Template:Sic

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This template is used on approximately 35,000 pages and changes may be widely noticed. Test changes in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

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You can use this template to easily insert a "[sic]" notation. This notation is placed after a point in a quotation that, in both the original text and its quotation in an article, contains either an actual textual error or text that appears to be an error—the problematic text must have been faithfully reproduced as it appears in the original source for using sic to be correct. This usage clarifies the source of text that might otherwise be taken as an error of transcription.

However, it isn't always the best idea to recreate a quote perfectly. Note that MOS:SIC says that "insignificant spelling and typographic errors should simply be silently corrected."

By default, this template links to the article Sic for the benefit of readers, but this default is disabled if the |nolink=y parameter is added. This is necessary in some contexts where the link wikitext would interfere with the correct interpretation of the surrounding wikitext. These are some examples of places a call to the {{sic}} template will break the formatting unless it has |nolink=y:
- Within the displayed anchor text (right-hand visible portion) of an internal link (aka a wikilink) or external link
- In the value of a parameter of a ref tag

Linking to the Sic article may be undesirable in certain other cases, for example when the template is used many times close together.

Additional unnamed parameters can be used to obfuscate spelling errors in quoted material in the wiki-text of a page, to help prevent automated or semi-automated correction by bot or human editors, which (although done in good faith) would be undesirable. In these cases, split the intentionally misspelled word or other character string into two parts and use them as the first two parameters of the template, and replace the original with the template: He said "{{sic|Irrega|rdless}} …" will display as:

He said "Irregardless [sic] …"

The template can be used with a |? question mark parameter to mark situations where whether an apparent error is copied from the source cannot readily be determined. If this feature is used in conjunction with the obfuscation feature above, |? must come first: He said "{{sic|?|Irrega|rdless}} …" Examples of use cases:
- The quoted source might not be available online, or not without a paid subscription, etc.
- A quoted passage contains a spelling error but is ambiguous as to whether the statement was originally printed this way (in which case [sic] may be appropriate), or spoken aloud (in which case the typo should be corrected).

… his April 1992 interview with the Dolly Llama {{sic}} …
yields:
… his April 1992 interview with the Dolly Llama [sic] …
… spokesperson stated that "rescue efforts have been suspnded {{sic|?}} until further notice" …
yields:
… spokesperson stated that "rescue efforts have been suspnded [sic?] until further notice" …

This is used because the context does not make it clear whether the spelling error was made by the spokesperson (in a written statement), or by a reporter (listening to the spokesperson speak).

Template data

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Sic in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Sic

This template simplifies insertion of the "[sic]" notation, which is used where a textual error, or unexpected but intended text that may appear to be an error, has been faithfully reproduced from the original source. Note that MOS:QUOTE says: "trivial spelling and typographic errors should simply be corrected without comment […] unless the slip is textually important."

Template parameters[Edit template data]
This template prefers inline formatting of parameters.
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
1	`1`	May contain a word fragment or a question mark. To display [sic?] and indicate doubt, put a question mark here, and put the word fragment in parameter 2. Otherwise, put the word fragment here.	String	optional
2	`2`	A word fragment goes here.	String	optional
3	`3`	A word fragment goes here.	String	optional
Remove [sic]?	`hide`	Set to y to remove the label [sic] altogether; the template may still be used to prevent automated or human editors from correcting the word.	String	optional
Remove link?	`nolink`	Set to y to remove the link to the article on "sic". See above for reasons to use this.	String	optional
A comment to editors	`expected`	Will not display; may contain some explanation for future editors.	String	optional

Controlling display (`|nolink=y` and `|hide=y`)

To suppress the link but keep the [sic]:

*[http://www.example.org/document_1.htm "{{sic|Conc|encus|nolink=y}} can Change!"]

yields:

"Concencus [sic] can Change!"

Use {{sic|hide=y|word or phrase}} to avoid the display of sic altogether but still get the other benefits of the template. As with obfuscation, above, replace the original material that is now inside the template with the template itself, and the nolink and obfuscation features can be combined:

He said "{{sic|hide=y|Irrega|rdless}} …"

yields:

He said "Irregardless …"

Note: It is pointless to specify both nolink and hide, since one is a display feature, but the other disables display.

Documenting the problem

If the misspelling is an unusual one, it may be helpful to include an "expected" parameter: {{sic|incorrect word or phrase|expected=expected word or phrase}}. This has no effect on the rendered page, but may assist later editors.

Simple examples

Normal use: {{sic|templte}} yields: templte [sic]
Obfuscating: {{sic|tem|plte}} yields: templte [sic]
Unlinked: {{sic|nolink=y|templte}} yields: templte [sic]
Hidden: {{sic|hide=y|templte}} yields: templte
Query: {{sic|?|templte}} yields: templte [sic?]
Explained: {{sic|templte|expected=template}} yields: templte [sic]

Compound examples

Unlinked and obfuscated: {{sic|nolink=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte [sic]
Hidden and obfuscated: {{sic|hide=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte
Query and obfuscated: {{sic|?|temp|lte}} yields: templte [sic?]
Explained and unlinked: {{sic|templte|nolink=y|expected=template}} yields: templte [sic]
Query and unlinked: {{sic|?|nolink=y|templte}} yields: templte [sic?]
Unlinked and hidden ("unlinked" portion has no effect): {{sic|nolink=y|hide=y|templte}} yields: templte
Unlinked, hidden and query ("unlinked" portion has no effect): {{sic|?|nolink=y|hide=y|templte}} yields: templte
Unlinked, query and obfuscated: {{sic|?|nolink=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte [sic?]
Unlinked, hidden and obfuscated ("unlinked" portion has no effect): {{sic|nolink=y|hide=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte
Hidden, query and obfuscated: {{sic|?|hide=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte
Unlinked, hidden, query and obfuscated ("unlinked" portion has no effect): {{sic|?|nolink=y|hide=y|temp|lte}} yields: templte