Conflict of Interest advice

If you have a close connection to the subject of a Wikipedia article, avoid editing the article yourself. This includes articles about yourself, family members, friends, your employer, colleagues, or organisations you are closely associated with.

Wikipedia encourages independent editors to write about subjects they are connected to. Even well-intentioned edits can appear biased or promotional, and editing an article about yourself or your organisation can attract unwanted attention or community criticism.

As an employee of the University of Edinburgh, my role is similarly limited by Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest guidelines. I can provide training and support to help others edit Wikipedia, but I cannot directly edit pages closely associated with the University or its staff.

Best practice 

If you have a conflict of interest, you can still suggest improvements to an article.

  • Don't edit the article yourself. Instead, ask an independent Wikipedia editor to make the changes.
  • Declare your connection. Be clear about your relationship to the subject when making a request. You can also list relevant affiliations or paid roles on your Wikipedia user page.
  • Provide reliable sources. Any information you would like added or corrected should be supported by reliable, published sources, such as newspapers, academic publications, or organisational reports.
  • Be specific. Explain exactly what you would like changed and provide the relevant sources. Breaking your request into clear points makes it easier for another editor to assess.
  • Be patient. Wikipedia editors are volunteers, and resolving more complicated issues can take time.

Where to ask for help?

A Wikimedian in residence is always there

Reach out to Ewan MacAndrew

Contact an independent editor

The best option is usually to contact Wikipedia's volunteer editors. You can explain your connection to the subject and suggest changes for them to consider.

Contact Wikipedia volunteers

Please keep your initial message brief and clearly explain the issue. This mailbox can take some time to respond, particularly for more complicated requests.

Use the article's Talk page

Every Wikipedia article has a Talk page where editors discuss proposed changes.

You can add a message using the {{edit COI}} template and explain what you would like changed. Remember that Talk page discussions are public, and the response will depend on the experience of the editors who see your request.

Use a noticeboard

For biographies of living people, you can also raise concerns on the 

Biographies of Living Persons Noticeboard

Noticeboard discussions are public, so this approach is generally best suited to experienced Wikipedia editors.

 

© Ewan McAndrew and Hannah Rothmann, University of Edinburgh, 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, unless otherwise indicated.

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