FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Oregon - Style and Guidelines

WikiProject Oregon Style and Guidelines

Project Guidelines
These guidelines are for the Oregon WikiProject, which currently has no scheduled to end date. Other contributors are encouraged to use these guidelines, but are certainly not constrained by them. The guidelines were copied from the Washington guidelines (thank you) and modified to fit Oregon situations.

Style
The following styles have one major purpose—to help users decide whether or not to use the resources listed. Therefore:
 * 1) Wording is clear and to the point.
 * 2) Important resources are highlighted, not buried in long lists.
 * 3) Dates of the records are given where appropriate.
 * 4) Typical contents of the resources are briefly mentioned. Will this record help for their research?
 * 5) Consistency from county to county to increase understanding with minimal reading.

Style includes but is not limited to:
 * All Oregon county pages match in format:
 * The look at the top:
 * Breadcrumb and SEO are consistent.
 * Image size is consistent and pertains to that county.
 * The Quick start is indented and links to headings for that county.
 * The tops of Contents and the Infobox are even with each other.
 * Topic headings—wording and heading levels are the same.


 * Consistency in presentation of information:
 * Introductory statements are standardized paragraphs (templates) for most topics.
 * If a topic is unique for a county, copy the wording from the template, paste it to the appropriate place, then adapt it to that county.
 * Use bullets for each of the specific collections or links described under a topic heading.
 * Explain links briefly to help the user know what to expect, such as ($) after a for-fee site.


 * Miscellaneous:
 * Image, table, or template positions and size must be consistent.
 * Prefer sharp images relevant to the topic on the page or section.
 * Use references to cite information sources.
 * Use Italics for titles of published books.
 * Example: Use two apostrophes around words to italicize, displays: Use two apostrophes around words to italicize.

FYI: Links in Wikitext

 * Internal links go to another wiki page or to a specific heading on a page.
 * Style: Two left and right square brackets and  enclose the link.
 * Option: use a pipe |  between the link name and the closing square brackets to display the only words you want the user to see.
 * Example: History Timeline displays as History Timeline.
 * The # sends the search to the specific heading on the page named in the link to the left of the #. Note: if you forget to add the pipe, the users will see the link name.


 * External links go to another web site.
 * Style: 1) One left square bracket ( [ ), 2) the URL, 3) a space, 4) the wording you want users to see, and 5) end the link with one right square bracket ( ] ).
 * Example: Seattle Passenger Lists 1890-1957 results in Seattle Passenger Lists 1890-1957.
 * Identify the website, such as "at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection (free)" or "at Ancestry.com ($)."


 * Special external links:
 * FamilySearch Library catalog:
 * Please use the template "FHL". (When the engineers change catalog search parameters, this reduces or eliminates the need to edit every link when other changes occur.)
 * Wikipedia:
 * Use the template "Wpd" for Wikipedia.
 * Other:
 * Avoid use of the command when possible.  This command displays the name of the page, which sometimes turns out OK in the text and other times provides a discordant reading experience.

Citations and Sourcing

 * Please use the full Chicago Manual of Style footnote style (modified):


 * Author(s), followed by a comma
 * Title (book titles in italics)
 * Publication data in parenthesis:
 * - Publication place, followed by a colon
 * - Publisher
 * - Year of publication
 * - comma, and the the page number(s) followed by a period
 * Access information:
 * - link to free online copy, if any. IF a free online copy is available no further access data needs to be added.
 * - IF NO free online edition is available, then add:
 * - WorldCat template:.
 * - FHL template:.
 * - Brief annotation explaining the content, or why, or how a reader would want to use the source.

Example of bibliographic entry in an article:  As it appears on the page:


 * Carpenter, V.K. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850, Fentress County, Tennessee. (Huntsville, Arkansas: Century Enterprises, Genealogical Service, 1969). - Book online at Google books;

In wikitext:


 * :*Carpenter, V.K. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850, Fentress County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Arkansas: Century Enterprises, Genealogical Service, 1969. - Book online at Google books;

Example of bibliographic citation at the end of the article - using &lt;R&gt;: 

As it appears on the page:


 * P. William Filby, A Bibliography of American County Histories (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985), 99–100. ;

In wikitext:


 * P. William Filby, A Bibliography of American County Histories (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985), 99–100. ;

Links with Purpose
The Wiki is not a links repository. It uses links to support the genealogical educational purpose of a page or page section. Show and explain links with an educational purpose in mind. Annotate each external link briefly but well enough for the reader to realize what they will be getting if they click that link.

Seek out Local and Unique
Seek out local and unique genealogical search strategies, records, or repositories and explain them to readers.

Wording Changes
Before changing the saved wording of another team member who followed these rules you must get their consent (except for obvious minor typos).

Describe Each Edit - Summary
Describe each edit in the Summary field before clicking the Save button.