# How much of a Wiki article can we quote? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 25, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360 "2010-02-25T04:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/21 "2010-02-27T16:35:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > When it comes to Wikipedia (indeed any Wiki) it operates under the [Creative Commons Attribution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License) standard which states all text is free to use as long as proper attribution is included. There are very specific rules on what constitutes “proper attribution” under Wikipedia’s rules, and it’s not saying “this came from Wikipedia” or providing a simple link. It’s providing the full license, which is going to be longer than pretty much anything anyone would want to quote. > [@Marley23](#): > > I realize Wikipedia articles are not under copyright As pointed out above, they are covered by copyright. And if someone wants to use them elsewhere they need to follow actual Fair Use provisions to a T (the 5% thing is bogus) or follow the license. Link to the article, with an optional couple of sentences quoted. If people here care to read it all they can go read it. If you’re worried that the article will change in the meantime (a hint you shouldn’t be using it as a source in the first place) link to a specific version of the article (date and time). ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/22 "2010-02-27T16:43:20Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Some works that are designed to be quoted are very specific on what is allowed. I remember a Bible I had said you could quote no more than one chapter, provided that was less than 500 verses or 25% of the book in question. Oh, and it couldn’t be commentary, which pretty much makes sermons illegal. That’s for their particular translation. Many versions of the bible are in the public domain, including the King James version. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/23 "2010-02-27T18:33:38Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > If you’re worried that the article will change in the meantime (a hint you shouldn’t be using it as a source in the first place) link to a specific version of the article (date and time). Or, even better, link to the original source rather than the wikipedia article. I don’t care how much you protest, wikipedia articles just copy/paraphrase other sources, or outright make things up. That kind of destroys the “wkipedia copyright” argument right there. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/24 "2010-02-27T19:05:48Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > Or, even better, link to the original source rather than the wikipedia article. I don’t care how much you protest, wikipedia articles just copy/paraphrase other sources, or outright make things up. That kind of destroys the “wkipedia copyright” argument right there. I’m not a fan of using Wikipedia as a source in general, but that particular argument makes no sense. By that logic, the original sources are themselves just copying/paraphrasing other sources or making things up, so nothing could be copyrighted anywhere. That’s not how copyright laws work, and your understanding of Wikipedia sounds a little off too. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/25 "2010-02-27T19:38:09Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > your understanding of Wikipedia sounds a little off too. I don’t wish to hijack this any further\*, so I won’t bother to argue this. \*and I can’t be emailed or PM’d either ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360/26 "2010-03-01T01:06:08Z")
For completeness sake, there is one big exception to copyright when quoting: things like mathematical proofs, where you absolutely need to quote verbatim. Discussion [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=346526). However, it still will often be better to give a link where the original is online. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-wiki-article-can-we-quote/530360.md?page=1)