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Wikipedia:It should be noted

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If something should be noted, then just note it. Do not note that the item you wish to note should be noted:

It should be noted that Beethoven was deaf when he wrote the Ninth Symphony. ☒N
Beethoven was deaf when he wrote the Ninth Symphony. checkY

The use of "It should be noted that" here is unnecessary. We are not teaching content, but simply describing it. An article should present important information without explicitly stating which information is important.

"It should be noted that" violates the Wikipedia Manual of Style guidelines MOS:NOTED and MOS:EDITORIAL. The variations "remember that", "note that", and "note:" are direct instructions to the reader, additionally violating the style guideline MOS:YOU. This kind of writing also runs afoul of the WP:No original research policy, in attempting to steer the reader to particular interpretations and conclusions.

Sometimes this phrase is a misguided attempt to sound authoritative. It is also often used to draw attention to information added as an afterthought, such as in a "correction" by a different editor. This can be a sign that the material should be rearranged and rephrased so the crucial information is introduced sooner and more integrated into the description.

Phrases to avoid

[edit]
  • "Note that ..."
  • "It should be noted that ..."
  • "It must be noted that ..."
  • "It is important to note that ..."
  • "It is worth noting that ..."
  • "It is worth mentioning that ..."
  • "It is interesting to note ..."
  • "Be aware that ..."
  • "Consider that ..."
  • "Notably ..."
  • "Interestingly ..."
  • "Importantly ..."
  • "Surprisingly ..."
  • "Curiously ..."

Several of these also illustrate point-of-view problems.

Data

[edit]
Phrase Instances in Wikipedia
2017
Jul 16
2018
Aug 11
2019
Aug 24
2020
Oct 04
2021
Oct 26
2022
Nov 22
2023
Nov 22
should be noted 4961 4168 1291 330 676 712 726
must be noted 341 384 332 261 243 255 236
is to be noted 362 372 374 126 169 195 206
worth noting 2122 2174 2190 2224 2556 2605 2844
worth mentioning 1053 1092 1133 1184 1395 1464 1546
interesting to note 1296 1248 330 369 436 465 464
interestingly 5840 450 934 1467 2002 2363 2665

See also

[edit]