View source for Stranger Things Wiki:Style Guide

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|<center>''For article organization and adding content to specific sections, please see the [[Project:Layout Guide|Layout Guide]].''</center>
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The '''Style Guide''' explains the basic guidelines for creating and adding content to articles. This guide ensures that all information on the wiki will be more consistent and organized. The criteria on this page must be upheld for all articles.

Please keep in mind that the policies on this page are subject to change.

== Articles ==

=== '''Content''' ===
Much of the wiki's content will be derived source material, while the remainder will be from interviews and other official statements from the cast and crew.
*'''Verifiable:''' Information on this wiki must be derived from verifiable sources, and these sources must be cited. Information should almost always come from official sources - eg. Netflix, the Duffer Brothers, etc. Information from leaks or untrustworthy sources is not permitted.
*'''Canonical:''' This wiki focuses on canon and officially licensed content. This is not a place for fanon content, with the only exception being for use on User profiles. Avoid inserting “headcanons” or personal opinions. See [[Stranger Things Wiki:Canon Policy|our canon policy]] for more information.
*'''Speculation:''' Speculation and theories should be absent from main article sections. Minimal speculation should only be applied when necessary and must be somewhat supported by hints present in canon.

=== '''Writing''' ===
Keep in mind when writing for articles that the main purpose is to record information. The writing should be comprehensible, but not too overly complicated or "fancy".
*'''Language:''' Formal and encyclopedic language should be used. Avoid using any slang or overly casual tones. Language should also be straightforward and unambiguous. 
*'''Grammar: '''Proper grammar, capitalization, and punctuation are mandatory when writing. 
*'''Writing Numbers: ''' Small numbers ranging from one to ten should generally be spelled out. Numbers above ten should be written as numerals.
**This rule does not apply to character names, such as [[Eleven]] and the other [[HNL Test Subjects|test subjects]].
*'''Neutrality:''' Articles should be written from an neutral and unbiased point of view, even when writing for ‘antagonists’ or describing acts that could be seen as malicious.
*'''Tense:''' If a page covers fictional subject matter, it almost certainly should be written in the past tense. However, there are some exceptions, like the [[Stranger Things/Timeline|timeline article]], and the "Plot" and "Music" sections of episode pages. See [[Stranger Things Wiki:Point of view|our 'point of view' guidelines]] for more information.
*'''Spelling:''' Though British English may be permitted, this wiki prefers American English spelling. ''Stranger Things'' is an American-produced show and franchise, and is primarily set within the US, meaning that American-style spelling is most appropriate.
*'''Terminology:''' American terminology should be used when referring to objects, especially if they are addressed as such in the series.

== Text Formatting ==
=== Bold ===
'''Bold text''' will be used in article introductions where the first instance of a subject's name, or its equivalent, will be bold. If an article has numerous sections and subsections, bold text can be used to help readers distinguish between sections. 

=== Italics ===
''Italics'' should generally be used when naming a longer piece of media; the names of TV shows, films, books, games and albums should all be italicized. Parts of character quotes can also be italicized for emphasis. 

However, titles of shorter works should not be italicized, but put in quotation marks. This notably applies to episode titles, like this: {{Ep|1}}. Placing quotation quotes around episode titles is made simple with the [[Template:Ep|<nowiki>{{</nowiki>Ep<nowiki>}}</nowiki>]] template. Similarly, song titles should also be placed in quotation marks.

== Heading Formatting ==
Text in headings and subheadings must remain unformatted. 

*Headings which use bold, italics or links should have their formatting removed. 
*Gallery pages are an exception to the rule (headings with links are allowed).

== Naming Pages ==
'''Capitalization:'''
*When naming pages, this wiki uses [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sentence_case sentence case]. Exceptions to this are character names, episode titles, and any other official titles.

'''Character Pages:'''
*When naming character pages, any titles and honorifics should be absent. Exceptions to this are if two or more characters share the same last name and their first names have not been revealed. 
*If a character's first name has not been given, then the page should use their surname.
*Some character articles will be named after what the character is mostly known by, or what they mostly refer to themselves as. 
**For example, while Mike's real name is Michael, his page is named “Mike Wheeler” because that is what he refers to himself as, as well as what most people call him. 

'''Similar names:'''
*If multiple subjects have similar names, each page should be given a different title from the primary topic, placing the distinguishing title in parenthesis. 
**The page about the show's alternate dimension is titled “[[The Upside Down]]”, while the page regarding the episode is named “[[The Upside Down (episode)]]”.

'''Unnamed Subjects:'''
*Sometimes, a subject may go unnamed in the show. In these cases, either the most appropriate name should be given, or a name should be agreed upon by the community.
**If a subject goes unnamed in the show, 'behind the scenes' material is often the second-best source for determining a page name - i.e. featurettes, interviews, concept art, etc. See [[Stranger Things Wiki:Canon Policy|our canon policy]] for more information.
**A special notice - the [[Template:Unnamed|<nowiki>{</nowiki><nowiki>{</nowiki>Unnamed<nowiki>}</nowiki><nowiki>}</nowiki>]] template - can be placed at the top of an article to make clear that the page name is non-official.

== Citing Sources ==
Any information that is not lifted directly from episodes must be cited. References must come from reliable sources.  

Reliable sources can include:
*Episodes.
*Official interviews with the cast and crew.
*Posts made by any of the show's official social media accounts.
*Posts made by any of the cast and crew's social media accounts.
*Videos posted by the official Netflix YouTube channel, or other credible channels.
*Videos of the cast at comic con panels. (While posted by unofficial sources, they still contain official statements.)

When citing a reference, the content must be placed between <nowiki><ref></nowiki> tags.

For example:
<pre>
<ref>content goes here</ref>
</pre>
It is extremely important that the reference links to the original source. They should also have the name of the website where the source was published, as well as the date it was published.

A typical reference should follow this format:
<pre>
<ref>”[sourcelink Source Title]” ''Website''. Date.<nowiki></ref></nowiki>
</pre>

If something doesn't have a reference, the <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Cite|Cite]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> template should be used.

== Media ==
'''Naming Files:'''
: All files should be named appropriately for the convenience of editors. File names should be somewhat descriptive, at least mentioning the episode and/or character. Avoid profanity and long chains of random numbers.
: Examples of acceptable file names include:
:* Stranger Things 1x01 – The Monster on Mirkwood.jpg 
:* The Vanishing of Will Byers S01-E01 SS 003.png 
:* Ep1-Will Byers.png 
:* Chapter One – Dustin and Will race.jpg 

'''Images:'''
: All images on the wiki (excluding images that are uploaded for personal use) must come from official sources. They should be of a decent size and the best quality possible. When possible, ‘Netflix’ watermarks should be cropped out, as they distract from the rest of the image.<br>
: ''Very'' light image adjustment is permitted. These adjustments include:
*Sharpening edges
*Minor contrast adjustment
*Noise reduction
*Cropping<br>
: The following image adjustments are ''not'' permitted:
*Hue adjustment
*Filters
*Overlaying text<br>
: Essentially, image adjustment is allowed, as long as the adjustment does not call attention to itself, and/or is distracting.
<br>
'''Videos:'''
: Only official videos are to be added to the wiki. Videos will only be used in certain sections of the wiki, such as the trailers section on season pages, the appropriate section on gallery pages, and on the wiki's main page.

'''GIFs:'''
: Usage of GIFs is generally discouraged on this wiki. GIFS should only be employed if a still image cannot accurately convey a subject. They must be of decent quality and have no extraneous filters applied. Also take care that they do not have intense flashing that could trigger a person's epilepsy. GIFs in gallery pages may only be added to the "Official & Promos" section.

== Templates ==
Templates make it so information can be easily duplicated to numerous pages. They can be used for navigation, page design, displaying data, etc.

=== Infoboxes ===
Infoboxes basically summarize the content on pages. If the page requires an infobox, then it should be the first thing placed on the page. Certain page types will require a certain infobox (e.g. a character page must use the character infobox). Any fields that are unknown should be left blank.
* Please see [[:Category:Infobox templates]] for the wiki's complete list of infobox templates.

When an infobox is placed on a page, the source code will be positioned horizontal by default. It is preferred that the source code go vertically.
<div style="display: inline-block; width: 50%;">
<center>Incorrect:</center>
<pre>
{{Infobox title|Field 1|Field 2|Field 3}}
</pre>
</div>
<div style="width: 50%; float: right;">
<center>Correct:</center>
<pre>
{{Infobox
|Field 1
|Field 2
|Field 3
}}
</pre>
</div>
{{Clear}}
=== Navboxes ===
Navigation boxes serve as a directory for similar articles on the wiki. Navboxes should be placed at the ends of articles, after the References section and before Categories. The navboxes should only be placed on the appropriate articles (a location page should not have the character navbox).
==== In-universe navboxes====
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:CharacterNav|CharacterNav}]]} – This navigation box should be placed on character pages. 
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:UDnav|UDnav]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> – This navigation box is for articles relating to the Upside Down.
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:HawkinsLabNav|HawkinsLabNav]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> – This navigation box is for articles relating to Hawkins Lab.
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:SovietNav|SovietNav]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> – This navigation box is for articles relating to the Soviet Union/Russia.
==== Real-world navboxes====
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Navbox/Episode|Navbox/Episode]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> – This is the navigation box for episodes.
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:CrewNav|CrewNav]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> – This is the navigation box for crew members.
=== Season Appearances ===
The Season Appearance templates are for the "Appearances" section on character pages. When entering the fields, enter “yes” for episodes the character appears in, and “no” for episodes where the character is absent. However, if the character is shown or heard indirectly in an episode, then “note” should be entered in the field. This will make a “'''*'''” appear next to the episode's title. A small note should be written below the template explaining how the character was depicted.
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Season One Appearances|Season One Appearances]]<nowiki/><nowiki>}}</nowiki>
* <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Season Two Appearances|Season Two Appearances]]<nowiki/><nowiki>}}</nowiki>

=== Notices ===
Notices help both editors and readers know the status of a section or article. If a notice needs to be at the top of a page, then it should be placed above the infobox, considering the page has one.
* Please see [[:Category:Notice templates]] for the wiki's complete list of notice templates.

== When or When Not to Create an Article ==
While it's true that the wiki's purpose is to be a place to house and obtain information, it's important to remember that this is the '''''Stranger Things Wiki'''''. All articles on this wiki must be related and relevant to [[Stranger Things|''Stranger Things'']]. However, that does not mean that every single character or item mentioned in the series is necessarily important enough to get their own page. The series also often has references to real-life people and media, especially those that inspired it. While these references are interesting and should definitely be mentioned, that doesn't mean they warrant their own article.

*'''Relevancy:''' This will be the main factor when figuring out if a subject should have its own page. Was the subject relevant to the show/story? Did it play a major role, or was it just mentioned in a passing line of dialogue? The [[sensory deprivation tank]] deserves its own article because it played a vital role in the story; it was how Eleven entered her mental void where she made contact with the Monster, opening the rift to the Upside Down. Meanwhile, the [[Atari]] Will receives for Christmas doesn't need a dedicated article as it was only mentioned in passing and is not important to the overall story.

*'''Information:''' Is there enough information on the subject to warrant an article? If only two or three sentences can be written about the subject, odds are it shouldn't have an article.

*'''Integration:''' While the subject may not require its own article, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be mentioned at all. If the subject is related to another bigger, more important topic, then it can be integrated somewhere on that topic's article either as its own section or a subsection.

*'''Combination:''' Sometimes, if there are multiple similar subjects that alone do not have enough information, they can be combined into a single article. The "[[Cultural influences and references]]" and "[[Minor Characters]]" articles are good examples of this.

===Creating a Character Article===
On this wiki, we use a "Minor Characters" system: any character who is not notable enough to recieve their own page should nevertheless get a spot on an appropriate "Minor Characters" page. These types of characters generally only appear for one or two scenes (or even ''no scenes'', only being name-dropped), and/or have little or no dialogue.

[[Category:Wiki guidelines]]

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Style Guide for ST Wiki}}