Welcome to Wikipedia!

How to add a new entry to Wikipedia? If you want to add a new entry to Wikipedia but don’t know where to start, the best approach is to look it up on Wikipedia. 

When searching within Wikipedia, I found an article titled “Writing an Article.”

The general process, as outlined in the article, is as follows:

1. Create an account and log in (optional).
2. Write a new entry or edit an existing page.
3. Submit the content (to reflect the changes).

It is recommended to create an account and log in, but it is also stated that it is not mandatory. What does this mean exactly?

According to Wikipedia:

“If you do not have an account, you cannot have a personal user page, customize Wikipedia’s appearance, set personal preferences, receive update notifications for specific articles via a watchlist, or participate in community discussions and voting for contests.” (The Hokuroku editorial team translated the quoted passages from the Japanese Wikipedia into English)

This explanation might not be entirely clear to a beginner like me.

However, considering that Wikipedia is edited by a vast number of people, the process is unlikely to be overly complicated. It might be best to adopt a “learning by doing” mindset and just get started.

Neutral Point of View

Wikipedia has specific rules on how articles should be written. One of the key principles is maintaining a neutral point of view (NPOV).

The following types of content are not suitable for Wikipedia:

• Articles about oneself
• Promotional content about a company
• Topics that do not meet Wikipedia’s standards for significance

This is outlined in Wikipedia’s “Writing an Article” guidelines. Various books on Wikipedia also emphasize this point.

This makes me a little concerned about whether an article about Hokuroku would fall into the first two categories.

Is it worth writing about? There is also the fundamental question of whether a topic is significant enough to be included in Wikipedia. Entries must meet Wikipedia’s notability standards.

“When creating an article on Wikipedia, the subject must have sufficient value to be worthy of inclusion in an encyclopedia. This concept is referred to as ‘notability’ on Wikipedia.” (The Hokuroku editorial team translated the quoted passages from the Japanese Wikipedia’s Notability Guideline into English)

However, looking at it positively, third-party media did cover Hokuroku when it was first launched. In that sense, the subject is not entirely without notability.

If it turns out to lack sufficient notability, Wikipedia’s community may decide to delete it.

If that happens, I will simply accept their decision. One of Wikipedia’s core principles is “Be Bold.” At this point, I’ve made up my mind—I’m going to give it a try.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

Next, I considered the structure of an article. When explaining a topic, what elements does an encyclopedia typically include?

Wikipedia’s Japanese edition has an article called “A Perfect Article,” which provides some guidance. In summary:

1. A clear definition and explanation of the topic (starting with an overview and gradually diving deeper).
2. The article should be as comprehensive as possible (longer articles indicate a subject’s worthiness). However, individual sentences should be concise and to the point.
3. The explanation should be clear, neutral, and well-structured.

That being said, I realized I was starting to overthink things. If I keep analyzing, I might lose the motivation to write.

Wikipedia’s “Editing Policy” article states:

“It doesn’t have to be perfect. Enjoy editing.” (The Hokuroku editorial team translated the quoted passages from the Japanese Wikipedia into English)

As long as I follow the basic rules, experienced editors will likely help refine my work. Again, learning by doing seems to be the best approach.

Now, where is the button to create a new entry?

Scanning the page, I noticed an option in the top right corner labeled “Create an Account.”

Clicking on it led me to the account creation page, where I found the following fields:

• Username
• Password
• Email address (optional)

After filling in the details and completing the CAPTCHA verification, I successfully created an account. The “Editing Policy” page appeared, with the encouraging message:

“It doesn’t have to be perfect. Enjoy editing.” (The Hokuroku editorial team translated the quoted passages from the Japanese Wikipedia into English)

At this point, I wondered if I was fully prepared. As I glanced around the page, I noticed a message addressed to me.

Clicking on it, I found:

“Welcome to Wikipedia! We are glad to have you here.” (The Hokuroku editorial team translated the quoted passages from the Japanese Wikipedia into English)

This message reassured me. Wikipedia is a massive collaborative effort to document all aspects of human knowledge. Its welcoming attitude toward new contributors was evident.

(Comment from Deputy Editor: In the next article, we will finally begin writing the Hokuroku entry.)