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How to Avoid Using Personal Reference on wikiHow

originated by:Rob S, Glutted, Brandywine, Jack Herrick (see all)

At times, you may notice an article tagged with a template saying, “This article contains personal references. Please edit this page to make the article more general.” Review this article to gain a better understanding.

edit Steps

1
Understand the intent of wikihow articles.
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- They need to address a reader’s thoughts and actions as they proceed through instructions.
2
Recognize personal or subjective reference. It may include “I, me, my, mine, we, our or us.”
3
Replace personal reference with "you" or "your".
- This will address a reader directly and conform with wikiHow guidelines.
4
Incorporate personal experience objectively.
- Explain what may happen, what may go wrong, what is recommended, etc.
- At times, you may refer to an "original" author to clarify what they have personally witnessed or experienced.
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edit Examples of Personal Reference

Instead of...	Consider...
Hi, my name is Jane and I will teach you how to bake a chocolate cake.	This article teaches you how to bake a chocolate cake.
I've studied martial arts for 20 years, so you can count on me.	Delete this statement as extraneous information.
I recommend using butter, as margarine doesn't provide the right consistency.	Consider using butter in place of margarine, as it provides a better consistency.
If you have any questions, you can Email me at [email protected].	Remove personal information.
Be careful when working with hot liquids. Trust me - I know.	Be cautious when working with hot liquids.

editTips

Avoid using your name within the text of an article.
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Editors are listed in succession at the end of each article.
Avoid adding your Email address to an article. For your own safety, it will be removed by patrollers.
Review how to reference sources if you wish to include information from your own work or website.
Personal promotion is acceptable on your User page.

edit Warnings

Note that an article may be nominated for deletion if personal reference is difficult to remove from the context of an article.

edit Related wikiHows

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