You can include links to external websites within Q-Wiki articles you write or edit. That said, Q-Wiki pages that do not include external links are perfectly acceptable as well. In fact, links to external sites should only be included sparingly and only if the links are to sites that a reader of your article’s subject matter would find helpful.

Where to Include Links in Q-Wiki Articles

Though you can include inline links within the main body of your text, you should avoid doing so. Instead, links should be included at the end of your article in a separate section entitled “External Links.” For more specific guidance on how to add links to your article, see the Q-Wiki Writing Guide.

Types of Links to Include

Your list of “External Links” should only include links to sites that would be helpful to a reader looking for further guidance or information on your subject matter. Beyond that main requirement, links should meet these more specific criteria:

• Appropriate content: The content on the sites to which you link should accord with Q-Wiki’s appropriate text and image policies. In other words, you should not include links to sites that contain violent, dangerous, hateful, sexually explicit, or similarly objectionable content.
• Copyright compliance: Don’t include links to sites that you know violate the copyright of others. For instance, avoid linking to pages that post unlicensed copyrighted creative works, such as free versions of television programs, movies, books, albums and so on.
• Permanence: Avoid including links to personal web pages or to sites that may only exist temporarily, such as blogs and pages on social networking sites (such as MySpace and Facebook). Instead, favor sites with a long track record online, such as university and government sites, and sites maintained by major web content providers, such as Yahoo and Motley Fool.
• Appropriate advertising: Don’t link to sites intended solely to advertise or promote a particular product or point of view. Sites that contain standard online advertising campaigns are acceptable.
• Registration: Try to avoid linking to sites that require the user to register in order to read the content on the page to which you’re linking.
• Language: Sites you link to should be written in the English language.