FamilySearch Wiki:Manual of Style: Difference between revisions

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

'''Respectful interactions.''' Comments and edits should be made with respect for other users and contributors. [[FamilySearch Wiki:Etiquette Guidelines]]  

'''Alternate opinions of information.''' 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 of finding alternate information or additional techniques these things may be suggested in an additional section such as: "Other ways to find the information".  

'''Appropriate content.''' Content and images must be [[FamilySearch Wiki:Purpose and Appropriate Topics|appropriate]] to the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Inappropriate content or links will be deleted.  

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

'''Simplicity.''' Writing should be clear and simple. When a term is used that may be unfamiliar to people (for example, "gazetteer"), it should be defined the first time it appears in the body of an article as in this sentence:  "In some areas newspapers were called gazetteers"   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 if English is not the user's first language.  

Anyone can contribute to FamilySearch Wiki. [[FamilySearch Wiki:Ownership of articles|Pages are not owned]] by anyone exclusively. Since anyone can add to a page, the original author of a page will see their work added to 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 all 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.  

'''Consistent grammar style within an article.''' Grammar styles may vary by a contributor’s location and preference. Whatever style is chosen by the original contributor should be consistently maintained throughout the article. Other contributors and editors should follow the original style.<br>  

'''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.''' As much as possible, write with shorter sentences that express one idea. They are easier to understand, especially if English is not a user’s 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. <br>  

'''Not 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: ("Indexes can be used to find ancestral records quickly.")