Difference between revisions of "Powerbase:Manual of Style"

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{{SpinProfiles:Help}}
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{{Powerbase:Help}}
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A '''Manual of Style''' has the simple purpose of making things look alike - it is a style guide. The following rules don't claim to be the last word. One way is often as good as another, but if everyone does it the same way, SpinProfiles will be  easier to read and easier to use, not to mention easier to write and easier to edit. New contributors are reminded that clear, informative writing is always more important than presentation and formatting. Writers are '''not''' expected to follow all these rules, but please do your best to bear them in mind when contributing and editing articles.
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A '''Manual of Style''' has the simple purpose of making things look alike — it is a style guide. The following rules don't claim to be the last word. One way is often as good as another, but if everyone does it the same way, Powerbase will be  easier to read and easier to use, not to mention easier to write and easier to edit. New contributors are reminded that clear, informative writing is always more important than presentation and formatting. Writers are '''not''' expected to follow all these rules, but please do your best to bear them in mind when contributing and editing articles.
  
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Please see [[SpinProfiles:How To Edit A Page|How to edit a page]] for information on '''how''' to use all the different forms of markup along with some other general guidelines to consider when editing.
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Please see [[Powerbase:How To Edit A Page|How to edit a page]] for information on '''how''' to use all the different forms of markup along with some other general guidelines to consider when editing.
  
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==Style for specific parts of SpinProfiles articles==
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==Style for specific parts of Powerbase articles==
  
 
===Article introduction===
 
===Article introduction===
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*'''The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition''' (TASSC) was a front group created by the [[APCO Worldwide]] to represent the tobacco industry's interests on the issue of secondhand smoke.
 
*'''The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition''' (TASSC) was a front group created by the [[APCO Worldwide]] to represent the tobacco industry's interests on the issue of secondhand smoke.
 +
 +
Give the basic information about your article subject in the first one or two sentences, as in the above example. This is a principle of news style that makes it easy for readers to decide whether the article is of interest without their having to read lots of it. Include, as in the above example, an indication as to why this person or organization is in Powerbase.
  
 
===Section titles===
 
===Section titles===
  
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Use the <tt>==</tt> style markup for section titles rather than <nowiki>'''</nowiki> (which are used to create bold lettering). Start with <tt>==</tt> (that's two equal signs). If the resulting font looks too big (as many people feel), that's an issue for the SpinProfiles-wide stylesheet, not individual articles.
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Use the <tt>==</tt> style markup for [[Powerbase:How To Edit A Page#Sections, paragraphs, lists and lines|section titles]] rather than <nowiki>'''</nowiki> (which are used to create bold lettering). Start with <tt>==</tt> (that's two equal signs).  
  
 
The major benefits of marking headers this way are that sections will show in a contents box at the beginning of the page and are automatically numbered for users with that preference set. Headlines also help readers by breaking up the text and outlining the article: which makes it easier to read. Another benefit is that words within properly marked headers are also given greater weight in searches.   
 
The major benefits of marking headers this way are that sections will show in a contents box at the beginning of the page and are automatically numbered for users with that preference set. Headlines also help readers by breaking up the text and outlining the article: which makes it easier to read. Another benefit is that words within properly marked headers are also given greater weight in searches.   
  
 
====Repeat section titles in the body text of sections====
 
====Repeat section titles in the body text of sections====
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Because sections are often renamed, moved and merged, make sure to repeat any subject mentioned in a section title, i.e. don't entitle a section "The Los Angeles Riots" and then start the section out by saying, "In the riots..."
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Because sections are often renamed, moved and merged, make sure to repeat any subject mentioned in a section title, i.e. don't entitle a section "The Los Angeles Riots" and then start the body text of the section by saying, "In the riots..."
  
 
===Captions===
 
===Captions===
  
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Photos and other graphics should have captions unless they are "self-captioning" as in reproductions of book covers. (see [[SpinProfiles:Image Use Policy|Image use policy]] for information on using images)
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Photos and other graphics should have captions unless they are "self-captioning" as in reproductions of book covers. (see [[Powerbase:Image Use Policy|Image use policy]] for information on using images)
  
 
Captions should follow the style of article text, using italics only for normally italicized material.
 
Captions should follow the style of article text, using italics only for normally italicized material.
  
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==General style in SpinProfiles==
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==Titles==
  
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===Titles of publications & media===
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===Titles of publications and media===
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Use ''italics'' for the title or name of books, movies, albums, TV series, magazines, and court cases.  If the title is also a link, you should usually place the italic markup outside the brackets.   
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Use ''italics'' for the title or name of books, movies, albums, TV series, newspapers, magazines, and court cases.  If the title is also a link, you should usually place the italic markup outside the brackets.   
  
 
To encode italics, select the text to be italicized and click on the sloping "I" icon in the formatting menu at the top of the editing page.
 
To encode italics, select the text to be italicized and click on the sloping "I" icon in the formatting menu at the top of the editing page.
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*[[Nick Davies]] in ''[[The Guardian]]''
 
*[[Nick Davies]] in ''[[The Guardian]]''
  
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You will notice in this example that both the names of the person and the publication has been enclosed in double brackets. This creates a link to their dedicated page on SpinProfiles (should the have one). It is not always necessary to create such links for authors & publications such as this: for example, when you are including it as a reference. Adding links is covered in more detail in the [[SpinProfiles:Manual of Style#Creating Links| Creating Links]] section.   
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You will notice in this example that both the names of the person and the publication has been enclosed in double brackets. This creates a link to their dedicated page on Powerbase (if they have one). Don't bother to create such links in a reference. Adding links is covered in more detail in the [[Powerbase:Manual of Style#Creating Links| Creating Links]] section.   
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Names of articles go in "quotes".
 +
 
 +
What you put in:
 +
 
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*<nowiki>[[Nick Davies]], in an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' entitled "Lies, spin and deception",</nowiki>
 +
 
 +
What you get:
  
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When including the title or name of articles, TV programmes, etc, it is also a good idea to include the use of "quotes".
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*[[Nick Davies]], in an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' entitled "Lies, spin and deception",
  
 
===Titles (for people)===
 
===Titles (for people)===
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In the case of "prime minister", either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. Again, when using it generically, do not use a capital letter: "There are many prime ministers around the world." When making reference to a specific office, generally use uppercase: "The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said today&hellip;" (A good rule of thumb is whether the sentence uses a definite article [the] or an indefinite article [a]. If the sentence uses ''the'', use "Prime Minister". If the sentence uses ''a'', go with "prime minister". However to complicate matters, some style manuals, while saying  "''The'' British Prime Minister", recommend "British prime minister".)
 
In the case of "prime minister", either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. Again, when using it generically, do not use a capital letter: "There are many prime ministers around the world." When making reference to a specific office, generally use uppercase: "The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said today&hellip;" (A good rule of thumb is whether the sentence uses a definite article [the] or an indefinite article [a]. If the sentence uses ''the'', use "Prime Minister". If the sentence uses ''a'', go with "prime minister". However to complicate matters, some style manuals, while saying  "''The'' British Prime Minister", recommend "British prime minister".)
  
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====Government officials====
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===U.S. state abbreviations and names of state residents===
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For government officials, particularly in the U.S., SpinProfiles uses a slightly modified version of the Associated Press style:
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Powerbase uses the Associated Press abbreviations for U.S. states, which is different than the two-letter postal abbreviation. For a full list, [http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/STABBREV.html see here]. For the proper way to refer to the residents of a state see [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855542.html this ''infoplease'' sheet].
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* Abbreviate the titles, i.e. use Rep., Sen. or Gov. "President" is not abbreviated. In the case of a series of more than one senator or representative it is permissible to use Reps. or Sens.
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* On the second reference it is permissible to use only the full name or last name of the official and omit any title, state or party information.
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==Spelling==
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* For former officials, say "former Rep...". It is also permissible to use the "then-" prefix to indicate that a person was an official at the time.
 
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* When relevant to the information being presented, it is permissible to use leadership positions.
 
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* Include party and state affiliations when possible (this is unnecessary when the sentence makes it clear the state or party affiliation of the official). Offset these with parenthesis rather than commas.
 
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* Use the [http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/STABBREV.html AP abbreviations of states].
 
  
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Examples:
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Powerbase is a British project, so British English spelling is preferable to U.S. English. However, U.S. English is acceptable. For the names of political groups or movements, use the spelling that is usual within the country referred to. For example, say "the American labor movement" (without a U) but "the British Labour Party" (with a U).  
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* "Speaker [[Dennis Hastert]] (R-Ill.) criticized then-Rep. [[Tom DeLay]] (R-Texas) for his actions, but said he still thought DeLay was a 'good guy.'"
 
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* "Sens. [[Joe Lieberman]] (I-Conn.), [[Olympia Snowe]] (R-Maine) and [[Joseph Biden]] (D-Del.) sponsored the bill..."
 
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* "Former Rep. [[Mark Foley]] (R-Fla.) entered rehab on..."
 
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* "Reps. [[Dennis Kucinich]] (D-Ohio), [[John Boehner]] (R-Ohio), [[Nancy Pelosi]] (D-Calif.) and Sen. [[Tom Coburn]] (R-Okla.) held a "unity" press conference on July..."
 
  
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===Spelling===
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Increasingly, words like "civilisation" and "organisation" are morphing towards the U.S. spellings using a Z, even within Great Britain, thus: "civilization", "organization". For the time being, this is a matter of personal preference except in cases where these words are part of the name of a group or organization, such as the Zionist Organization of America, when you should use the American spelling with a Z.
  
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Either American or English spelling is acceptable. It is in no way a requirement, but it probably reads better to use American spellings in articles on American subjects and English spelling in articles on English subjects.  A reference to "the American ''labour'' movement" (with a U) or to "''Anglicization''" (with a Z) may be jarring.  It also may be jarring to find both forms in a single article.  If the spelling appears in an article name, you should make a redirect page to accommodate "the other language", as with [[Aeroplane]] and [[Airplane]].
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If a variant spelling appears in an article name, you should make a redirect page to accommodate "the other language", as with <nowiki>[[Aeroplane]]</nowiki> and <nowiki>[[Airplane]]</nowiki>.
  
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===Punctuation===
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==Punctuation==
  
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In most cases, simply follow the usual rules of English punctuation.  A few points where the SpinProfiles may differ from usual usage follow.
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In most cases, simply follow the usual rules of English punctuation.  A few points where the Powerbase may differ from usual usage follow.
  
 
With '''quotation marks''', we suggest splitting the difference between American and English usage.   
 
With '''quotation marks''', we suggest splitting the difference between American and English usage.   
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: Arthur said, "The situation is deplorable." ''(full sentence is quoted)''
 
: Arthur said, "The situation is deplorable." ''(full sentence is quoted)''
  
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Keep in mind that if you're quoting several paragraphs, there should be quotes at the beginning of each paragraph, but only at the end of the last paragraph.
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Keep in mind that if you're quoting several paragraphs, there should be quotes at the beginning of each paragraph, but only at the end of the last paragraph.
  
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===Citations===
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===Block quotes===
  
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Please see http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/journalism/cite.html for a list of citation style guides.
+
A neat way of formatting longer quotations (a guideline is if the quotation is over 35 words long) is to make it into a block quote. Block quotes are indented and do not need initial quotation marks. You only use quotation marks for any quotes within the main quote. Block quotes are created by using a colon at the beginning of each paragraph of the block quote.  
  
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For citing online documents, please follow the recommendations of http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html
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*What you put in:
  
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[[ISBN]] numbers are auto-converted to links. This is useful, as this allows readers to go to online stores and purchase books.  However, ISBN numbers only identify a particular edition of a book: when it goes out of print, they are not very useful.
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<nowiki>Lead into your quote here:</nowiki>
  
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The SpinProfiles software recognizes inline ISBNs;
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<nowiki>:Here is your block quote, a quotation of over 35 words long. Carry on like this, using quotation marks for any quotes within the quote, such as the following. He said, "Block quotes can make an article easier to read."</nowiki>
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for example: <code><nowiki>ISBN 0-12-345678-9</nowiki></code> becomes ISBN 0-12-345678-9.
 
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This creates an external link to a special booksource page, with links to sites where one may search for the best price for the book or access information about the book such as reviews and reader reactions. It is important when making a link to not put a colon after "ISBN".
 
  
−
Please ''do not'' use ISBN numbers alone to identify books: please add a proper citation as well as the ISBN.
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<nowiki>:If there is more than one paragraph in the block quote, begin each paragraph with a colon.</nowiki>
  
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==Creating Links==
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<nowiki>Then continue your article ...</nowiki>
  
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The use of so-called "free links" to other topics, for example, <nowiki>[[George W. Bush]]</nowiki>, is encouraged. Use the links for all words and terms that appear in your article for which it could be worthwhile to read the linked article. However, don't overdo it. Do not link every occurrance of a word; simply linking the first time the word appears will usually be enough.
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*What you get:
  
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Links that follow the SpinProfiles [[SourceWatch:Naming Conventions|naming conventions]] are much more likely to lead to existing articles, and, if there is not yet an article about that subject, will make the creation of a correctly-named article much easier for later writers.
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Lead into your quote here:
  
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It is possible to link words that are not exactly the same as the linked article title, <nowiki> [[English language|English]] </nowiki> for example. Make sure however that it is still clear what the link refers without having to follow the link. When making plurals, do <nowiki>[[language]]s</nowiki>. This is clearer to read in wiki form than  <nowiki>[[language|languages]]</nowiki> -- and easier to type.
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:Here is your block quote, a quotation of over 35 words long. Carry on like this, using quotation marks for any quotes within the quote, such as the following. He said, "Block quotes can make an article easier to read."
  
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Try to link accurately. If an article you want to link doesn't yet exist, do a quick search to find out if that is really the case; the article may be named slightly different from what you expected.
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:If there is more than one paragraph in the block quote, begin each paragraph with a colon.
  
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===URL and World Wide Web style===
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Then continue your article ...
  
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SpinProfiles is not a link collection and an article with only links is actively discouraged, but it is appropriate to reference more detailed material from the [[Wikipedia:World Wide Web|World Wide Web]].  This is particularly the case when you have used a web site as an important source of information. 
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==Citations==
  
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The syntax of referencing a [[URL]] is simple, just enclose it in single brackets, <nowiki>[full URL optional text after space]</nowiki>.  The URL must begin with ''<nowiki>http://</nowiki>'' or other form, such as ''<nowiki>ftp://</nowiki>''.  Most URLs are ugly and uninformative, so it is better to hide them.  The "printable version" of a page displays all URLs in full, even if concealed, so no information is lost.
+
See [[Powerbase:A Guide to Referencing|a guide to referencing]] for how to reference citations.
  
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Without the optional text, such an external reference takes the form of a footnote: 
+
Also familiarise yourself with [[Powerbase:A Guide to Sourcing|A guide to sourcing]] which provides useful information for the use of sources.
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*[http://www.wikipedia.org]
 
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**<nowiki>[http://www.wikipedia.org]</nowiki>
 
  
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If followed by a space and text, the text replaces the URL:
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====ISBN's====
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*[http://www.wikipedia.org an open-source encyclopedia]
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ISBN numbers are auto-converted to links. This is useful, as this allows readers to go to online stores and purchase books.  However, ISBN numbers only identify a particular edition of a book: when it goes out of print, they are not very useful.  
−
**<nowiki>[http://www.wikipedia.org an open-source encyclopedia]</nowiki>
 
  
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This form can be used to include a run-in URL reference within text when necessary, as:
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The Powerbase software recognizes inline ISBNs;
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* One good example of a cooperative online community is the [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia].  
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for example: <code><nowiki>ISBN 0-12-345678-9</nowiki></code> becomes ISBN 0-12-345678-9.
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**<nowiki>One good example of a cooperative online community is the [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia]. </nowiki>
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This creates an external link to a special booksource page, with links to sites where one may search for the best price for the book or access information about the book such as reviews and reader reactions. It is important when making a link to not put a colon after "ISBN".
  
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In most cases, however, it is clearer to keep the URL separate at the bottom of the article under a heading like this:
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Please ''do not'' use ISBN numbers alone to identify books: please add a proper [[Powerbase:A Guide to Referencing|reference]] as well as the ISBN.
−
*<nowiki>==External links==</nowiki>
 
  
−
'''Note:''' At present, without brackets, URLs are presented as is:
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==Creating links==
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* http://www.wikipedia.org
 
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**<nowiki>http://www.wikipedia.org</nowiki>
 
  
−
But this feature may disappear in a future release and in cases where you wish to display the URL because it is intrinsically valuable information, it is better to use the short form of the URL as the optional text:
+
The use of so-called "free links" to other topics, for example, <nowiki>[[Gordon Brown]]</nowiki>, is encouraged. Use the links for all words and terms that appear in your article for which it could be worthwhile to read the linked article. However, don't overdo it. Do not link every occurrence of a word; simply linking the first time the word appears will usually be enough.
−
*[http://www.wikipedia.org www.wikipedia.org]
 
−
**<nowiki>[http://www.wikipedia.org www.wikipedia.org]</nowiki>
 
  
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===Simple tabulation===
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Details of how to link a page can be found on Powerbase [[Powerbase:How To Edit A Page#Links and URLs|how to edit a page]] guide.
  
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Any line that starts with a blank space becomes a fixed font width and can be used for simple tabulation.  See [[English plural]] for many examples.
+
Also familiarise yourself with Powerbase [[Powerbase:Naming Conventions|naming conventions]]. Links that follow the naming conventions are much more likely to lead to existing articles and if there is not yet an article about that subject, will make the creation of a correctly-named article much easier for later writers.
  
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foo    bar    baz
+
Try to link accurately. If an article you want to link doesn't yet exist, do a quick search to find out if that is really the case: the article may be named slightly different from what you expected.
−
alpha  beta    gamma
 
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−
A line that starts with a blank space with nothing else on it forms a blank line, which can be a confusing error, or may be just what you want. 
 
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−
Or maybe not.  
 
  
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(If you are one of those typists who puts two spaces after a period, you can cause a blank line unknowingly if those blanks are "wrapped" to the beginning of the next line.)
+
===URLs and the World Wide Web===
  
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===State abbreviations and names of state residents===
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Powerbase is not a link collection and an article with only links is actively discouraged, but it can sometimes be appropriate to reference more detailed material from the World Wide Web. This is particularly the case when you have used a web site as an important source of information.  
−
SpinProfiles uses the Associated Press abbreviations for U.S. states, which is different than the two-letter postal abbreviation. For a full list, [http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/STABBREV.html see here]. For the proper way to refer to the residents of a state see [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855542.html this ''infoplease'' sheet].
 
  
−
==When all else fails==
+
Powerbase article on [[Michael Levy]] provides an example of this. The 'resources' section at the end of his article provides external links to articles elsewhere in the world wide web which are included for further information. These are also sometimes called ''external links''.
  
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If you are faced with a fine point, please use other resources, such as ''[[Wikipedia:The Chicago Manual of Style|The Chicago Manual of Style]]'' (from the [[Wikipedia :University of Chicago Press|University of Chicago Press]]) or
+
When adding extra sources of external information, these should be included in the article by adding them to the bottom of the page (create an [[Powerbase:How To Edit A Page#Sections, paragraphs, lists and lines|''external links'' or ''resources'' section]] for them if there is not one there already). Add the full URL address (including the <nowiki>http://</nowiki>) in single brackets (to create an external link), then a brief description of what the external information contains: For example...
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[[Wikipedia:Fowler's Modern English Usage|Fowler's Modern English Usage]] (from the [[Wikipedia :Oxford University Press|Oxford University Press]]).  Where this page differs from the other sources, the usage on this page should be preferred, but please feel free to add to this page.
+
:''BBC Breakfast with Frost'' interview Lord Levy, 9 July 2000. <nowiki>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast_with_frost/825834.stm]</nowiki> 
  
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Even simpler is simply to look at an article that you like and open it for editing to see how the writers and editors have put it together. You can then close the window without saving changes if you like, but look around while you're there.  Almost every article can be improved.  Maybe you could add some markup to make it fit this style better.
+
This approach should not be used as a substitute for including relevant information within the article itself. It is however useful for linking further information (or perhaps analysis from another author) as an ''extra'' source of information that is worth noting.
  
 
==Don't get fancy==
 
==Don't get fancy==
  
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It's easier for you and whoever follows you if you don't try to get too fancy with your markup. Even with markup as suggested here, you shouldn't assume that any markup you put in is guaranteed to have a certain appearance when it is displayed.
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It's easier for you and whoever follows you if you don't try to get too fancy with your markup. A useful encyclopedia is the first goal, but ease of editing and maintaining that encyclopedia is right behind it.
  
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It is easier to display the SpinProfiles and easier to edit or add to its articles if we don't make the markup any more complex than is necessary to display the information in a useful and comprehensible way.  A useful encyclopedia is the first goal, but ease of editing and maintaining that encyclopedia is right behind it.
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==When all else fails==
  
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Among other things, this means use HTML markup sparingly and only with good reason. 
+
It can sometimes be useful to have a look at an article that you like and open it for editing to see how the writers and editors have put it together. You can then close the window without saving changes if you like, but look around while you're there.
−
 
+
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==Language==
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[[Category:Powerbase Help]]
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==="Reform"===
 
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Using the term "reform" often implies that there is a problem to be fixed. In some cases, e.g. "campaign finance reform," the word has become part of the accepted and wide-spread way of referring to something. However, it is good to be wary of PR attempts to establish the use of the word "reform" as part of an agenda, e.g. referring to tax cuts as "tax reform." It is generally a good thing to find an alternate way to describe a "reform." "Structural changes" or "reorganization" are examples of alternate language.
 
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==="Democrat" vs. "Democratic"===
 
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Using the proper name for a political party in the proper situation is important. In American politics there are two dominant parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Often mistakes are made in labeling candidates and members of Congress in the Democratic Party. The most common error occurs in the decision to use the word "Democrat" vs. "Democratic" in reference to a member of Congress or candidate for office. For many this could arise from the confusion of the adjective "Democratic" used as a proper noun.
 
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The Democratic Party has been officially been called the Democratic Party since the 1844 Democratic National Convention. Thus, despite the possible confusion of noun or adjective all references to the party ought to refer to the Democratic Party as that is the proper name for the party. There is no such thing as the "Democrat Party" therefore a reference to the "Democrat Senator" would refer to a Senator from a nonexistent political party. The word "Democratic" should precede all nouns referencing the party, party organizations, or party affiliation (e.g. Democratic Senator [[Ted Kennedy]]; member of the Democratic Party; Democratic candidate for office) The word Democrat should be used only as a noun in reference to persons in the party (Many Democrats think...; Massachusetts Democrat [[Ted Kennedy]]; Republicans and Democrats disagree...) and never as a modifier.
 
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In following with these rules, candidates for election and sitting members of Congress should be referred to as the "Democratic [candidate/member]" and not as the "Democrat [congressman/candidate]". When the noun "Democrat" is required it ought to be used. When referring to the Republican Party or candidates/members therein use of the word Republican (over GOP or GOPer) is always preferred.
 
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For more background on the use of "Democrat" vs. "Democratic" see this [http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/060807ta_talk_hertzberg New Yorker article].
 
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==For further information==
 
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Before you start writing or editing, it is a good idea to read through and understand these documents:
 
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''Note to contributors to this page: We need to go over all these and make sure they're up to date too.''
 
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−
*[[SpinProfiles:Contributing|Contributing]] is a gentle introduction to the world of SpinProfiles.
 
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*[[SpinProfiles:Policy|SpinProfiles policy]] lists some other general policies to follow.
 
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:Be_bold_in_updating_pages Be bold in updating pages] as described by Wikipedia can be referred to act as a guide when page updates.
 
−
*[[SpinProfiles:Most Common SpinProfiles Faux Pas|Most common SpinProfiles faux pas]] gives a list of common mistakes and how to avoid them.
 
−
*[[SpinProfiles:Editorial Policy|Editorial policy]] has more editing guidelines.
 
−
*[[SpinProfiles:How To Edit A Page|How to edit a page]] will explain the mechanics of what codes are available to you when editing a page, to do things like titles, links, external links, and so on.
 
−
*[[SpinProfiles:The Perfect Stub Article|The perfect stub article]] shows what you should aim for at a minimum when starting a new article.
 
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−
==External Links==
 
−
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:Be_bold_in_updating_pages] Wikipedia guide to being bold in updating pages.
 
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−
[[Category:SpinProfiles Help]]
 
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[[Category:SpinProfiles policy and guideline pages]]
 
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''Acknowledgment:  Many of these guidelines were taken from or reflect the guidelines in the Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style Manual of Style].''
 

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A Manual of Style has the simple purpose of making things look alike — it is a style guide. The following rules don't claim to be the last word. One way is often as good as another, but if everyone does it the same way, Powerbase will be easier to read and easier to use, not to mention easier to write and easier to edit. New contributors are reminded that clear, informative writing is always more important than presentation and formatting. Writers are not expected to follow all these rules, but please do your best to bear them in mind when contributing and editing articles.

Please see How to edit a page for information on how to use all the different forms of markup along with some other general guidelines to consider when editing.

Style for specific parts of Powerbase articles

Article introduction

All articles should have the title or subject in bold in the first line. The title or subject can almost always be made part of the first sentence, but some articles simply have names.

To encode something as bold, select the text to be emboldened and click on the "B" icon in the formatting palette at the top of the editing page.

What you put in:

  • '''The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition''' (TASSC) was a front group created by the [[APCO Worldwide]] to represent the tobacco industry's interests on the issue of secondhand smoke.

What you get:

  • The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) was a front group created by the APCO Worldwide to represent the tobacco industry's interests on the issue of secondhand smoke.

Give the basic information about your article subject in the first one or two sentences, as in the above example. This is a principle of news style that makes it easy for readers to decide whether the article is of interest without their having to read lots of it. Include, as in the above example, an indication as to why this person or organization is in Powerbase.

Section titles

Use the == style markup for section titles rather than ''' (which are used to create bold lettering). Start with == (that's two equal signs).

The major benefits of marking headers this way are that sections will show in a contents box at the beginning of the page and are automatically numbered for users with that preference set. Headlines also help readers by breaking up the text and outlining the article: which makes it easier to read. Another benefit is that words within properly marked headers are also given greater weight in searches.

Repeat section titles in the body text of sections

Because sections are often renamed, moved and merged, make sure to repeat any subject mentioned in a section title, i.e. don't entitle a section "The Los Angeles Riots" and then start the body text of the section by saying, "In the riots..."

Captions

Photos and other graphics should have captions unless they are "self-captioning" as in reproductions of book covers. (see Image use policy for information on using images)

Captions should follow the style of article text, using italics only for normally italicized material.

Titles

Titles of publications and media

Use italics for the title or name of books, movies, albums, TV series, newspapers, magazines, and court cases. If the title is also a link, you should usually place the italic markup outside the brackets.

To encode italics, select the text to be italicized and click on the sloping "I" icon in the formatting menu at the top of the editing page.

What you put in:

  • [[Nick Davies]] in ''[[The Guardian]]''

What you get:

You will notice in this example that both the names of the person and the publication has been enclosed in double brackets. This creates a link to their dedicated page on Powerbase (if they have one). Don't bother to create such links in a reference. Adding links is covered in more detail in the Creating Links section.

Names of articles go in "quotes".

What you put in:

  • [[Nick Davies]], in an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' entitled "Lies, spin and deception",

What you get:

Titles (for people)

Titles such as president, king, or emperor start with a capital letter when used as a title (followed by a name): "President Nixon", not "president Nixon". When used generically, they should be in lower case: "De Gaulle was the French president." The correct formal name of an office is treated as a proper noun. Hence: "Hirohito was Emperor of Japan." Similarly, "Louis XVI was the French king" but "Louis XVI was King of France", King of France being a title in that context. Likewise, capitalize royal titles: "Her Majesty" or "His Highness". (Referenced from: Chicago Manual of Style 15th ed., 8.35; The Guardian Manual of Style, "Titles" keyword.) Exceptions may apply for specific offices.

In the case of "prime minister", either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. Again, when using it generically, do not use a capital letter: "There are many prime ministers around the world." When making reference to a specific office, generally use uppercase: "The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said today…" (A good rule of thumb is whether the sentence uses a definite article [the] or an indefinite article [a]. If the sentence uses the, use "Prime Minister". If the sentence uses a, go with "prime minister". However to complicate matters, some style manuals, while saying "The British Prime Minister", recommend "British prime minister".)

U.S. state abbreviations and names of state residents

Powerbase uses the Associated Press abbreviations for U.S. states, which is different than the two-letter postal abbreviation. For a full list, see here. For the proper way to refer to the residents of a state see this infoplease sheet.

Spelling

Powerbase is a British project, so British English spelling is preferable to U.S. English. However, U.S. English is acceptable. For the names of political groups or movements, use the spelling that is usual within the country referred to. For example, say "the American labor movement" (without a U) but "the British Labour Party" (with a U).

Increasingly, words like "civilisation" and "organisation" are morphing towards the U.S. spellings using a Z, even within Great Britain, thus: "civilization", "organization". For the time being, this is a matter of personal preference except in cases where these words are part of the name of a group or organization, such as the Zionist Organization of America, when you should use the American spelling with a Z.

If a variant spelling appears in an article name, you should make a redirect page to accommodate "the other language", as with [[Aeroplane]] and [[Airplane]].

Punctuation

In most cases, simply follow the usual rules of English punctuation. A few points where the Powerbase may differ from usual usage follow.

With quotation marks, we suggest splitting the difference between American and English usage.

Although it is not a rigid rule, it is probably best to use the "double quotes" for most quotations, as they are easier to read on the screen, and use 'single quotes' for "quotations 'within' quotations". This is the American style.

When punctuating quoted passages, put punctuation where it belongs, inside or outside the quotation marks, depending on the meaning, not rigidly within the quotation marks. This is the British style. For example, "Stop!" has the punctuation inside the quotation marks. However, when using "scare quotes", the comma goes outside.

Another example:

Arthur said the situation was "deplorable". (we're quoting only part of a sentence)
Arthur said, "The situation is deplorable." (full sentence is quoted)

Keep in mind that if you're quoting several paragraphs, there should be quotes at the beginning of each paragraph, but only at the end of the last paragraph.

Block quotes

A neat way of formatting longer quotations (a guideline is if the quotation is over 35 words long) is to make it into a block quote. Block quotes are indented and do not need initial quotation marks. You only use quotation marks for any quotes within the main quote. Block quotes are created by using a colon at the beginning of each paragraph of the block quote.

  • What you put in:

Lead into your quote here:

:Here is your block quote, a quotation of over 35 words long. Carry on like this, using quotation marks for any quotes within the quote, such as the following. He said, "Block quotes can make an article easier to read."

:If there is more than one paragraph in the block quote, begin each paragraph with a colon.

Then continue your article ...

  • What you get:

Lead into your quote here:

Here is your block quote, a quotation of over 35 words long. Carry on like this, using quotation marks for any quotes within the quote, such as the following. He said, "Block quotes can make an article easier to read."
If there is more than one paragraph in the block quote, begin each paragraph with a colon.

Then continue your article ...

Citations

See a guide to referencing for how to reference citations.

Also familiarise yourself with A guide to sourcing which provides useful information for the use of sources.

ISBN's

ISBN numbers are auto-converted to links. This is useful, as this allows readers to go to online stores and purchase books. However, ISBN numbers only identify a particular edition of a book: when it goes out of print, they are not very useful.

The Powerbase software recognizes inline ISBNs; for example: ISBN 0-12-345678-9 becomes ISBN 0-12-345678-9. This creates an external link to a special booksource page, with links to sites where one may search for the best price for the book or access information about the book such as reviews and reader reactions. It is important when making a link to not put a colon after "ISBN".

Please do not use ISBN numbers alone to identify books: please add a proper reference as well as the ISBN.

Creating links

The use of so-called "free links" to other topics, for example, [[Gordon Brown]], is encouraged. Use the links for all words and terms that appear in your article for which it could be worthwhile to read the linked article. However, don't overdo it. Do not link every occurrence of a word; simply linking the first time the word appears will usually be enough.

Details of how to link a page can be found on Powerbase how to edit a page guide.

Also familiarise yourself with Powerbase naming conventions. Links that follow the naming conventions are much more likely to lead to existing articles and if there is not yet an article about that subject, will make the creation of a correctly-named article much easier for later writers.

Try to link accurately. If an article you want to link doesn't yet exist, do a quick search to find out if that is really the case: the article may be named slightly different from what you expected.

URLs and the World Wide Web

Powerbase is not a link collection and an article with only links is actively discouraged, but it can sometimes be appropriate to reference more detailed material from the World Wide Web. This is particularly the case when you have used a web site as an important source of information.

Powerbase article on Michael Levy provides an example of this. The 'resources' section at the end of his article provides external links to articles elsewhere in the world wide web which are included for further information. These are also sometimes called external links.

When adding extra sources of external information, these should be included in the article by adding them to the bottom of the page (create an external links or resources section for them if there is not one there already). Add the full URL address (including the http://) in single brackets (to create an external link), then a brief description of what the external information contains: For example...

BBC Breakfast with Frost interview Lord Levy, 9 July 2000. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast_with_frost/825834.stm]

This approach should not be used as a substitute for including relevant information within the article itself. It is however useful for linking further information (or perhaps analysis from another author) as an extra source of information that is worth noting.

Don't get fancy

It's easier for you and whoever follows you if you don't try to get too fancy with your markup. A useful encyclopedia is the first goal, but ease of editing and maintaining that encyclopedia is right behind it.

When all else fails

It can sometimes be useful to have a look at an article that you like and open it for editing to see how the writers and editors have put it together. You can then close the window without saving changes if you like, but look around while you're there.

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