Template talk:Sic

This template simplifies insertion of the "[sic]" notation, which is used where a textual error has been faithfully reproduced from the original source, or when what may appear to be an error is actually intentional.

• By default, it links to the article Sic on en-wiki for the benefit of readers, but this is undesirable in certain cases, e.g. many uses close together, or even impossible, as in the displayed anchor text (right-hand visible portion) of an internal or external link. In these cases, add the nolink=y parameter to avoid linking to the Sic article.

• 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}}..."

• The template can be used with a ? question mark parameter to mark situations where the correctness or incorrectness of an apparent error 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 not 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).

1. ...his April 1992 interview with the Dolly Llama {{sic}}...

   yields:

   ...his April 1992 interview with the Dolly Llama [sic]...

2. *[http://www.somesite.edu/document_1.htm "{{sic|Conc|encus|nolink=1}} can Change!"]

   yields:

   • "Concencus [sic] can Change!"

3. ...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).

Parameter hide=y

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 two features can be combined: He said "{{sic|hide=y|Irrega|rdless}}..." Note: This feature is not compatible with the |nolink=y feature, since the latter is a display feature, but the former overrides display.