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{{project|Standards and Conventions|image=BSG WIKI SC.png|shortcut=BW:SC<br/>BW:SAC}}
{{project|Standards and Conventions|image=BSG WIKI SC.png|shortcut=BW:SC<br/>BW:SAC}}


{{Battlestar Wiki Standards and Conventions}}


This page serves as the central hub for standards used in writing articles on Battlestar Wiki. Initially, it will probably consist of a lot of gesturing and debating on the talk page. Once a reasonable approximation of consensus is achieved on a topic, information about it will be moved here. Feel free to bring up new convention questions on the [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Standards and Conventions|talk page]].
This page is '''not''' designed to supersede other [[Battlestar Wiki:Project List|project]]s or [[Battlestar Wiki:Policy|policies]]. Some overlap is expected, but project-specific standards and conventions should be moved to their project page, if one exists or a page created for a project, if one does not.
{{Battlestar Wiki List of Policies}}
{{Battlestar Wiki List of Policies}}


__TOC__
This page serves as the central hub for standards used in writing articles on Battlestar Wiki. Discussion on new or established standards and conventions listed in this section should be discussed on the [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Standards and Conventions|talk page]].
 
==HTML vs. Wiki code==
Wiki code is strongly preferable to the use of HTML coding on Battlestar Wiki. Wiki code is faster to type, and if everything is in wiki code, it all changes in unison in the case that a format or style changes, thus reducing mass re-edits to all pages during a huge update. Especially, &lt;b&gt; and &lt;i&gt; should ''always'' be replaced by their wiki code equivalents (<nowiki>'''</nowiki> and <nowiki>''</nowiki>, respectively).
 
==Spelling and Numbers==
Please use the [[Wikipedia:American English|American English]] spellings of words as much as possible in the English version of Battlestar Wiki. This is arbitrary, but a call had to be made for standardization.
 
If you are British, please feel free to add your contributions in the "Queen's English" if this makes it initially easier for you to contribute. However, please do not re-edit correctly spelled American English edits (including edits to your own contributions) to their British counterparts unless you are rewriting whole paragraphs, sections, or articles.
 
Use "the Twelve Colonies" rather than "the 12 Colonies" as it is the name of a sovereign government like "the United States." Likewise, "Colonial" should always be capitalized, although "colony" or "colonies" remains uncapitalized for the same reason we do not capitalize "state" or "states" when referring to one of the United States.
 
Numbers should use a period (.) for decimal places and a comma (,) for marking every three digits (e.g. 3,600 or 54,345,277). For ease of reading, such use of commas is encouraged. Numbers less than 11 should generally be written out long hand (i.e. seven, not 7).
 
Use an apostrophe-S ('s) for all possessives, unless the noun is plural.
 
:*"''Pegasus's'' fuel reserves are low." (singular possessive)
:*"The Vipers' ammunition would not fire." (plural possessive)
 
==Character Names==
Characters should be introduced with both '''first and last name''' the first time they are mentioned in an article.  Subsequent referrals may abbreviate to the last name.  Never use only the first name when the last name is known (ie, "Kara Thrace" or "Thrace", but never "Kara").
 
There are several currently active characters who share the same last name. These characters include the Adamas, the Tighs, the Tyrols, and the Agathons, but also extend into the human aliases of the various humanoid Cylon, particularly the Sharon Valeriis. It is often tempting to refer to the supporting characters by their first names, and (William) Adama and (Saul) Tigh by their last.  On Battlestar Wiki, we find this somewhat condescending.
 
Where necessary, characters sharing the same last name should both be introduced using full names, and may subsequently be referred to with first names.  For example, in a single article or section where the characters interact with each other, characters such as [[Ellen Tigh]] and [[Saul Tigh]] should be introduced by their full names. The character's first names may be used to differentiate in article sections and topics where the characters interact directly with each other in the course of an event. If Saul and Ellen appear in the same article but are not interacting directly, the full names or titles should be used to differentiate.
 
An exception to the "last names only" convention is on a character's biography article. The character's last name may have precedence over all other characters of the same name. All others with the same last name may be referred to by their first name in biography articles. (For example, "Adama asks his son, Lee, to fix the sink.")
 
Other acceptable means for disambiguation include rank (Admiral Adama vs. Captain Adama) and callsign (Adama vs. "Apollo"). Callsigns are appropriate for summaries and military data, but not for biographies. For Re-imagined Series characters, it is a good rule of thumb to use their callsign in articles where story events place the character in actual flight in a fighter.
 
==Character Titles==
Re-imagined Series characters in the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] should be referred to as delegates, not representatives. Although the show uses both terms, the "delegate" appears to be the formal title.
 
==Ships==
Ship names should always be italicized (e.g. ''Galactica''). Italicization of ship names includes the possessive marker and other endings added to a ship's name (e.g. ''Galactica's'', not ''Galactica'''s), but not articles.
 
Military ships generally receive no article (i.e. "''Galactica''" not "the ''Galactica''") and civilian ships generally ''do'' receive an article (i.e. "the ''Rising Star''" not "''Rising Star''"). There are some exceptions to this (e.g. ''Colonial One'', ''Cloud 9''). Usually, ship names ending in a number do not receive an article.
 
When possible, the first mention of a ship in an article should include the hull number (e.g. "''Galactica'' (BS 75)"). Note that there is no hyphen in the hull number. All subsequent references to the same ship need not include the hull number, but can if some other reasoning dictates it.
 
It is usually unnecessary to use the modifier "battlestar" (as in "battlestar ''Galactica''") more than once in an article for the same reason it is unnecessary to say "starship Enterprise" or "battleship Yamato" throughout any text. Using the ship's classification repetitively in this fashion is distracting and also adds unnecessarily to the size of an article. Using "'''the''' battlestar ''Galactica''" is acceptable in this case, as the article does not directly refer to the ship's name.
 
Typically, ships are treated as feminine objects. The use of "she" and "her" in referring to a ship by pronoun is encouraged, though not mandated.
 
When discussing [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], use of either "Mark" or "Mk." is acceptable, though "mk." is just sloppy. Also, Roman numerals are preferred. Thus, "Viper Mark II" or "Viper Mk. VII" but not "Viper mk. 2."
 
The words "battlestar" and "basestar" are not capitalized, as they are general ship types and not class names like "Mercury class", "Viper" or "Raptor". See also: [[Battlestar Wiki:FAQ/Proper BSG nouns#Basestar vs. basestar .2F Battlestar vs. battlestar .2F Raider vs. raider: Do I capitalize the first letter or not.3F|Proper BSG nouns]]
 
:(Note: Many of these guidelines are inspired by, modified from, or stolen directly from the US Navy's [http://www.news.navy.mil/tools/view_styleguide_all.asp Style Guide].)
 
==Episode, TV, and Movie Title Formats==
 
When citing the title of a television episode, place the title in quotes.
 
:In the episode "[[Valley of Darkness]]", Centurions board ''Galactica''.
 
When citing a film, theatrical works such as a stage plays or television show in any article, place the title in ''italics''. Book titles or similar publications, such as comics, are also placed in italics. Other merchandise is generally put into quotation marks
 
:"The new ''Battlestar Galactica'' series is dark and dismal compared to the Original Series, and is a far cry from the utopian view in ''Star Trek''."
 
::or
 
:The new book ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', tells more about the series, but lovers of collectibles might like the "[[Hasbro Titanium Collection]]".
 
When citing an article from a larger publication such as a magazine or newspaper, place the article name in quotes, but place the publication in italics.
 
:The citation was found in the article "Battlestar Rocks", from the newspaper ''The Indianapolis Star''.
 
==Links==
 
===Links to Episodes===
When referring to episode titles '''as part of a sentence''', use quote marks around the episode name. This helps keep the title distinct from other text. This is especially useful for unwieldy episode names such as "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]".
:*Example: "In the episode "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]", ''Galactica'' finds ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''."
 
When citing a '''single'''  episode title '''as a source for a body of text''', use parentheses, but do '''not''' place quotes around the episode name. Citations go inside the sentence's punctuation.
:*Example: "''Galactica'' finds ''Pegasus'' ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])."
 
When citing '''multiple''' episode titles '''as a source for a body of text''', place all episode names ''within'' one set of parentheses. Each episode title should use commas to separate them within the parentheticals. (Do not place quotes around the name of ''Miniseries'', as this is a designation and not an actual episode name.)
 
:*Example: Lee Adama is moody often ([[Miniseries]], "[[33]]", "[[Water]]", "[[The Hand of God]]").
 
Although ''Battlestar Wiki'' uses [[w:Quotation_mark#Punctuation|American punctuation rules]] otherwise, placing all punctuation within the quotation marks, it is encouraged to make an exception for episode and book titles, placing commas or periods ''outside'' the quotation marks in those cases.
 
=== "Red Links" ===
 
A "red link" is a term for a link to an article that does not exist on the wiki, but can be created.
 
There are many methods to dealing with red links:
 
# Determine whether or not the link contains a misspelling. If so, correct it.
# Determine if the link needs to be piped, i.e. <code><nowiki>[[Lee]]</nowiki></code> should be <code><nowiki>[[Lee Adama|Lee]]</nowiki></code>.
# If the article does not exist in any namespace or any form, then create the article. You can either fill it out with content or simply tag it with {{tl|requested}} and save it.
 
While some believe that red links out there help create articles here, the overwhelming fact that many red links on [[Special:Wantedpages|the "Wanted Pages" list]] are links to images served on our [[md:Main Page|Media repository]] necessitates the usage of creating an article and applying the {{tl|requested}} template.<ref>See the [[Battlestar Wiki:Think Tank/Red Link Policy|Red Link]] think tank proposal for the origins of this addition.</ref>
 
==Verb Tense==
In almost every case, the ''present tense'' should be used when relating events occurring in an episode (e.g. Baltar shoots Crashdown in the back in order to save Cally's life). This is in line with the traditional style used to discuss literary works of fiction. The reasons it is employed for those kinds of articles entirely apply here on Battlestar Wiki.
 
Exceptions can be made for articles dealing with "historical" events, where present tense can impede narrative flow. Typically, a historical event involves situations that occur prior to the [[Miniseries]]. With the exception of "[[Razor]]", "Flashback" scenes in episodes should be treated as historical events. "Thrace cried at Zak's funeral" is appropriate since this event occurs two years before the Miniseries, although we see the event in a flashback scene in "[[Act of Contrition]]".
 
==Signing Your Work and Other In-Article Commentary==
'''Don't.''' Battlestar Wiki is a collaboration of many writers. Be proud of your contributions, but do not take ownership of articles. Signatures, discussions, editing notes or editorials will be removed without debate. For more information on this policy, see [[BW:OWN|our policy on ownership of articles]] and how to deal with contributors who appear to become "primary editors" of an article.
 
==Images==
All episode screenshots are copyright NBC/Universal or Universal Studios, and should be credited as such on image pages.  If you upload an image, make sure you tag it correctly. You can do that by following the correct formats on the [[:md:BWM:ITP|official policy]] on image tagging.
 
Images are desirable wherever their use is appropriate. Character pictures are currently being handled on the [[Battlestar Wiki:Characters]] project. Other articles needing images are listed at [[:md:Battlestar Wiki Media:Requested Images|Battlestar Wiki Media:Requested Images]].
 
== Category Rules ==
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Categories}}
All manually entered categories for any page should be in alphabetical order: 0-9 then A-Z. Categories should go below templates (if it's the last item) and before [[BW:FA]] and [[BW:QA]] templates, All interwiki language links should be last and should also be in alphabetical order. Interwiki links are maintained by [[User:InterBot|Interwiki Bot]].
 
All categories up to the "parent" category should be included. For example, [[Colonial One]] has all of these cats:
 
<pre>
 
{{Ships}} ↔
 
[[Category:A to Z]] ¿
[[Category:Colonial]] *
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]] *
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
 
{{quality article}} ↔
{{featured article}} ↔


or
This set of pages are '''not''' designed to supersede other [[Battlestar Wiki:Project List|project]]s or [[Battlestar Wiki:Policy|policies]]. Some overlap is expected, but project-specific standards and conventions should be moved to their project page, if one exists or a page created for a project, if one does not.


[[de:Colonial One]] ‡
== Overview ==
</pre>


The categories marked with a * are the parent categories, because the next category after that is "A to Z" in which is included in all article pages. The ''A to Z'' ¿ category is always first and always included on every page.
Here is an overview of the standards and conventions sections.


Note: The "Ships" template ({{tl|Ships}}) is before the categories. The one interwiki link for Colonial One is after "RDM" category but before the featured and quality article templates. The FA and QA templates are not used if the article conforms to "[[BW:REAL|Real Point of View]]" rules. If a template auto-creates "categories", place the template in-between the categories so that it would not break the alphabetical order of the categories.
* [[/Formatting|Page Formatting]]: This covers our preferences on Wiki syntax over HTML, in addition to how to format images and categories.
* [[/Prose|Article Prose and Grammar]]: Discusses our use of present tense for a majority of our articles, as well as how to properly format titles, using names vs. callsigns, etc.
* [[/Biographies|Cast and Crew Biographies]]: Covers how to write and format a biographical article on cast, crew, and people involved with the various series.
* [[/Episode Guides|Episode Guides]]: Tackles what an analysis and questions section of our episode guides should look like.
* [[/Disambiguations|Disambiguations]]: Tackles why those pesky little "(TOS)" and "(RDM)" suffixes are added to article names, as well as how to properly format a disambiguation page.
* [[/Quote of the Day|Quote of the Day pages]]: Tackles how to properly format a [[Battlestar Wiki:Quotes|quote page]] for the "Quote of the Day" feature.


From ''"[[Antibiotics]]"''...
== Summary of Standards and Conventions ==
<pre>
[[Category:A to Z]]


{{Drugs}}
This is the ''[[w:Cliff Notes|Cliff Notes]]'' version of our Standards and Conventions guidelines for your convenience. While they are explained in more detail in the subpages, most people will not want to use their time reading through them (despite the fact that we've made them as concise as possible).  Still, here we go...


[[Category:Technology]]
=== Formatting ===
[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Terminology (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
</pre>


{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Formatting}}


By doing this, this allows people to browse by series or non-series if they goto the category view.
==== Markup ====


<pre>
* Always use [[BW:MARKUP|Wiki code]] instead of HTML code, unless the Wiki code equivalent does not exist.  
RDM                              TOS                            Ships
** '''''NEVER'' use:''' <nowiki><b> for bold face, <i> for italics, <a href> for links, <img> for images.</nowiki>
|- Colonial Craft (RDM)  |- Colonial Craft (TOS)  |- Ships (TOS)
** '''Exception:''' There is presently no wiki code for underlining text, so one would use <nowiki><u></nowiki><u>text to be underlined</u><nowiki></u></nowiki>. Further, to center text on pages, you will have to use <nowiki><div align="center">text to be centered</div></nowiki>.
|- Ships (RDM)              |- Ships (TOS)              |- Ships (RDM)
</pre>
   
The only time that this does not apply is to the series category. <code>TOS</code>, <code>TSC</code>, <code>1980</code>, <code>RDM</code>, <code>Comics</code>, and <code>Video Game</code> should be be the last category added ''and'' this is also the list of the "top level" categories on Battlestar Wiki. If the article contains more than one series or genre, make sure they they are in this order also. This includes any double categories as shown by the example for [[Richard Hatch]]:


<pre>
==== Images and Audio Content ====
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatch, Richard}}
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cast]]
[[Category:Cast (TOS)]]
[[Category:Cast (TSC)]]
[[Category:Cast (RDM)]]
[[Category:TOS]]
[[Category:TSC]]
[[Category:RDM]]
</pre>


Pages that are lists should be categorized in their sub-category itself with <code>|*</code>, but not when you add the <code><nowiki>[[Category:Lists]]</nowiki></code>. It makes the lists the first items in the category view.
* Avoid burdening down a page with pictures. Use only pictures whenever necessary to illustrate the subject. Each picture must have a reason for use under the [[w:fair use|fair use]] clause of United States' copyright law. 
* Image galleries are ''limited'' to unique pages, like articles on rooms of a ship (i.e. [[Combat Information Center]]) and pages on ships, like ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.  
* Audio files should only be used for illustrative purposes where pictures fail to be illustrative (i.e. [[Case Orange]], [[Action stations]]) and for noteworthy quotes on episode guides.  


Individuals and characters with proper names should be sorted by ''last'' name, then ''first'' and ''middle'' names. To achieve this, use:
==== Categorization of Articles ====


: <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:lastname, firstname middlename}}</nowiki></code>
* All pages, with the ''exception'' of [[/Disambiguations|disambiguation pages]], are to be categorized using our [[/Formatting#Category Rules|category system]].
** All articles should go into the [[:Category:A to Z|A to Z category]].
** Series related categories ([[:Category:TOS]], [[:Category:RDM]], and [[:Category:1980]]) are to be the ''last'' category in the category list on a page.
** Articles are ''never'' to be sorted by articles ("the", "and", "or") or by first names.
** The <tt><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:}}</nowiki></tt> syntax is always to be used to declare a sort key for category listings.
*** In extreme circumstances, this may be overridden by declaring the sort key in the syntax of select categories, example of a category syntax from [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]]: <tt><nowiki>[[Category:RDM|*]]</nowiki></tt>. The "|*" allows the article to come ''before'' the alphabetical listings, so that it is the most visible.


You may still override the default sort by piping the <code><nowiki>[[Category:]]</nowiki></code> syntax like so:
==== Linking to Episodes ====


: <code><nowiki>[[Category:A to Z|Hatch, Richard]]</nowiki></code>
* When linking to episodes, always link the first instance of the episode name per section. Beyond that, do not overlink episode titles.
* As for how to refer to episodes within an article:
** When referring to episode titles as '''part of the sentence''', always include the episode name in quotation marks:
**: ''Example:'' "In the episode "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]", ''Galactica'' finds ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''."
** When citing a '''single'''  episode title '''as a source for a body of text''', use parentheses.
**: ''Example:'' "''Galactica'' finds ''Pegasus'' ([[TRS]]: "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]")."
** When citing '''multiple''' episode titles '''as a source for a body of text''', place all episode names ''within'' one set of parentheses. Each episode title should use commas to separate them within the parentheticals.
**: Example: Lee Adama is moody often ([[TRS]]: [[Miniseries]], "[[33]]", "[[Water]]", "[[The Hand of God]]").
** '''Major exception:''' The term [[Miniseries]] should ''never'' be placed in quotations, since this is not the technical name of the pilot. (The Re-imagined Series' pilot is simply called "Battlestar Galactica".)
** '''Second exception:''' When writing episode titles and book titles, the comma should ''always go '''after''''' the quotation mark, never before it.


Be sure to '''check your work.''' Make sure there aren't other sub-categories that you can add to to the article to make navigation and reference easier. Categories are an easy and powerful addition to every article, so be sure to be thorough.
==== Red Links ====
=== [[Caprica (series)]] ===
All ''Caprica'' series related articles should have <code>Caprica (series)</code> category before <code>RDM</code> as it is not a top level category.


==Quote of the Day==
* Red links should either be corrected to point to the proper article on the intended subject, or submitted with the {{tl|requested}} tag.
Quotes for the [[Battlestar Wiki:Quotes|Quote of the Day]] should all conform to this standard. In all cases, the naming conventions should agree with Character Names, above. The first occurrences of all character and ship names within quotes should be linked. Pronouns (you, he, it) may be linked to clarify who or what the speaker is referring to. Linking of other words (jargon, etc.) is also left to a matter of discretion. All episode names should, of course, be linked. Be sure to [[Special:Search|search]] for the proposed quote before adding it.


For one-line quotes, the quote should appear first, enclosed in double-quotes with normal weighting and no italics (except to show emphasis). It should be followed with a hard line break (&lt;br/&gt;). Battlestar Wiki strives to be [http://validator.w3.org/ valid] [http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/default.asp XHTML 1.0 Transitional], which means all tags, including <nowiki><br></nowiki> tags, must be closed. (We don't want to break anything, now do we?)
=== Prose and Grammar ===


The following line should begin with a double en-dash (--) followed directly by the rank or position of the character being quoted, then their name. These should be non-italics and normally weighted, as well. Finally, the episode name, in italics, should appear in parenthesis after a space. Do not place any punctuation after the parenthesis.
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Prose}}


:"The line, in normal-weighted text, enclosed in double quotes."&lt;br/&gt;<br/>
==== Spelling and Numeric Notation ====
:--Rank and Name in Normal (''Episode Name'')
* American English spellings are default. British English spellings are allowed by users familiar with that language, but expected your edits to be converted into American English. (i.e. "colour" will be converted to "color", etc.)
* Numbers should use commas ( , ) to mark every three digits, and decimal points ( . ) to denote numbers with decimals.
* Numbers less than 13 should be spelled out, "five" for "5", etc.
** '''Example:''' Number Eight was revealed to be the last of the [[Significant Seven]].
* Any proper nouns with numbers should be written out without Arabic numerals, this includes ''[[Colonial One]]'' and ''[[The Twelve Colonies]]''.
** The exception to this are Vipers or Raptors identified by numerics, i.e. [[Viper 8757]] or [[Raptor 1]].
* Use an apostrophe-S ('s) for all possessives, unless the noun is plural.
** "Pegasus's fuel reserves are low." (singular possessive)
** "The Vipers' ammunition would not fire." (plural possessive)


This will end up looking thus:
==== Characters Names and Titles ====


:"Ladies and gentlemen, ''please''. Please. We are in a laboratory. There are hazardous chemical compounds everywhere. That--that's a thermo-nuclear bomb, for [[frak]]'s sake, so..."<br/>
* When first introducing a character, always introduce them by their '''first and last names'''.
:--Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] (''[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]'')
* In text, characters should always be referred to by their last names.
** '''Exception:''' Characters sharing the same last name, like [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Ellen Tigh]], or [[William Adama]] and [[Lee Adama]], may be either be referred to by their first names, by rank and last name (if applicable), or - sparingly - with rank only (e.g. in an article from Lee Adama's point of view: "The Admiral tells Adama to...")
* Members of the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] should always be referred to as "delegates", not "representatives".
* Characters should not be referred to by their nicknames. For instance, when writing an article, William Adama should never be referred to as "the Old Man" or "Bill".
* For characters with both callsigns and proper names, like [[Apollo]]/[[Lee Adama]], [[Hot Dog]]/[[Brendan Costanza]] or [[Kat]]/[[Louanne Katraine]], generally refer to these characters by their last names. Using callsigns may be appropriate when dealing with pilots in the cockpit, however.


For quotes longer than one line, each utterance will appear on its own line. The speaker's rank or position and name should appear followed by a colon (:) first. All of this should be bold. The actual line follows, in normal weighted font, followed by a hard line break (&lt;br/&gt;). Subsequent utterances by the same speaker should begin simply with the character's name, as laid out in Character Names, above. After the final utterance of the quote, the episode name should appear in italics, prefaced by a double en-dash (--).
==== Ship Names ====


:'''Rank and Name 1:''' Humorous battle banter aimed at Speaker 2.&lt;br/&gt;<br/>
: '''''Rule of Thumb:''' If a ship has a name, like a person, then you do '''not''' use the word "the" before it. You wouldn't refer to the commander of ''Galactica'' as "the [[William Adama]]," now would you? So why would you call Adama's ship "the ''Galactica''" instead of ''Galactica''? The answer: you wouldn't—and you shouldn't—because it's '''wrong'''.''
:'''Rank and Name 2:''' Scathing insult.&lt;br/&gt;<br/>
:'''Name 1:''' Pithy retort.&lt;br/&gt;<br/>
:--''Episode Name''


For example:
* Ship names are '''proper nouns''', and therefore should be '''treated in the same manner'''.
* It is '''''incorrect''''' to use the definite article "the" before a ship name (''Galactica, Rising Star, Pegasus'', et al.), although many people in both writing and speaking make this grammatical error.
** '''Exception:''' The word "the" should only be used when describing the ship type ''before'' naming the vessel, i.e. "the [[battlestar (RDM)|battlestar]] ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''", "the civilian ship ''[[Scylla]]''."


:'''Captain [[Lee Adama]]:''' Hey, how about you, Boomer? [[Cottle|Doc]] tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.<br\>
==== Titles for episodes, movies, books and shows ====
:'''Lieutenant [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]]:''' I'm tired, like everybody else.<br\>
:'''Adama:''' You never seem it.<br\>
:'''Lieutenant [[Kara Thrace]]:''' 'Cause she's a Cylon.<br\>
:'''Valerii:''' You're just gonna make me come over there and kick your ass, aren't you?<br\>
:--''[[33]]''


:(Note: All quotes should go in the Quotes namespace in the format, ''Quotes:MM DD'').
* When citing a television episode, use quotations (i.e. "[[Valley of Darkness]]") most of the time. [[#Linking to Episodes|Click here for the exception.]]
* When referring to a book by its name, use ''italics'' (i.e. ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'').
* When referring to the television series itself, use ''italics'' (i.e. ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'', ''[[Galactica 1980]]'').


==Disambiguation==
==== Tense ====
Because each of the Battlestar Galactica TV series reuses ship names, character names, episode titles and other terminology, it is occasionally necessary to write articles covering the same thing in different continuities.


When this is the case, an individual article should be used for each series.
* All articles that involve the fictional characters, events and places of the series are to be written in the present tense, ''unless'':
** The article occurs ''before'' the "Event Zero" of a continuity. "Event Zero" is defined by the following:
*** For the Original Series, anything happening before the events depicted in "[[Saga of a Star World]]" should be written in ''past tense''.
*** For ''[[Galactica 1980]]'', anything happening before the events depicted in "[[Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I]]" should be written in ''past tense''. The only exception for this is "[[The Return of Starbuck]]", which is mostly a flashback episode, but most of the events should be written in the present tense.
* As for the [[Re-imagined Series]], anything happening before the events depicted in the [[Miniseries]] should be written in the ''past tense''. However, this is where things get interesting:
** If an article is ''exclusively'' about ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'' (which occurs roughly 50 years before the Miniseries), then it should be written in ''present tense'', except for events from before the [[Caprica pilot|''Caprica'' pilot]]. The same applies for articles exclusively about the Re-imagined Series.
** If an article spans from ''Caprica'' to the Re-imagined Series, then:
**# Events occurring ''before'' the [[Miniseries]] (timeline-wise) should be written in the ''past tense''.
**# Events occurring ''during'' and ''after'' the Miniseries (timeline-wise) should be written in the ''present tense''.


Articles should be namespaced according to the following schema:
==== About Signatures... ====


*(TOS) - [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]
* Signatures are to be used '''exclusively''' on talk pages. If the title of the page you're editing '''does not''' have "talk" in its name, '''do not add your name or timestamp to it'''.
*(1980) - ''[[Galactica 1980]]''
** The only exceptions to this are: the [[Battlestar Wiki:Chiefs' noticeboard|Chiefs' noticeboard]], the [[Battlestar Wiki:Galactipedians Quorum]], the [[Battlestar Wiki:Think Tank|Think Tank]] and a [[BW:RFA|few]] [[BW:RFC|others]].
*(RDM) - [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]] & ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''
* In short, '''never sign articles'''!
*(2003 Video Game) - [[2003 Video Game]]
*(2007 Video Game) - [[2007 Video Game]]
*(SDS) - [[Battlestar Galactica (SDS)|Ill-fated Singer/DeSanto continuation project]]
*(TSC) - [[Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming|Richard Hatch's "Second Coming" attempt]]


The names of the two TV series themselves can be differentiated by:
=== Biographies on Cast, Crew, and People ===


*<nowiki>[[Re-imagined Series]]</nowiki>, for the 2004 ''Battlestar Galactica'' series
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Biographies}}
*<nowiki>[[Original Series]]</nowiki>, for the original 1978 series


On the Battlestar Wiki, "Re-imagined Series" and "Original Series" are considered proper names for easier cross-reference and clarification, and should be capitalized as shown. Two other variations are "re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica''" and "original ''Battlestar Galactica'', which should ''not'' be capitalized, since they are not proper nouns.
* The lead sentence or paragraph introduces the reader to the subject matter. It includes, the person's full name, date of birth and death, nationality, role in the series' and other appearances that the person is notable for.
* The article's tense is determined by whether the subject is presently alive or deceased. If alive, everything is written in present tense; if deceased, everything is written in past tense.
* Always refer to the subject by their last name.
* Articles of reasonable length should be sectioned off, and typically written in this order: '''Childhood, Early career, Work on ''Battlestar Galactica''''', and '''Later career.'''
* Articles with time sensitive information should be written with care. Always specify when the event is to occur, and never use vague words like "currently", "most recently", "presently", "this year" or "latest". Instead, use "as of [this date], such and such is to occur".


Because of the popularity of the new series as well as the volume of articles related to the Re-imagined Series, the use of the link <nowiki>[[Galactica]]</nowiki> will lead to the [[Galactica (RDM)]] article on the new series' battlestar. A disambiguation header always appears on this article for the two other ship articles on ''Galactica''. The same is true for [[Pegasus]].
=== Episode Guides ===


The non-namespaced article should serve as a disambiguation page, pointing to the related articles.
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Episode Guides}}


Examples of this in use are:
* Should always be written in the present tense. Also, all parts of the episode page are to be sectioned, even the "overview" portion.
* [[Pegasus (TOS)]] vs. [[Pegasus (RDM)]] (disambiguation at [[Pegasus]])
* The summary section, unless there are (at least) ''two'' distinct non-overlapping storylines, should always be in ''Act 1'', ''Act 2'', ''etc''. header formats. Bonus scenes should also in their own header.
* [[Adama (TOS)]] vs. [[William Adama]] vs. [[Lee Adama]] (disambiguation at [[Adama]])
* Episode guides should ''never'' argue with itself. Any "arguing" should be hashed out on the corresponding talk pages.
* When in doubt about any piece of content, '''always bring it up on a talk page.'''


Pages for characters that appear in more than one series should reserve the name in common for disambiguation (Cf. [[Adama]], [[Baltar]], etc.), but individual pages need not be tagged with the series name if there is sufficient information in the title otherwise so as to be disambiguous (Cf. [[Gaius Baltar]] vs. [[Baltar (TOS)]] or [[William Adama]] vs. [[Adama (TOS)]]).
==== Questions ====


Child articles of a disambiguation page should have a note applied at the top of the page (before everything, even the character template, etc.) linking back to the disambiguation page and its most relevant sister disambiguations. Keep the disambiguation links literal to make them distinctive. That is, don't change <nowiki>[[Baltar (TOS)]]</nowiki> to <nowiki>[[Baltar (TOS)|Baltar]]</nowiki>. This note should be preceded by a single tab and be in all italics. An example from [[Gaius Baltar]]'s article:
* The questions section should be for questions that are ''raised by the episode, but not answered within said episode''.
* Questions that are answered in a subsequent episode should also have a link to said episode where that question is answered.
*: '''Example:''' Why do the Cylons want to keep [[Karl Agathon]] on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]? ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Answer 1]], [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
* Questions '''should ''never''''' be debated on the episode guide page. Questions should always be questioned and discussed on the corresponding talk page.


:''This page discusses the unwitting betrayer of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] character that intentionally betrays the [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)|Twelve Colonies of Man]], see [[Baltar (TOS)]].''
==== Notes and Analysis ====


== Episode pages ==
* Any questions that are raised, and subsequently answered within the same episode, are typically placed in the analysis section. Use of {{tl|inlineref}} is recommended, so that questions raised in previous episode guide articles can easily link to the specific analysis point.
===Summary Section===
* The different between "Notes" and "Analysis": notes are for information that require no further explanation or plausible speculation, whereas analysis is content that requires digging into the meat of the series and explaining contradictions, plot evolutions, and other content that requires critical thinking.
The summary section, unless there are (at least) ''two'' distinct non-overlapping storylines, should always be in ''Act 1'', ''Act 2'', ''etc''. header formats. Bonus scenes should also in their own header.
* Further, items under either or both "Notes" and "Analysis" should be sectioned off by topic.
** For example: Cylon related developments should be sectioned under "The Cylons", points about specific characters should be noted under a sub-section on that character, and analysis of major events (such as Gaius Baltar's trial) should be noted under that specific topic. This allows bullet points to be better ordered, and to avoid "jumping around" in the text.


===Questions Section===
=== Disambiguations ===  
Every episode-synopsis article includes a section called "Questions". The idea behind the section is, "These are the questions this episode raises and does not answer by itself". Since these pages are encyclopedic, it is not intended that the "Questions" section be used to actually speculate as to the answers! Please use the Analysis section of an episode article for brief speculation.


The rules of thumb on questions are:
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Disambiguations}}
# If a question is raised and not answered in the episode, it belongs in the Questions section on the encyclopedic page.
# If a question is added to the encyclopedic page that was actually answered '''in the same episode's events''', it is policy to move both the question and the answer to the Talk page, because it isn't really an unanswered question. If an ambiguous or obscure topic reoccurs (or seems likely to), then it might belong in "Analysis" or "Notes".
# If a question is answered in a later episode, the analysis for that episode should note that the event refers to an earlier open plot point. The original page can be edited to point forward to the answer, but the answer itself should not be edited into the page for the episode that posed the question. An early example of this style appears on the encyclopedia page for the episode "[[Water]]": "Why do the Cylons want to keep Helo on Caprica?"
#* The typical style is to add ([[33|Answer]]) after the question, linked to the episode that answers the question. If there are multiple episodes that add ''significant'', ''substantial'' answers to a question, you should add multiple episodes like so:
#** Why do the Cylons want to keep Helo on Caprica?  ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Answer 1]], [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
# Debates and discussion have no place on the encyclopedic pages; only on the talk pages. Encyclopedic pages should be neutral-point-of-view and descriptive. That is, when responding to a question, do not phrase the answer in such a way that the question (and the article) appears to be "arguing with itself". If you find yourself adding a question that contains a pronoun ("I think") or uses a contradiction ("But the Cylons..."), then the question must be rephrased into analysis, or placed on the talk page.
#If a dispute occurs on whether a question is germane, appropriately located or answered, the debate should be moved over to a topic on the article's talk page. To aid others with the same question, a link to the debate should be added to the question so others know that this topic has an extended discussion elsewhere.
# Last, but not least, when in doubt, '''ask your fellow contributors'''.


=== Analysis and Notes Sections ===
* Disambiguations are navigational aids that help direct people to articles on specific subjects that share the same names, since many of the ''Battlestar Galactica'' series use the same names. Disambiguations come in two forms: a page (such as [[Adama]]), and in the form of an acronym within parentheses tacked on an article name (such as [[Adama (TOS)]]).
* Disambiguations within parentheses are as follows:
**(TOS) - [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]
**(1980) - ''[[Galactica 1980]]''
**(RDM) - [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'', and ''[[Blood and Chrome]]''
**(TRS) - Items relating exclusively to the [[Re-imagined Series]], and neither ''Caprica'' nor ''Blood and Chrome''.
**(CAP) - Items relating exclusively to ''Caprica''
**(BAC) - Items relating exclusively to ''Blood and Chrome''
**(2003 Video Game) - [[2003 Video Game]]
**(2007 Video Game) - [[2007 Video Game]]
**(SDS) - [[Battlestar Galactica (SDS)|Ill-fated Singer/DeSanto continuation project]]
**(TSC) - [[Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming|Richard Hatch's "Second Coming" attempt]]
* To refer to either the 1978 series or the 2003 series within the body of an article, the proper nouns are acceptable: [[Original Series]] and [[Re-imagined Series]].
* Due to the popularity of the new series, as well as the volume of articles related to the Re-imagined Series, the use of the link <nowiki>[[Galactica]]</nowiki> will lead to the [[Galactica (RDM)]] article on the new series' battlestar. A disambiguation header always appears on this article for the two other ship articles on ''Galactica''. The same is true for [[Pegasus]].
* Disambiguation pages themselves have a unique format, consisting of:
*# An introductory sentence introducing that the following articles share the same name, with the disambiguated term '''boldfaced'''.
*# This is to be followed by one-sentence bullet points about each article that shares that name, ending in a full stop (i.e. a period).
*# If necessary, section off the bullet point lists by series or, failing that, by a unique classification.
*# After the bullet points are completed, the page is ended with the {{tl|disambig}} template.
*# Disambiguation pages '''are not categorized'''.


As noted above, answers to questions that aren't directly answered by an episode, but can be answered by speculation and deduction, need to be placed in "Analysis".
=== Quotes of the Day ===


As the name implies, this is the place to analyze an episode's plot or its role in advancing a larger arc. Speculation is acceptable as long as it's logical and written from a neutral point of view. Replying to someone else's analysis with own, perhaps conflicting, points is acceptable as well to a certain degree. However, keep in mind that Battlestar Wiki is [[BW:FORUM|not a forum]]. There should be no back and forth arguing. If something is disputed, it needs be discussed on the talk page and, when a consensus has been reached, presented from a neutral point of view in the article. Moreover, more than two or three nested bullet points are usually unnecessary. In such a case, points can often be combined.
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Quote of the Day}}


The "Notes" section is for obvious items of interest related to the article that require no further explanation or speculation. These can be facts from the episode, behind the scenes information gleaned from interviews or podcasts, and the like.
* [[BW:Q|Quotes of the Day]] have their own format, as well as their own namespace (named "Quotes"). Such as [[Quotes:09 17]], with the two digit month and date after the colon.


== References ==
* Quotes that are one-line or one-paragraph in length should be formatted like so:
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>
*: "Ladies and gentlemen, ''please''. Please. We are in a laboratory. There are hazardous chemical compounds everywhere. That--that's a thermo-nuclear bomb, for [[frak]]'s sake, so..."<br/>
*:--Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] (''[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]'')


== See also ==
* Quotes that consist of two or more paragraphs of dialogue:
*:'''Captain [[Lee Adama]]:''' Hey, how about you, Boomer? [[Cottle|Doc]] tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.<br\>
*:'''Lieutenant [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]]:''' I'm tired, like everybody else.<br\>
*:'''Adama:''' You never seem it.<br\>
*:'''Lieutenant [[Kara Thrace]]:''' 'Cause she's a Cylon.<br\>
*:'''Valerii:''' You're just gonna make me come over there and kick your ass, aren't you?<br\>
*:--''[[33]]''


* [[Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions (biographies)|Standards and Conventions for biographies]]
* Each new line should have a <nowiki><br\></nowiki> tacked at the end, with the exception of the last line.


[[es:Battlestar Wiki:Estándares y Convenios]]
[[de:Battlestar Wiki:Standards und Konventionen]]
[[de:Battlestar Wiki:Standards und Konventionen]]
[[fr:Battlestar Wiki:Normes et Conventions]]
[[fr:Battlestar Wiki:Normes et conventions]]
[[zh:Battlestar Wiki:标准和惯例]]

Latest revision as of 02:02, 20 May 2020

This page is one of Battlestar Wiki's many projects.
This page serves to coordinate discussion on a particular aspect of this Wiki. The formal recommendations of a project may be treated as policies.
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Battlestar Wiki's Standards and Conventions
Standards for...

Overview
... Page Formatting
... Article Prose and Grammar
... Cast and Crew Biographies
... Episode Guides
... Disambiguations
... Quote of the Day pages


Battlestar Wiki Policy
Article Standards

Article Standards & Conventions
Keeping articles concise
Assume good faith
Official sources and citations
Neutral or Real point of view
Spoiler Policy
What Battlestar Wiki is
What Battlestar Wiki is not
Avoiding "fanwanking"
Descriptive terms
"Alternate universe" products

Sysop ← Interaction → User

Page Moves
Username policy
Banning
Blocking
Check user

Site Wide

Deletion
Civility, etiquette and personal attacks
Edit war
Things you just don't do
Harassment
Ownership of articles
Vandalism
Words of wisdom for the paranoid
... is not a forum
News

Guidelines

Air Lock
High Traffic
Types of users
Canon
Fandom

Inactive Policies
Razor Material


This page serves as the central hub for standards used in writing articles on Battlestar Wiki. Discussion on new or established standards and conventions listed in this section should be discussed on the talk page.

This set of pages are not designed to supersede other projects or policies. Some overlap is expected, but project-specific standards and conventions should be moved to their project page, if one exists or a page created for a project, if one does not.

Overview[edit]

Here is an overview of the standards and conventions sections.

  • Page Formatting: This covers our preferences on Wiki syntax over HTML, in addition to how to format images and categories.
  • Article Prose and Grammar: Discusses our use of present tense for a majority of our articles, as well as how to properly format titles, using names vs. callsigns, etc.
  • Cast and Crew Biographies: Covers how to write and format a biographical article on cast, crew, and people involved with the various series.
  • Episode Guides: Tackles what an analysis and questions section of our episode guides should look like.
  • Disambiguations: Tackles why those pesky little "(TOS)" and "(RDM)" suffixes are added to article names, as well as how to properly format a disambiguation page.
  • Quote of the Day pages: Tackles how to properly format a quote page for the "Quote of the Day" feature.

Summary of Standards and Conventions[edit]

This is the Cliff Notes version of our Standards and Conventions guidelines for your convenience. While they are explained in more detail in the subpages, most people will not want to use their time reading through them (despite the fact that we've made them as concise as possible). Still, here we go...

Formatting[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Formatting

Markup[edit]

  • Always use Wiki code instead of HTML code, unless the Wiki code equivalent does not exist.
    • NEVER use: <b> for bold face, <i> for italics, <a href> for links, <img> for images.
    • Exception: There is presently no wiki code for underlining text, so one would use <u>text to be underlined</u>. Further, to center text on pages, you will have to use <div align="center">text to be centered</div>.

Images and Audio Content[edit]

  • Avoid burdening down a page with pictures. Use only pictures whenever necessary to illustrate the subject. Each picture must have a reason for use under the fair use clause of United States' copyright law.
  • Image galleries are limited to unique pages, like articles on rooms of a ship (i.e. Combat Information Center) and pages on ships, like Galactica.
  • Audio files should only be used for illustrative purposes where pictures fail to be illustrative (i.e. Case Orange, Action stations) and for noteworthy quotes on episode guides.

Categorization of Articles[edit]

  • All pages, with the exception of disambiguation pages, are to be categorized using our category system.
    • All articles should go into the A to Z category.
    • Series related categories (Category:TOS, Category:RDM, and Category:1980) are to be the last category in the category list on a page.
    • Articles are never to be sorted by articles ("the", "and", "or") or by first names.
    • The {{DEFAULTSORT:}} syntax is always to be used to declare a sort key for category listings.
      • In extreme circumstances, this may be overridden by declaring the sort key in the syntax of select categories, example of a category syntax from Battlestar Galactica (RDM): [[Category:RDM|*]]. The "|*" allows the article to come before the alphabetical listings, so that it is the most visible.

Linking to Episodes[edit]

  • When linking to episodes, always link the first instance of the episode name per section. Beyond that, do not overlink episode titles.
  • As for how to refer to episodes within an article:
    • When referring to episode titles as part of the sentence, always include the episode name in quotation marks:
      Example: "In the episode "Pegasus", Galactica finds Pegasus."
    • When citing a single episode title as a source for a body of text, use parentheses.
      Example: "Galactica finds Pegasus (TRS: "Pegasus")."
    • When citing multiple episode titles as a source for a body of text, place all episode names within one set of parentheses. Each episode title should use commas to separate them within the parentheticals.
      Example: Lee Adama is moody often (TRS: Miniseries, "33", "Water", "The Hand of God").
    • Major exception: The term Miniseries should never be placed in quotations, since this is not the technical name of the pilot. (The Re-imagined Series' pilot is simply called "Battlestar Galactica".)
    • Second exception: When writing episode titles and book titles, the comma should always go after the quotation mark, never before it.

Red Links[edit]

  • Red links should either be corrected to point to the proper article on the intended subject, or submitted with the {{requested}} tag.

Prose and Grammar[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Prose

Spelling and Numeric Notation[edit]

  • American English spellings are default. British English spellings are allowed by users familiar with that language, but expected your edits to be converted into American English. (i.e. "colour" will be converted to "color", etc.)
  • Numbers should use commas ( , ) to mark every three digits, and decimal points ( . ) to denote numbers with decimals.
  • Numbers less than 13 should be spelled out, "five" for "5", etc.
  • Any proper nouns with numbers should be written out without Arabic numerals, this includes Colonial One and The Twelve Colonies.
    • The exception to this are Vipers or Raptors identified by numerics, i.e. Viper 8757 or Raptor 1.
  • Use an apostrophe-S ('s) for all possessives, unless the noun is plural.
    • "Pegasus's fuel reserves are low." (singular possessive)
    • "The Vipers' ammunition would not fire." (plural possessive)

Characters Names and Titles[edit]

  • When first introducing a character, always introduce them by their first and last names.
  • In text, characters should always be referred to by their last names.
    • Exception: Characters sharing the same last name, like Saul Tigh and Ellen Tigh, or William Adama and Lee Adama, may be either be referred to by their first names, by rank and last name (if applicable), or - sparingly - with rank only (e.g. in an article from Lee Adama's point of view: "The Admiral tells Adama to...")
  • Members of the Quorum of Twelve should always be referred to as "delegates", not "representatives".
  • Characters should not be referred to by their nicknames. For instance, when writing an article, William Adama should never be referred to as "the Old Man" or "Bill".
  • For characters with both callsigns and proper names, like Apollo/Lee Adama, Hot Dog/Brendan Costanza or Kat/Louanne Katraine, generally refer to these characters by their last names. Using callsigns may be appropriate when dealing with pilots in the cockpit, however.

Ship Names[edit]

Rule of Thumb: If a ship has a name, like a person, then you do not use the word "the" before it. You wouldn't refer to the commander of Galactica as "the William Adama," now would you? So why would you call Adama's ship "the Galactica" instead of Galactica? The answer: you wouldn't—and you shouldn't—because it's wrong.
  • Ship names are proper nouns, and therefore should be treated in the same manner.
  • It is incorrect to use the definite article "the" before a ship name (Galactica, Rising Star, Pegasus, et al.), although many people in both writing and speaking make this grammatical error.
    • Exception: The word "the" should only be used when describing the ship type before naming the vessel, i.e. "the battlestar Galactica", "the civilian ship Scylla."

Titles for episodes, movies, books and shows[edit]

Tense[edit]

  • All articles that involve the fictional characters, events and places of the series are to be written in the present tense, unless:
    • The article occurs before the "Event Zero" of a continuity. "Event Zero" is defined by the following:
  • As for the Re-imagined Series, anything happening before the events depicted in the Miniseries should be written in the past tense. However, this is where things get interesting:
    • If an article is exclusively about Caprica (which occurs roughly 50 years before the Miniseries), then it should be written in present tense, except for events from before the Caprica pilot. The same applies for articles exclusively about the Re-imagined Series.
    • If an article spans from Caprica to the Re-imagined Series, then:
      1. Events occurring before the Miniseries (timeline-wise) should be written in the past tense.
      2. Events occurring during and after the Miniseries (timeline-wise) should be written in the present tense.

About Signatures...[edit]

Biographies on Cast, Crew, and People[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Biographies
  • The lead sentence or paragraph introduces the reader to the subject matter. It includes, the person's full name, date of birth and death, nationality, role in the series' and other appearances that the person is notable for.
  • The article's tense is determined by whether the subject is presently alive or deceased. If alive, everything is written in present tense; if deceased, everything is written in past tense.
  • Always refer to the subject by their last name.
  • Articles of reasonable length should be sectioned off, and typically written in this order: Childhood, Early career, Work on Battlestar Galactica, and Later career.
  • Articles with time sensitive information should be written with care. Always specify when the event is to occur, and never use vague words like "currently", "most recently", "presently", "this year" or "latest". Instead, use "as of [this date], such and such is to occur".

Episode Guides[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Episode Guides
  • Should always be written in the present tense. Also, all parts of the episode page are to be sectioned, even the "overview" portion.
  • The summary section, unless there are (at least) two distinct non-overlapping storylines, should always be in Act 1, Act 2, etc. header formats. Bonus scenes should also in their own header.
  • Episode guides should never argue with itself. Any "arguing" should be hashed out on the corresponding talk pages.
  • When in doubt about any piece of content, always bring it up on a talk page.

Questions[edit]

  • The questions section should be for questions that are raised by the episode, but not answered within said episode.
  • Questions that are answered in a subsequent episode should also have a link to said episode where that question is answered.
    Example: Why do the Cylons want to keep Karl Agathon on Caprica? (Answer 1, Answer 2)
  • Questions should never be debated on the episode guide page. Questions should always be questioned and discussed on the corresponding talk page.

Notes and Analysis[edit]

  • Any questions that are raised, and subsequently answered within the same episode, are typically placed in the analysis section. Use of {{inlineref}} is recommended, so that questions raised in previous episode guide articles can easily link to the specific analysis point.
  • The different between "Notes" and "Analysis": notes are for information that require no further explanation or plausible speculation, whereas analysis is content that requires digging into the meat of the series and explaining contradictions, plot evolutions, and other content that requires critical thinking.
  • Further, items under either or both "Notes" and "Analysis" should be sectioned off by topic.
    • For example: Cylon related developments should be sectioned under "The Cylons", points about specific characters should be noted under a sub-section on that character, and analysis of major events (such as Gaius Baltar's trial) should be noted under that specific topic. This allows bullet points to be better ordered, and to avoid "jumping around" in the text.

Disambiguations[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Disambiguations
  • Disambiguations are navigational aids that help direct people to articles on specific subjects that share the same names, since many of the Battlestar Galactica series use the same names. Disambiguations come in two forms: a page (such as Adama), and in the form of an acronym within parentheses tacked on an article name (such as Adama (TOS)).
  • Disambiguations within parentheses are as follows:
  • To refer to either the 1978 series or the 2003 series within the body of an article, the proper nouns are acceptable: Original Series and Re-imagined Series.
  • Due to the popularity of the new series, as well as the volume of articles related to the Re-imagined Series, the use of the link [[Galactica]] will lead to the Galactica (RDM) article on the new series' battlestar. A disambiguation header always appears on this article for the two other ship articles on Galactica. The same is true for Pegasus.
  • Disambiguation pages themselves have a unique format, consisting of:
    1. An introductory sentence introducing that the following articles share the same name, with the disambiguated term boldfaced.
    2. This is to be followed by one-sentence bullet points about each article that shares that name, ending in a full stop (i.e. a period).
    3. If necessary, section off the bullet point lists by series or, failing that, by a unique classification.
    4. After the bullet points are completed, the page is ended with the {{disambig}} template.
    5. Disambiguation pages are not categorized.

Quotes of the Day[edit]

Main article: Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions/Quote of the Day
  • Quotes of the Day have their own format, as well as their own namespace (named "Quotes"). Such as Quotes:09 17, with the two digit month and date after the colon.
  • Quotes that are one-line or one-paragraph in length should be formatted like so:
    "Ladies and gentlemen, please. Please. We are in a laboratory. There are hazardous chemical compounds everywhere. That--that's a thermo-nuclear bomb, for frak's sake, so..."
    --Dr. Gaius Baltar (Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down)
  • Quotes that consist of two or more paragraphs of dialogue:
    Captain Lee Adama: Hey, how about you, Boomer? Doc tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.<br\>
    Lieutenant Sharon Valerii: I'm tired, like everybody else.<br\>
    Adama: You never seem it.<br\>
    Lieutenant Kara Thrace: 'Cause she's a Cylon.<br\>
    Valerii: You're just gonna make me come over there and kick your ass, aren't you?<br\>
    --33
  • Each new line should have a <br\> tacked at the end, with the exception of the last line.