Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations

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Sockpuppet investigations is for requesting an investigation of whether two or more Wikipedia accounts are being abusively operated by the same person. This process is described in some length at the guide.

Before opening an investigation, you need good reason to suspect sockpuppetry.

1. Evidence is required. When opening an investigation, you must immediately provide evidence supporting a suspected connection between the accounts listed in the investigation. This evidence must include diffs of relevant edits, links or references to relevant log entries (if applicable), and a detailed explanation identifying the specific behaviors, similarities, or other circumstances that suggest the accounts are connected. If the relevant edits have been deleted, provide the names of the pages edited by the accounts instead of diffs.
2. Evidence must be presented clearly. Vaguely worded submissions will not be investigated. You must clearly explain, using specific evidence, why it is reasonable to suspect that the accounts are connected.
3. Concision is key. Due to the size of the backlog, investigations supported by clear, concise explanations and evidence can generally be handled more quickly.

Investigations are conducted by a clerk or an administrator, who will compare the accounts' behaviour and determine whether they are likely connected. When appropriate, a checkuser may also conduct a technical investigation upon request, examining technical data associated with the accounts to assess whether they are connected. CheckUser results are often referred to as technical evidence, in contrast to publicly available behavioural evidence.

Under Wikipedia's CheckUser policy, checkusers will conduct a technical investigation only if clear behavioural evidence of suspected sockpuppetry has also been submitted; if you request a technical investigation without providing behavioural evidence, the investigation may not proceed. Additionally, under the privacy policy, checkusers will not publicly connect a named account with an IP address or temporary account except in extremely rare circumstances.

How to open an investigation

To add to an existing investigation (or case), enter the case name in the box below. To create a new investigation, enter the username of the oldest-created registered account (the "sockmaster")—or, if only IP addresses are involved, the IP that made the first relevant edit. Then click "Submit". Note: Do not include "User:" or any other commentary.

For example, if a prior filing was at Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/John Doe, or this is a first filing and the oldest registered account is User:John Doe, you should enter John Doe in the box below.

You will then be taken to another page containing a form you must complete to open the investigation. The process for opening a subsequent investigation on the same user is the same as for creating a new case. Again, do not include "User:" in any of the numbered fields.

You do not need to notify the accused editors that you have opened an investigation on them, and in most cases should not. An administrator or clerk can handle this if necessary.