Ummistub

Ummistub is a term used on some collaborative online wikis to label an article that is both a stub and marked by uncertainty in its content or sourcing. The word blends the interjection “umm,” signaling hesitation, with “stub,” the conventional label for a very short or incomplete article. It is not part of formal policy on major encyclopedic projects and does not have universal acceptance; it tends to appear only within certain communities or individual wikis.

Usage and meaning: Editors apply an ummistub to pages that are clearly under development, rely on tentative statements, or lack verifiable references. The tag signals readers and editors that the article requires fact-checking, expansion, and sourcing before it can be considered reliable. It often accompanies notes or discussions about how the topic should be expanded.

Workflow and improvement: In many projects, an ummistub is a temporary stage. If editors add reliable information and citations, the page may become a standard stub or a full article. If no significant content is added, it may be merged with related topics or archived according to local policies.

Relation to other tags: Ummistub is conceptually related to the neutral “stub” or “start” tags used in various wiki ecosystems, but it carries a distinct implication about uncertainty in the article’s current content. If you encounter one, review the cited sources, assess reliability, and consider contributing verified information to help move the article toward a more solid, citable state.