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| '''This guideline documents a FamilySearch Research Wiki naming convention.''' It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though it is best treated with common sense and the occasional exception. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.<br>
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This page describes conventions for determining the names of Research Wiki articles on places. Our naming policy provides that article names should be chosen for the general reader, not for specialists. By following modern English usage, we also avoid arguments about what a place ''ought'' to be called, instead asking the less contentious question, what it ''is'' called.
== Country names in English  ==
== Country names in English  ==


Use the form of a current country's name as it appears in the CIA [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ ''World Factbook''].
I agree. It might be nice to show the country name in the native language(s) within the body of the article. Wikipedia does this as can be see with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain Spain] (example). I believe this allows searching to find either. [[User:Thomas Lerman|Thomas Lerman]] 16:47, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 
When a ''widely accepted English name'', exists for a former country or empire, we should use it. For example, [[New Spain|New Spain]] rather than ''Virreinato de Nueva España'', [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Empire]] rather than دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه or ''Osmanlı İmparatorluğu''.
 
:I agree. It might be nice to show the country name in the native language(s) within the body of the article. Wikipedia does this as can be see with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain Spain] (example). I believe this allows searching to find either. [[User:Thomas Lerman|Thomas Lerman]] 16:47, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 
== Browse by Country page, and Category:Countries  ==
 
Use the CIA [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ ''World Factbook''] to determine which nations are listed on the [[Browse by Country|Browse by Country]] Wiki page, and in the [[:Category:Countries]]. Only continuously inhabited places with indigenous populations in the ''World Factbook'' are eligible.
 
Countries which are not listed in the ''World Factbook'' should not appear on the ''Browse by Country'' page, or in the ''Category:Countries.'' However, they may be appropriate as part of another country's page/category, or on the [[List of extinct states|List of extinct states]] page, or in the [[:Category:Former Countries|Category:Former Countries]].
 
== Country sub-divisions: as in the FHL Catalog  ==
 
For places smaller than a country use the name as it would appear if it were in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitysearch&columns=*,0,0 Place Search] of the Family History Library Catalog. However, normally write the name in order from smallest to largest jurisdiction, for example, ''Chicago, Cook, Illinois''.
 
Also, use diacritics as they would appear in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitysearch&columns=*,0,0 Place Search] of the Family History Library Catalog, for example, ''Höfgen (AH. Meißen), Sachsen, Germany''.
 
=== Administrative sub-divisions  ===
 
Names of '''''classes''''' of places do what English does. In particular, when dealing with administrative subdivisions, we write of ''United States counties'' and '''''Cook County, Illinois''''', or of ''Russian oblasts'' and the '''''Moscow Oblast''''', but of Chinese and Roman provinces, not ''sheng'' or ''provinciae''.
 
Also, use '''''Jackson Township, Hamilton, Indiana''''', but use '''''Cicero, Hamilton, Indiana''''' for an incorporated municipality.


== Disambiguation  ==
== Disambiguation  ==
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[[User:Diltsgd|Diltsgd]] 21:25, 7 May 2009 (UTC)  
[[User:Diltsgd|Diltsgd]] 21:25, 7 May 2009 (UTC)  


:The ''wiki:Disambiguation'' link in the paragraph above is not working. If there is something else that needs reviewing, would someone update the link? I would update the link myself, but I'm not sure where it was intended to go. Also note that one of the current [[Policy:FamilySearch Wiki Policies|Policies]] in the Wiki is for [[Policy:Disambiguation|Disambiguation]]. The [[Policy Talk:Disambiguation|Disambiguation Discussion]] page for this policy is also available (although it is currently empty). [[User:Franjensen|Franjensen]] 15:50, 27 May 2009 (UTC)
:The ''wiki:Disambiguation'' link in the paragraph above is not working. If there is something else that needs reviewing, would someone update the link? I would update the link myself, but I'm not sure where it was intended to go. Also note that one of the current [[Policy:FamilySearch Wiki Policies|Policies]] in the Wiki is for [[Policy:Disambiguation|Disambiguation]]. The [[Policy Talk:Disambiguation|Disambiguation Discussion]] page for this policy is also available (although it is currently empty). [[User:JensenFA|Franjensen]] 15:50, 27 May 2009 (UTC)


:Once it is formally adopted by our Wiki community, the said link should be to our own internal article (the next one on this list of proposed MOS items). [[User:Diltsgd|Diltsgd]] 01:55, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
:Once it is formally adopted by our Wiki community, the said link should be to our own internal article (the next one on this list of proposed MOS items). [[User:Diltsgd|Diltsgd]] 01:55, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
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