FamilySearch Wiki:Manual of Style: Difference between revisions

<br> A '''wiki''' '''manual of style''' (or style guide) is a set of standards for the design and writing of wiki articles.&nbsp; The guide provides direction for visual and technical aspects as well as prose style, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and wiki etiquette. The consistent use of style guidelines provides uniformity in style and formatting of wiki articles making them easier for readers to understand and utilize.  

'''Alternate research techniques:''' The techniques that genealogists employ while working on their family histories are very individualized. Rather than editing and reediting an article to suit an individual method for finding alternate information or different techniques these things may be suggested in an additional section such as: "Other ways to find the information".

'''Neutrality:''' Articles should be as [[FamilySearch Wiki:Neutral point of view|neutral]] as possible. Descriptions should state facts and avoid negative or positive judgements.&nbsp; Using phrases such as "settlers from western Europe" rather than "poor, uneducated peasants" presents factual information without negativity. Avoid hype and exaggeration .&nbsp;  

'''Simplicity:''' Writing should be clear and simple. When a term is used that may be unfamiliar to readers (for example, "gazetteer"), it should be defined the first time it appears in the body of an article as in this sentence:&nbsp; "In some areas newspapers were called gazetteers" &nbsp; Avoid using specialized terms or acronyms when a common term is available. As much as possible, the information should be understandable by every reader, even when English is not the users first language.  

Everyone can contribute to FamilySearch Wiki. [[FamilySearch Wiki:Ownership of articles|Pages are not owned]] by anyone exclusively. Since anyone can work on a page, the original author of a page may see their work expanded and changed by others. When a contributor adds or edits a wiki page, they relinquish ownership of the content to the community. This relinquishment of content to the community is stated not only in a [[FamilySearch Wiki:Policies|policy page]] but also in the editing screen everyone uses to add content. For these reasons, [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/byline bylines] are not appropriate on wiki pages. If information is added to the wiki from a specific published work, it is appropriate to [[Help:How to add citations|cite that]] work in a footnote, but it is not appropriate to "retain ownership" of a page through use of a byline.  

'''Complete sentences:''' Write with complete sentences (sentences that contain a subject and verb). Complete sentences are easier to understand, especially when English is not the readers native language. The command form (which has an implied subject) is considered a complete sentence.  

'''Shorter sentences that express one idea:&nbsp;''' As much as possible, write with shorter sentences that express one idea. They are easier to understand, especially when English is not a users native language.  

'''Neutral tone:''' Writing should be factual and avoid stereotypes, judgments, and gender bias. However, quotes should not be changed to meet this guideline. If the quote has the potential to offend find another quote.<br>  

'''Avoid using “he or she":''' As much as possible, avoid using “he or she” and “his or hers” (for example, “He or she can use the index to find his or her ancestor’s record quickly”). Do not use the plural pronoun “they” to replace “he or she.” Often, the problem can be solved by rewriting the sentence:  

*'''Get input'''.&nbsp; Consider consulting with an [[FamilySearch Wiki:Mentors|experienced wiki contributor]] if you have questions.<br>

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'''Places listed in ascending order.''' If a city or county is listed in a title, at least the state, province, or country where the place is located should also be listed. The place is listed in ascending order (smallest place to largest). Unlike most genealogy software place name conventions, Include the word "county" in the title of an article about a particular county.  

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'''Places that have had different names or jurisdictions:''' If a place has had more than one name or been in more than one jurisdiction (county, state, province, country and so on), the current name and jurisdiction should be used in the title. If the article gives information about the place only when it had a specific name or jurisdiction, use those in the title. [[Help:Redirects|Redirects]] can be used to make sure users will find the article regardless of the name or jurisdiction they search for.  

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'''Non English place names:''' Generally, if a country is listed in the title, use the English name (for example, Germany rather than Deutschland). Search engines pull up a different list of articles depending on the place that is listed in the title. Redirects can be used to make sure users will find the article regardless of which spelling is used.<br>  

 

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In article titles, you may use words with diacritics (symbols used in other languages) or letters that do not appear in the English alphabet however, the search engine may not display the article if users search for the English version of the word. Quotation marks should be avoided in article titles.<br>  

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==== Guidelines for subheadings/section titles. ====

*[[FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject U.S. counties]]

#Use Help pages they are guides to assist in the detailing of a page. An example:

#Then go to [[Help:Editing The Wiki|Editing The Wiki]]. This page gives many ways to add to your page and options to use.

'''Punctuation in numbers.''' Use commas in numbers over 999 (for example, 1,000; 1,000,000, and so on). Use a period to indicate a fraction of a digit (for example .25, 3.76, and so on).<br>  

Because the use of underline indicates text with a [http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/h/hyperlink.html hyperlink], do not use underline as a way to emphasize text.&nbsp; Do not underline book titles.<br>  

A proposed style guideline ''[[FamilySearch Wiki:Naming Conventions for Geographic Names|Naming Conventions for Geographic Names]]'' is being [[FamilySearch Wiki talk:Naming Conventions for Geographic Names|discussed]]. Once a [[FamilySearch Wiki:Consensus|consensus]] is reached a guideline will be adopted.  

The first time you use a term that can be abbreviated, write it out and put the acronym in parentheses, e.g., the zone improvement plan (zip) codes were developed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 1963,&nbsp;  

'''Articles, buttons, or tabs.''' When referring to an article, button, or tab name, use the capitalization from the article title, button or tab.