Wikipedia:Put a little effort into it
Essay on editing Wikipedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not every article comes out of the chute as featured article-class, we all know that. Articles have to grow over time to represent Wikipedia's best work. There's nothing wrong with just a stub. But if you're going to make a stub, at least put a little effort into it. Even just a one-sentence stub becomes a little more if you leave a useful external link or a couple of categories, or even a specified stub template, to give the next user in line a little bit more to go on.
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: When creating a new article, even if it is a stub, try to put in at least a little bit more effort than the absolute minimum. |
Leaving even one source will also give a jumping-off point for the next writer in line, so that they can maybe read the source and use it to add info from the article. Every drop of "basic" information will be very helpful. If it's a singer who's had a chart single, at least mention that in the article. If it's an author, maybe add a bit about what makes their works notable. If it's an actor, maybe list a couple of their major roles. If it's an album, at the very least provide a tracklist. Even adding an infobox is a good idea.
Just saying "(name of person/place/thing) is/was a (blank)." and nothing else is about the least amount of effort one can contribute to an article, and while it is by no means a sign of laziness, a little more context may just help an article avoid speedy deletion.