Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad

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.

Jihad is an arabic word meaning "to exert utmost effort, to strive, to struggle". At the Battlestar Wiki, we strive to be a comprehensive and accurate source of canonical information. Because of the nature of a wikipedia to which anyone may contribute, it is vital that sources be cited and facts checked. This project page is intended to serve as the hub of these operations.

Acceptable Sources

In roughly descending order of reliability:

1. On-screen evidence
2. DVDs (subtitles, visual evidence, and behind-the-scenes material)
   • TWIZ TV is a good source for episode transcripts
3. Official comments from the producers:
   • Episode podcasts
     • Podcast transcripts are being coordinated at Battlestar Wiki:Podcast Transcripts.
   • DVD commentaries
   • Ronald D. Moore's blog
   • David Eick's video blog
4. Other statements from producers, cast, and crew
   • This includes information from Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, an official reference book from Titan Books and Sci-Fi Channel, which details the making of the Miniseries and its evolution into Season 1.
5. The SciFi channel and SkyOne websites

This list is an important guideline, but is not to be slavishly obeyed. If David Eick mentions offhand that Galactica is four inches long, but a reliable source from Zoic gives scaling information used in the visual effects sequences, deference should be given to Zoic's field of expertise. (This would also fall under the guideline of placing on-screen evidence before producer's commentary). Obvious gaffes and bloopers should also be ignored.

Where later comments contradict earlier ones, defer to the most recent statement and make a note at Continuity errors (RDM). An example of this is the size of the fleet, increased from 40 ships in the miniseries to 75 in the series. If the issue is not decisively settled, make a note at the bottom of the page (see Olympic Carrier#Notes for an example).

List of sites that are not good sources

• Battlestar Wiki itself – This is important. If you read information here that you have not verified yourself, do not trust it.
• Wikipedia – Where Wikipedia cites its own sources, it can be a useful guide. However, uncited assertions should not be trusted.
• IMDB – IMDB has not demonstrated a rigorous standard of fact-checking.
• Fan sites such as Battlestar Galactica Tech Manual, Colonial History, Galactica Station where they do not themselves cite sources.

Our Weapons

We have imported {{ref}} and {{note}} from Wikipedia for the purpose of making footnotes where in-text citations become too cumbersome. See Help:Footnotes for instructions. Sample articles where these are used include Original Battlestar (RDM) and Computers.

We also have taken the liberty of adding {{citation needed}}, a template which does double duty by adding articles needing citations to the Articles requiring citations category as well as indicating which paragraph or sentence requires the citation.

Our Missions

Articles needing sources

• Original Battlestar (RDM)-Many technical items found here without sources.
• Battlestar Group - there's an unsourced comment from Moore's blog here.
• Viper (TOS) - Unsourced dimensions of the vehicles.
• Any of the alleged Zoic battlestars not authenticated in episodes or elsewhere: Prometheus; Pacifica; Rycon (of which a battlestar does exist in TOS); Poseidon; Argo; Acropolis.
• Need source on director Ahmer Lateaf from TOS episode "Greetings from Earth"; does not appear in IMDB.

Widespread misconceptions (aka "Fanon")

• The RDM Galactica is not equipped with railguns (see link for firm evidence)
• It has never been stated that there are twelve Lords of Kobol.

Characters with Non-Canon First Names

• Joyce Hadrian
  • Article at Hadrian, redirect from Sergeant Hadrian.
  • Source: "hint by sources close to production"

Members

Show your commitment to accuracy. Join up!

• Peter Farago 01:19, 29 September 2005 (EDT)
• Spencerian 10:20, 29 September 2005 (EDT) (self-dubbed Lord of "It's Galactica not the Galactica" Corrections)
• Day 21:49, 30 September 2005 (EDT)

  "Your episode citations go inside the period."

• Ricimer 13 October, 2005 (EDT) - I tape and watch the reruns like a hawk; should get all of the names from the credits this time around.
• BMS 17:45, 30 January 2006 (EST) I need to start citing my contribs, and I'll get right on that from here on
• Fearpi 15:50, 11 February 2006 (EST)

Original Series definition: a title of nobility (e.g. Lord Baltar)