Wikipedia:Neutral point of view

This page is a policy on the Simple English Wikipedia. Many people agree with it. They see it as a standard idea that all users should normally follow. When changing this page (except for minor errors like typos), please check that other people agree with your changes. Use the talk page when you are not sure or when you want to suggest a change.

Shortcuts WP:NPOV WP:NPV WP:NEUTRAL WP:POV

All Wikipedias have a rule that when people write articles, they should use a neutral point of view (abbreviated NPOV). NPOV means that people should write the things that almost everyone agrees about, and make them the main point of the article.

When an article is changed by a lot of different people, it usually reflects things that most people agree on. This is called consensus. The things that people disagree and argue about must also be mentioned. But they must not be the main point of the article. The important issues or debates must be written in a way that does not favor any one side too much. Strange or rare opinions can be stated as side matters with details about who says them. If they are too strange, they may be removed.

NPOV does not solve all problems. For example, many things most people believe are wrong - agreeing is not truth. Facts must be checked. Honest people disagree about complex topics. A Simple English Wikipedia user's point of view and idea of neutral is not always the same as that of a Simple English Wikipedia contributor. But most cases are simple: