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 | This page in a nutshell: If something should be noted, then just note it. Do not also note that it should be noted. |
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.
- Beethoven was deaf when he wrote the Ninth Symphony.
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 |