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Writing Encyclopedia style

Note: This can be quite different then the scientific style you are used to! Start your article with a concise lead section or introduction defining the topic at hand and mentioning the most important points. The reader should be able to get a good overview by only reading the lead, which should be between one and four paragraphs long, depending on the length of the article.

Remember that, although you will be familiar with the subject you are writing about, readers of the Encyclopedia may not be, so it is important to establish the context of your article's subject early on. For instance, if you are writing an article about a sports event you should mention the sport and, if relevant, any national details: rather than

The Red Cup was a domestic league competition that ran between 1994 and 1996

it would be more helpful to write

The Red Cup was a domestic rugby league competition in New Caledonia that ran between 1994 and 1996

Again, rather than

Billy the Fish is a goalkeeper who joined the club in 2006

say

Billy the Fish is a football goalkeeper who joined Fulchester United in 2006

Make sure to link to other relevant Encyclopedia articles. In addition, where appropriate, add links in other articles back to your article.

You cannot simply copy-and-paste from external resources.

It is often a good idea to separate the major sections of your articles with section headlines. For many topics, a history section is very appropriate, outlining how thinking about the concept evolved over time.

If different people have different opinions about your topic, characterize that debate from the Neutral point of view.

Try to get your spelling right. Encyclopedia does not yet contain a spell checker, but you can write and spell-check your article first in a word processor or text editor (which is a lot more comfortable than the Encyclopedia text-box anyway) and then paste it into said text-box. Another option is an extension (such as ieSpell for Internet Explorer or SpellBound for Mozilla and old versions of Firefox - Firefox 2 and up feature built-in spell checking) that can be installed on your web browser and used as a spell checker in text boxes.

Keep the article in an encyclopedic style: add etymology or provenance (when available), look for analogies and eventual comparisons to propose. Be objective: avoid personal comments (or turn them into general statements, but only when they coincide), do not use personal forms (I found that...).

Try to avoid using euphemisms, such as "passed away" for "died", or "made love" for "had sexual intercourse".

At the end, you should list the references you used and the best available external links about the topic. These references are what will allow the Encyclopedia to be the most trusted, reliable resource.

Information style and tone

The tone, should always remain formal, impersonal, and dispassionate.

Tone

Encyclopedia articles, and other encyclopedic content, should be written in a formal tone. Standards for formal tone vary depending upon the subject matter, but should follow the style used by reliable sources, while remaining understandable to the educated layman. Formal tone means that the article should not be written using unintelligible argot, doublespeak, legalese, or jargon; it means that the English language should be used in a businesslike manner.

Articles should not be written from a first or second person perspective. Articles written in this fashion are often deleted. First person pronouns such as "I" and "we" imply a point-of-view inconsistent with (although "we" may be used in mathematical contexts). Second person, "you" or "your", perspective often appears in how-to instructions and is inappropriate. First and second person usage should only be used in articles in attributed direct quotations relevant to the article's subject.

State the obvious

State facts which may be obvious to you, but are not necessarily obvious to the reader. Usually, such a statement will be in the first sentence or two of the article. For example, consider this sentence:

• The Ford Thunderbird was conceived as a response to the Chevrolet Corvette and entered production for the 1955 model year.

Here no mention is made of the Ford Thunderbird's fundamental nature: it is an automobile. It assumes that the reader already knows this—an assumption that may not be correct, especially if the reader is not familiar with Ford or Chevrolet. Perhaps instead:

• The Ford Thunderbird is a car manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company.

But there is no need to go overboard. There is no need to explain a common word like "car". Repetition is usually unnecessary, for example:

• Shoichi Yokoi was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1941.

conveys enough information (although it is not a good first sentence, for different reasons). However, the following is verbose:

• Shoichi Yokoi was a Japanese soldier in Japan who was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1941.

Lead section

Opening paragraph

The title should be highlighted in bold the first time it appears in an article, but not thereafter. The title should not be bolded via a [[link]]. Normally, the opening paragraph summarizes the most important points of the article. It should clearly explain the subject so that the reader is prepared for the greater level of detail that follows. If further introductory material is appropriate before the first section, it can be covered in subsequent paragraphs in the lead. Introductions to biographical articles commonly double as summaries, listing the best-known achievements of the subject. Because some readers will read only the opening of an article, the most vital information should be included.

First sentence

The first sentence should give the shortest possible relevant characterization of the subject. Make the context clear in the first few words. For example:

In quantum physics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states ...

If the subject is amenable to definition, the first sentence should give a concise one that puts the article in context. Rather than being typically technical, it should be a concise, conceptually sound, characterization-driven, encyclopedic definition. It should be as clear to the nonspecialist as the subject matter allows. For example, an article on Charles Darwin should not begin with:

Darwin created controversy with the publication of Origin of Species...

But instead should begin with something like:

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) was a naturalist who proposed the scientific theory that natural selection is the mechanism by which evolution occurs....

Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies) has more on the specific format for biography articles.

If the article is about a fictional character or place, say so. Readers might not know, for instance, that Homer Simpson is not a real person. Start with, for example:

Homer Simpson is a fictional character in the television series...

The rest of the opening paragraph

Then proceed with a description. Remember, the basic significance of a topic may not be obvious to nonspecialist readers, even if they understand the basic characterization or definition. Tell them! For instance:

Peer review, known as refereeing in some academic fields, is a scholarly process used in the publication of manuscripts and in the awarding of money for research. Publishers and agencies use peer review to select and to screen submissions. At the same time, the process assists authors in meeting the standards of their discipline. Publications and awards that have not undergone peer review are liable to be regarded with suspicion by scholars and professionals in many fields.

The rest of the lead section

If the article is long enough for the lead section to contain several paragraphs, then the first paragraph should be short and to the point, with a clear explanation of what the subject of the page is. The following paragraphs should give a summary of the article. They should provide an overview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable, including its more important controversies, if there are any.

The appropriate length of the lead section depends on the total length of the article. As a general guideline, the lead should be no longer than two or three paragraphs. The following specific rules have been proposed:

Article titles

This guidance applies to the titles of Encyclopedia articles, not to the titles of external articles that are cited.

• Titles are generally nouns or noun phrases (Effects of the wild, not About the effects of the wild).
• Titles should be short—preferably fewer than ten words.
• The initial letter of a title is capitalized (except in very rare cases, such as eBay). Otherwise, capital letters are used only where implied by normal capitalization rules (Funding of UNESCO projects, not Funding of UNESCO Projects).
• A, an and the are normally avoided as the first word (Economy of the Second Empire, not The economy of the Second Empire), unless part of a proper noun (The Hague).
• Special characters such as the slash (/), plus sign (+), braces ({ }) and square brackets ([ ]) are avoided; the ampersand (&) is replaced by and, unless it is part of a formal name.

A perfect Encyclopedia article

• fills a gap; search for existing or related articles on the topic first.
• has a good title so it can be linked to and found easily and follows existing naming conventions.
• starts with a clear description of the subject; the lead introduces and explains the subject and its significance clearly and accurately, without going into excessive detail.
• is understandable; it is clearly expressed for both experts and non-experts in appropriate detail, and thoroughly explores and explains the subject.
• is nearly self-contained; it includes essential information and terminology, and is comprehensible by itself, without requiring significant reading of other articles.
• branches out; it contains links and sources to other articles and external information that add meaning to the subject.
• and branches in; editors have found and edited other significant wiki pages which make mention of the topic and link them to the article.
• acknowledges and explores all aspects of the subject; i.e., it covers every encyclopedic angle of the subject.
• is completely neutral and unbiased; it has a neutral point of view, presenting competing views on controversies logically and fairly, and pointing out all sides without favoring particular viewpoints. The most factual and accepted views are emphasized, and minority views are given a lower priority; sufficient information and references are provided so that readers can learn more about particular views.
• is of an appropriate length; it is long enough to provide sufficient information, depth, and analysis on its subject, without including unnecessary detail or information that would be more suitable in "sub-articles" or related articles.
• reflects expert knowledge; it is grounded in fact and on sound scholarly and logical principles.
• is precise and explicit; it is free of vague generalities and half-truths that may arise from an imperfect grasp of the subject.
• is well-documented; all facts are cited from reputable sources, preferably sources that are accessible and up-to-date.
• is clear; it is written to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding, using logical structure, and plain, clear prose; it is free of redundant language.
• is engaging; the language is descriptive and has an interesting, encyclopedic tone.
• follows standard writing conventions of modern English, including correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• includes informative, relevant images—including maps, portraits, photographs and artworks—that add to a reader's interest or understanding of the text, but not so many as to detract from it. Each image should have an explanatory caption.
• is categorized.
• is not attainable. Editing may bring an article closer to perfection, but ultimately, perfection means different things to different editors.