sources.
Collective works, such as films and novels written by several authors,
which by definition do not have a single author,
have their own specific entry.
Wikiquote collects also remarkable expressions
whose author is unknown, such as proverbs, sayings and slogans.
There are also thematic pages that collect
quotes related to a specific topic.
International agreements, as well as Italian law,
grant Right to quote, provided that certain terms are observed.
Wikiquote is the only Wikimedia project that hosts
copyrighted material
A quote shall always be short
and useful for educational, scientific or, in general, illustrative purposes.
Its transcription must be accurate:
it is unfair to attribute words to someone who never said them.
If necessary, minimal additional info should be added
which may help explain the value of the piece selected.
Every quote shall be connected to its source.
Citations reported by someone else can be admitted,
but, where possible, the original sources are preferred.
Bibliographical references shall be accurate
and fully reported in the relevant section of the page.
Wikiquote stresses the fact that sources being accurate and detailed,
There is also a page for quotes
reported incorrectly or attributed to the wrong person.
Once, adding a quote to Wikiquote
without citing sources was tollerated.
It is no longer so.
In every article, unsourced quotes
are listed in a separate section:
the most unlikely are going to be removed,
while for the others a reference is sought.
Choose quotes that express a concept in a clear and concise way,
or that are, by the way they have been written or said,
especially remarkable and original.
Do not insert all statements by a person or from a work,
but just the most representative and significant.
Quotes are partial by nature,
but an article must not be limited to those statements
that suit your political orientation or personal taste.
Choose quotes that, irregardless of your opinion,
are truly representative of a person, a work or a theme.
A good practice is asking yourself if a quote
will still be relevant ten years from now.
In time, quotes that have little importance left will be removed.
In every article you can find or add a link
to similar pages on sister projects or other relevant websites.
Quotes should indeed give suggestions to further explore their sources,
just like an entry in the encyclopedia is a way to start exploring a topic.
A quote listed in the article of an author or work
can also be added to theme pages
where quotes about a specific topic are collected.
In such pages quotes can be added
that actually say something interesting about the theme,
not those that just simply mention the concept.
Theme pages are organized into categories
that group themes together according to their nature.
From science to places, from politics to occupations...
Theme pages do not contain bibliographical references,
for that they refer to the author's or work's page.
Quotes are listed in alphabetical order,
unless a significant number of quotes on the subject
come from the same author or work.
Theme pages also include proverbs, sayings and
generally all sorts of expressions that cannot be attributed to someone in particular
provided these quotes are relevant to the theme.
Such unattributed quotes often cannot be put anywhere else
but theme pages.
Quotes about a person, a work or a character
are instead added in their respective pages under a specific section.
Italian Wikiquote collects only sentences in Italian.
But, just like Wikipedia, Wikiquote exists also in English,
French, German and many more languages.
The Italian version is currently the third in size,
after the English and the Polish ones.
For quotes originally in a language other than Italian
official translations must be used:
for movies, quote the words of the Italian dubbing,
even if they are not a verbatim translation;
for books, quotes from any Italian edition on sale.
It is necessary to always cite
the name of the translator and the translation edition.
Exceptionally, the quote in the original language can be added
if it is written in a particular form or can hardly be translated.
In some cases, for instance the opening words of famous works,
several translations of the same quote can exist at the same time.
You are allowed to include your own translation as an integration
only if no official translation exist,
such as proverbs in a foreign language.
The project provides a space also for Italian dialects
when it comes to proverbs, sayings, rhymes
and other expressions of the regional folklore.
Like Wikipedia, Wikiquote exists and grows
thanks to the open cooperation of all.
Anyone can contribute and it is really simple!
And quoting Giacomo Leopardi writing to his brother:
"Doing is the best way to learn."