Template:Interp/doc

This is a simple template used to identify and correctly format interpolations in quoted material. These interpolations add to or replace portions of a quote (frequently pronouns, or some other unclear referent) to make clear to readers information that is supplied by the context of the quote. For instance, the original quote might be:

"It's a complete trainwreck of a film. The director can't even come close to matching the genius of his obvious inspiration, Hitchcock."

With interpolations, the quote could be:

"[Strangers on a Segway is] a complete trainwreck of a film. [Alan Smithee] can't even come close to matching the genius of his obvious inspiration, [Alfred] Hitchcock."

The same effect could be achieved without interpolation by breaking up the quote into pieces, for instance:

Critic Bodger Leebert called Strangers on a Segway a "complete trainwreck of a film", and said that Alan Smithee "can't even come close to matching the genius of his obvious inspiration, Hitchcock", referring to Alfred Hitchcock.

However, in many cases interpolation may be preferable as a way of clarifying ambiguous referents, since it keeps the flow of the quote intact.

Usage

The usage is very simple; simply use the words to be interpolated as the only argument to the template call:

{{interp|Alan Smithee}}

produces:

[Alan Smithee]

The original text can be preserved in the source with |orig= or |original=, for verifiability purposes, but without affecting the output:

{{interp|Alan Smithee|orig=The director}}

still produces:

[Alan Smithee]

This optional parameter records the actual words being replaced, thus making it possible to reproduce the original quote and lessening fears that the interpolations actually claim more than the context supports (a form of misquotation, and a violation of the Wikipedia:No original research policy.)

Further development

Something could be done with the |orig= parameter, e.g. displaying it in a tooltip.