Zelda Wiki:Quality Standards

The purpose of this page is to provide a basic understanding of what is expected in an article on Zelda Wiki. Amendments to this page may be proposed at Discussion Center.

Article Creation

 * See also: Getting Started: Creating a Page


 * Any article not in its proper category should be sorted into a category. If the category does not exist, the writer/editor may create a category at their discretion.


 * Before creating a page, it is wise to make sure that the page does not already exist. Many times a page exists in another name. If there is more than one plausible name for an article, find out if the article exists in this other name, and make the duplicate article a redirect. If two articles about the same topic exist that both comply with the Quality Standards, it should be suggested that they be merged with the   template.

Wanted Pages
While working on articles, one will sometimes wish to link to an article which has not yet been created, thereby creating a red link. Such links will appear in the Wanted pages list, allowing other editors with knowledge of the subject to create the required article. Certain guidelines should be adhered to in relation to wanted pages:
 * Red links should only be created when the writer is confident that the page linked to is strictly required (see Getting Started: Creating a Page), and alternatives such as a piped link or redirect, or adding content to an existing article, have been considered.
 * Before creating a page shown in the wanted pages list, use the "What links here" option in the sidebar toolbox to view the page(s) which link to this required article. This ensures that the subject and its context are fully understood, since the title alone will often not make this clear.
 * Articles should only be created when the editor is confident that they possess enough information to describe the subject matter fully and accurately. It is not appropriate to create minimal stub pages as placeholders in order to eliminate the red link, but rather it is preferable to wait for another editor to be able to do justice to the task.
 * As with all new pages, newly created wanted pages should be correctly categorized.
 * Some wanted links may be deemed to be unnecessary. In this case, the page which links to them may be edited to remove the link. However, this should only be done with a reasonable degree of certainty, therefore it is normally advisable to open a discussion on the relevant talk page before taking any action. Also, the alternatives mentioned in the first point above should be considered.



Images
''Substandard images are to be added to Zelda Wiki:Image Requests for improvement, or, when applicable, tagged for deletion (see Zelda Wiki:File Deletion Policy).
 * All files should be tagged with FileInfo according to the guidelines at Help:Upload. The source and licensing of the file should always be identified.
 * File extensions for images are to be in lowercase and not capitalized. (.jpg not .JPG)
 * For images with transparent backgrounds, a .png file format is preferred to .gif.
 * Fan art and modified-model images are not acceptable for use within articles (although modified-model images may be placed in galleries which is to be decided on a case-by-case basis).
 * Screenshots should be cropped so there are no black portions around the image before being uploaded.
 * Images should generally have transparent backgrounds instead of solid colors, unless deemed appropriate. Images without background transparency must have their backgrounds removed. This must be done to a quality that leaves smooth edges and no traces of any background. The image itself must be fully preserved. If this is unfeasible, the original background should be kept. Rough concept art should generally not have its background removed.
 * Images uploaded to Zelda Wiki should be of an acceptable quality. Extremely small or pixelated images are not acceptable.
 * If an image does not meet quality standards it will be deleted by an administrator



Article Formatting

 * Articles should have proper English grammar and spelling. For uniformity, this should be American English, not British English. Most articles tagged for improvement are tagged because of poor linguistics.
 * Articles should be lengthy. If they are short, they should be tagged as stubs using  in the specific subsections. Once articles have reached a certain length (defined at the user's discretion), the stub tag should be removed. Generally, a stub is a paragraph or shorter. These articles should be expanded as quickly as possible so as to provide the most in-depth information.
 * Articles should be subdivided accordingly, in a logical order. Subsections should be used to the writer's advantage when creating or editing an article, so as to give it the best organization possible (see Help:Article Reorganization).
 * Every article should cite its sources with the tags. Lengthy articles such as Link should especially have their sources cited. If an article generally lacks sources, please mark it with the ' template. Specific statements needing sources can be tagged with '.
 * Articles with out-of-date information should be updated to reflect the most recent information as soon as possible. Outdated articles can be marked with .
 * The abbreviations for the games should never be used in articles. This excludes very special cases when describing timeline connections and the abbreviations page itself. If the use of these abbreviations can be avoided, then they should not be used.



Article Content

 * Plagiarism shall not be tolerated. Do not copy content from Wikipedia or any other site to fill in missing information. While it is legal to copy from certain wikis if they are properly attributed, Zelda Wiki takes pride in having all-original articles. Copied content will be deleted immediately. Articles with suspected plagiarism should be reported to the Zelda Wiki staff team immediately.
 * Excerpts of official material (games, manuals, official websites) are acceptable as long as they are properly sourced. Unsourced excerpts constitute plagiarism and copyright infringement, and should also be reported to the Zelda Wiki staff team immediately.
 * Do not put up links to online Manga translations, fansubs of Japanese retail videos, TV show episodes, or game ROM downloads. Such content is illegal and will not be tolerated. Note: A ROM is essentially a copy of a game ripped from a cartridge/disk. While owning a ROM is legal provided that a physical copy of the game is also owned, the uploading/downloading and distribution of such ROM's is illegal, and will not be tolerated!
 * Vandalism is subject to immediate expulsion from the Wiki for a set amount of time as defined by the sysop or bureaucrat!

Pronunciations

 * If a name's proper pronunciation is known, it may be added using the templates IPA and Respell. (See Link and Princess Zelda for examples.)
 * All pronunciations must have an official source. Official sources include Nintendo Directs, developer interviews, advertisements, and in-game voice acting. Unsourced pronunciations shall be removed.



Article Style
Articles are to use a formal, professional, and enyclopedic writing style.
 * Avoid informal or conversational language (writing the way you talk). Do not use s or contractions (e.g. it's, can't, doesn't).
 * When appropriate, Zelda Wiki maintains an writing style for game content. For example, editors are to refer to "Link" or "the hero" rather than "you" or "the player". Articles on Glitches are exempt from this rule due to their nature.
 * In that same vein, articles should not read like game strategy guides or walkthroughs. This is also indicated by use of the pronoun "you."
 * Unless the subject matter demands otherwise, only the should be used.
 * Article text should maintain a neutral point of view, and should not reflect the author's personal views or offer subjective judgments on the content described.
 * Well-written articles avoid the use of styles or elements associated with literary fiction. For example, editors should avoid:
 * superfluous s and/or s;
 * exaggeration, charged language and/or dramatization;
 * unnecessary repetition of content already covered in other articles;
 * using conversational and/or casual undertones, including that of storytelling and narratives.
 * When referring to recently released games, terms such as "new" or "latest" should be avoided, as these are temporary statements subject to change. Also, this practice rarely imparts valuable information. In the case of soon-to-be released information, this practice is acceptable as such information will change in the future. In this case, however, when the information is released, the terminology should be changed to reflect permanence.
 * When referring to a being without a confirmed or reasonably obvious gender, editors must use gender-neutral pronouns (e.g. "it" rather than "he" or "she"). Most bosses in are genderless and treated as such.



Language and Localization Standards
Zelda Wiki is an English-language wiki, based in the United States of America, which sets a few standards for language:


 * All content is to be written in formal, not , or any other variation of the English language.
 * Even though the games of are originally published in, the translations and localizations of Nintendo of America are taken to be canon at Zelda Wiki. (See Zelda Wiki:Canon Policy.)
 * Articles are to be named and written, and games quoted, using Nintendo of America’s translations, except in the event that one does not exist. In this case, the most relevant, official Japanese title or reference will suffice.
 * Japanese names must be included in articles using the wiki's Japanese sourcing template.
 * Although the original Japanese can greatly differ from the English translations, these differences are not to be mentioned or noted in the main body of the article, however, significant differences can be mentioned in the trivia section of the article.
 * To preserve clarity and quality of content, no language other than English is to be used at Zelda Wiki. Foreign names of entities may only be added to the end of the article using the Names in Other Regions template.
 * Exception: etymology of names from any localization may be added to sections entitled "Etymology."
 * Zelda Wiki has an interwiki agreement with the German-language wiki Zeldapendium, therefore any appropriate pages should link to Zeldapendium using the   template.



Theories in Articles
It is important to remember that Zelda Wiki is an encyclopedia and not a forum. Articles are for the presentation of factual information, not for expressing personal theories. There are a number of things that should be noted when adding theories to articles, so they meet Zelda Wiki’s quality standards:

Criteria
Theories in articles must meet all of the following criteria:
 * Theories are to be reputable and have sufficient evidence to support them (see Help:Citing Sources).
 * They must also have a reasonable amount of support or acceptance within the community. Personal theories are inadmissible. However, feel free to place these on your.

Other Notes

 * Theories should meet all normal quality standards for writing in articles, including citing sources, correct spelling, proper use of grammar and appropriate placement.
 * In terms of citing sources for theories, official statements from Nintendo and/or forums that show incontrovertible support for said theory are both valid.
 * There is to be no speculation or theories in regards to unreleased games. When the game is released, all theory must use the appropriate, official title of the game when referring to it; all instances of future tense should be changed to present, as well.
 * All theories should be placed in a separate section within the article, and be labeled with the   template.
 * When considering adding a theory to an article, it is best to propose the theory on the corresponding talk page, to allow its veracity and relevance can be discussed and a decision reached.
 * If an administrator determines that a theory does not meet the specified criteria, it may be removed from the article.



Trivia

 * Trivia sections are to be placed after an article's main body. They should only contain true . That is, Trivia sections should not have more relevant information lumped into them. Such information must be incorporated into the article's main body. (See Help:Article Reorganization.)
 * Information on origins and meanings of names from any game localization, notably the original Japanese one, may be placed in its own section entitled "Etymology" rather than labeled as trivia.


 * Trivia that underlines similarities between two entities (e.g. "Gohdan resembles from Super Mario 64") must respect at least one of the following postulates:
 * There must be reason to believe one entity was inspired by the other; the similarities are not merely coincidental. This requires proper evidence. (Developer quotes are ideal.)
 * The resemblance must have a reasonable amount of community support or acceptance, as with theories.



Glitch Standards

 * By adding a glitch to Zelda Wiki you are agreeing that you have personally tested the glitch, or have a definitive knowledge that the glitch is possible, and can testify to its authenticity.
 * By adding a glitch to Zelda Wiki you agree that you have written the instructions personally and not copied them from another source.
 * Glitches are to be laid out in the following format, as modeled on the Ocarina of Time Glitch Page:

Name of Glitch

 * Effect: (What is the outcome of performing the glitch?)
 * Prerequisites: (Items required and minimum stage in the game when glitch is executable)
 * How To: (Detailed step by step instructions of how to execute the glitch)
 * Notes: (Notes about the glitch, if any)



Naming Standards
Here are Zelda Wiki's standards when it comes to naming. We editors of Zelda Wiki hold ourselves to a high standard. These naming standards apply to both page and section titles.

Most of the games have two titles. The main title (The Legend of Zelda) and its subtitle (i.e. Link's Awakening). When describing a character in the title, only what is need to know should be in it. So that means that only the subtitle is needed. So when dealing with a game that has only a main title, just have that. Like the original game The Legend of Zelda, or Link's Crossbow Training.

Game abbreviations are not allowed in page titles for main articles. It's okay for userboxes though, actually, it is preferred in such cases.

Characters with titles in their name will have the title in the article name as well. Such as Princess Zelda, Minister Potho, Lord Jabu-Jabu, Chancellor Cole, etc. When a character needs to be described in the title to differentiate it from something similar or generic, the wiki's standard form is the following:


 * Subject (Description)

Subject is, obviously, the subject of the page in question. Description is, again quite obviously, the description of the subject.

Both of these parts follow page title rules that we all know from school. All words are capitalized except for common words: those that are three letters long or less, typically ones that start a prepositional phrase. Unless they are at the very beginning of course (i.e. first word), then capitalize.

Examples of words not to capitalize are:
 * a
 * an
 * and
 * at
 * for
 * in
 * is
 * of
 * on
 * the
 * to



Referring to Games in Articles
When mentioning a game in an article, only use the subtitle (the part after the colon) in most cases — there are exceptions. When using any part of the game's name, always italicize it — see Text Formatting for details.

When linking to a game, always use a piped link, where the first part is the full name and the second is the subtitle. The format is as follows:

Which generates:

The staff recommends using the abbreviation shortcut templates to generate the full correct game links (as seen above).



Inline Redirects and Section Links
Direct links to redirects in articles (inline redirects) are acceptable and even preferable substitutes for certain piped section links. Take for example the link Kokiri's Emerald. Rather than type the piped section link, one may simply link to the redirect. In this case, the inline redirect is advantageous. (See Help:Linking to Redirects for more information.)

Otherwise, inline redirects are to be avoided. That is, links to redirects that are merely alternative names or spellings of an article are discouraged. This is for the sake of accuracy and consistency. For example, Biggoron Sword is an unacceptable inline redirect; one should type Biggoron's Sword instead. If you need to use an alternate name or spelling, consider using a piped link rather than an inline redirect.