Help:Wiki University Manual of Style





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Manual of Style
A style guide establishes rules about how a document or set of documents is written. The objective is consistency of best practices across documents to improve communication and readibility. It also addresses the issue of ethics by prescribing methods of documentation.

The FamilySearch Wiki has a prescribed Manual of Style  that should be employed in formatting and writing the articles. Wiki Support Missionaries should be familiar with it for patrolling changes and adding content.

When the Wiki Manual of Style does not cover a topic, the fallback document is the Chicago Manual of Style, a very comprehensive style guide. Although Chicago itself must be purchased, there is much helpful information on-line.

What Does the Manual of Style Cover?
Preferred terms - how to refer to FamilySearch websites.
 * General Principles - what should be our tone and relationship with other contributors.
 * Dealing with other contributors.
 * What is appropriate content.
 * Having a neutral tone.
 * Clear and simple writing.
 * Bylines- what are your rights regarding your contributions.
 * Grammar and Style - general principles of grammar and writing style designated for the Wiki.
 * Naming - how articles should be named and how they are written.
 * Naming a new article
 * Capitalization of titles
 * Place names
 * Diacritics and quotation marks
 * Punctuation in title
 * Abbreviations
 * Italics
 * Renaming articles
 * Organization
 * Subheadings
 * Punctuation - punctuation standards.
 * Formatting - formatting various parts of an article.
 * Fonts
 * Sources
 * Geographical names
 * Acronyms and Abbreviations
 * Capitalization
 * Spelling
 * Linking - formatting interior and exterior links.
 * Links to other articles in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Links to page sections
 * Linking to websites outside the Wiki

Try these out


 Exercises
 * Please read and be very familiar with Conditions of Use. FamilySearch Wiki:Manual of Style

Check your answers

 Quick Quiz
 * Keeping writing clear and simple is the goal of all contributions to the Wiki
 * True
 * False


 * All material contributed to the Wiki remains in the ownership of the author.
 * True
 * False


 * Use long sentences to express genealogical concepts.
 * True
 * False


 * Chicago Manual of Style is a good reference to use for acceptable grammar.
 * True
 * False


 * Titles should be short and leave no doubt as to what the article is about.
 * True
 * False


 * You can capitalize titles any way you want.
 * True
 * False


 * Abbreviations are ok in titles of articles.
 * True
 * False


 * The word "and" and an ampersand (&) may be used interchangeably.
 * True
 * False


 * You should display the URL in external links.
 * True
 * False

Check your answers

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