The Sims Wiki:Manual of Style/proposed


 * New or changed sections are higlighted . Changes are not complete.

On The Sims Wiki there are a few rules of style to create a standard feel to all of our articles. The formatting described here is a guideline and can be overridden where circumstances warrant it. However, please try your best to keep to the advice outlined in this article so others may use your edits as an example when creating and editing their own articles.

These guidelines are a summary of the most important guidelines for this wiki, but a more expansive set of style guidelines can be found on Wikipedia at Wikipedia Manual of Style.

Article titles, headings, and sections
These policies govern the titles of articles and section headings on The Sims Wiki.


 * Article titles should be recognizable to readers, unambiguous, and consistent with usage in reliable English-language sources.
 * Titles should match the article contents, and should be neither too narrow nor too broad.
 * Titles should be short—preferably fewer than ten words.
 * Capitalize the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns in article and heading titles, but leave the rest in lower case ( Life leading up to The Sims 2, not Life Leading Up To the Sims 2 ).
 * Avoid special characters such as the slash (/), plus sign (+), braces ({ }), and square brackets ([ ]); use "and" instead of an ampersand (&), unless the ampersand is an accepted part of a name
 * The final visible character of a title should not be a punctuation mark, unless the punctuation is part of a name (Ridiculous D.O.G.), an abbreviation is used (Rip Co.), or a closing round bracket or quotation mark is required (Malcolm Landgraab (console)).

Article headings also adhere to the following guidelines:


 * Change a heading only after careful consideration, and if doing so use an anchor template to avoid breaking section links to it within the same article and from other articles.
 * Section and subsection headings should preferably be unique within a page; otherwise, after editing, the display can arrive at the wrong section (see also below) and the automatic edit summary can be ambiguous.
 * To avoid accessibility problems, headings should not normally contain links, especially where only part of a heading is linked.

If the topic of a section is also covered in a dedicated article, show this by inserting Article name directly under the section heading.

Article layout
Designing a template for the layout of all pages helps to keep things organized and working well so that information can be found more easily. Remember that an outline is generated based on which headings you use (Headings range from level one to six, and are represented as a section title with as many equal signs on either side as the level). The article title is level one, so you should only use level two and higher.

Organize sections in an article in a hierarchical structure like you would an outline. Keep it logical, but feel free to forsake strict logic for readability. Wherever possible, try to have an introduction for each section. Just like the article as a whole, the section should start with an introduction and then have its subsections below it. Try using a shallow structure rather than a deep one. Too many nested sections usually leads to a confusing or unreadable article.

Layout template
Basic info about the topic. If this topic also exists outside of The Sim series, a link to Wikipedia might be in order.

Section
A description of this section. A section should be about a certain aspect of the topic at hand. If there is only one main aspect, the basic info above should suffice.

Sub-section
More details about a certain subject of the current section. More than one sub-section may occur.

Sub-sub-section
Should rarely be needed, but in some cases further division of a subject may be required.

Section
A description of this section. A section should be about a certain aspect of the topic at hand. If there is only one main aspect, the basic info above should suffice.

Section
A description of this section. A section should be about a certain aspect of the topic at hand. If there is only one main aspect, the basic info above should suffice.

Gallery
Gallery of images relevant to the topic.

Categorizing articles
Adding categories to an article makes it easier for the reader to find information within a specific area. Categories are added by putting  in an article. An article may be in more than one category, but the editor should make sure not to put an article in categories just because it might be remotely related to them, but rather because it is directly related to them.

There is one top-level category, Category:Browse. All other categories are found below this. Hence every category apart from this top one must be a subcategory of at least one other category.

There are two main kinds of category:


 * Topic categories are named after a topic (usually sharing a name with the Wikipedia article on that topic). For example, Category:Simology contains articles relating to the topic a Sim's "biology".
 * Set categories are named after a class (usually in the plural). For example, Category:Sims contains articles whose subjects are Sims.

Sometimes, for convenience, the two types can be combined, to create a set-and-topic category (such as Category:Aspirations, which contains articles about particular aspirations as well as articles relating to aspirations in general).

If logical membership of one category implies logical membership of a second, then the first category should be made a subcategory (directly or indirectly) of the second. For example, Category:Twinbrook Sims is a subcategory of Category:Sims from Ambitions, which in turn is a subcategory of Category:Sims from The Sims 3.

Pages are not placed directly into every possible category, only into the most specific one in any branch. This means that if a page belongs to a subcategory of C (or a subcategory of a subcategory of C, and so on) then it is not normally placed directly into C.

Every Wikipedia article should belong to at least one category and it should be clear from verifiable information in the article why it was placed in each of its categories. Categorize articles by characteristics of the topic, not characteristics of the article. An article about a the architecture of specific lot, for example, does not belong in Category:Architecture.

Articles on fictional subjects should not be categorized in a manner that confuses them with real subjects. For example, Category:Games is for real life games while Category:Game objects is the category of in-universe games.

Category names use the same general naming rules as articles. By convention, category declarations are placed at the end of the wikitext, but before any stub templates (which themselves transclude categories) and interlanguage links.

The order in which categories are placed on a page is not governed by any single rule. Normally the most essential, significant categories appear first. If an article has an eponymous category (see below), then that category should be listed first of all. For example, Category:Goths is listed before other categories on the Goth family page.

If the desired display text in a particular category is different from the title of the article, it may be appropriate to categorize a redirect, either instead of or along with the article itself. For example, if library is a type of building in several neighborhoods, but used the name Papyrus Memorial Library in Sunset Valley, then the lots in Sunset Valley category declarations can be placed on the "Papyrus Memorial Library" redirect page as well as (or instead of) on "library".

Often an article and a topic category will share the same name or occasionally similar names referring to the same thing. Such a category is called an eponymous category. Usually the article itself will be a member of the category (and should be sorted to appear at the start of the listing, as described below under Sort keys).

Sort keys are sometimes needed to produce a correct ordering of member pages and subcategories on the category page. If an item ought to be positioned within a list on the basis of an alternative name (sort key) for that item, then this can be specified in the category tag that places the item in the list:.

For example to add an article called Bella Goth to the category "Sims" and have the article sorted by "Goth, Bella", you would type:.

The magic word,  can be used for articles not in the main namespace to sort by the article name and not the namespace.

It is possible to set a default sort key which is different from the page name by using the magic word thus:. Conventionally, this is placed just before the list of category declarations.

Categories of characters are usually sorted by last name rather than first name, so "surname, forename" sort keys are used. Entries containing modified letters should be sorted as if the letters were unmodified (for example, Łódź has the sort key "Lodz").

Other sort key considerations:


 * Leading articles—a, an, and the—are one of the most common reasons for using sortkeys. Please also apply these sort keys to deliberate misspellings of these words—e.g. "da" or "tha" for "the."
 * Entries containing numbers sometimes need special sort keys to ensure numerical rather than alphabetical ordering (for example, 19 and 103 come before 2 in alphabetical order, and IX comes before V). So Haydn's 13th symphony might have the sort key "Symphony 013", the zero ensuring that it is listed before symphonies 100–108; Pope John IX might have a sort key "John 09". It is important to stick to the same system for all similar entries in a given category.
 * In some categories, sort keys are used to exclude prefixes that are common to all or many of the entries, or are considered unimportant (such as "List of" or "The"). For example, in Category:Lists of Sims the page List of Urbz by location would have the sort key "Urbz", and in Category:Urbz the page List of Urbz by location would have the sort key "Location".
 * Use a space as the sort key for an article matching an eponymous category, or for a key article for the category. For example, the article Skill includes the category sort key . This places the article at the start of the listing for that category. (Note: if the key article should not be a member, simply list it in the category text itself.) Typically, these eponymous categories are listed first even if they do not appear first in alphabetical order.
 * Use other sort keys beginning with a space (or an asterisk or a plus sign) for any "List of ..." and other pages that should appear after the key article and before the main alphabetical listings. The same technique is sometimes used to bring particular subcategories to the start of the list.

Writing
When you're editing wikis, you're both academic and artist. You have to be accurate, but you also have to be interesting. Neither one can dominate; you have to skillfully balance both.


 * Keep your writing concise. Don't use two words where one will do. Keeping your writing simple will make it easy to understand and easy to expand on. Use complete sentences whenever possible. When you write, use grammar as a toolbox: know the rules, but only break them on purpose.
 * Check your spelling and grammar. Do not use 'u' in place of 'you' or '2' in place of 'to'. Write the way you would for a class paper or a newspaper article.
 * Keep all of the topics you cover within the scope of the article. What that means is, you don't need to give a detailed explanation of alien abduction on the page about pregnancy. Consider the article's title as your point of origin and write from that perspective. Make use of the wiki's ability to link to more detailed articles or external sources for more information.
 * Write from an impersonal perspective.' Do not use "I". For example, do not write, "The Grim Reaper will appear in The Sims Medieval, as far as I know." Avoid drawing attention to the author (yourself) as much as possible.
 * Use of the second person "you", which is often ambiguous and contrary to the tone of an encyclopedia, is discouraged. Instead, refer to the subject of the sentence or use the passive voice, for example do not write "The game creates an invisible barrier which prevents you from entering the building. To correct this, you must go into build mode ..." Instead write "The game creates an invisible barrier which prevents sims from entering the building. To correct this, the player must go into build mode ..." Using "you" is acceptable in official descriptions.
 * Be bold. If you know something is wrong, correct it. If you think you could word something better, write it. If an article has a glaring deficiency, fill it. Even if your first attempt isn't golden, you can fix it later or someone else will come along and fix it for you. Don't be afraid to screw up.

Writing about fiction
The Sims Wiki articles should describe fiction and fictional elements from the perspective of the real world, not from the perspective of the fiction itself.

An in-universe perspective describes the narrative from the perspective of characters within the fictional universe, treating it as if it were real and ignoring real-world context and sourced analysis. An in-universe perspective is inaccurate and misleading, inviting unverifiable original research. Most importantly, in-universe perspective defies community consensus as to what we do not want The Sims Wiki to be or become.

When writing about fiction, keep the following in mind:
 * Write from a real-world perspective;
 * Maintain a balanced use of both primary and secondary sources;
 * Avoid original research;
 * Reference all information and cite your sources;
 * Give weight where weight is due;
 * Put all information into context with the original fiction;
 * Check with the image use policy before adding images to any article;
 * Avoid creating lists of trivia; instead, incorporate relevant information into the body of the article;
 * The amount of copyrighted work used should be as little as possible.

Time references
Avoid statements that will age quickly, except on pages concerning current events which are frequently brought up to date. Avoid recently, soon , and now (unless their meaning is fixed by the context). Avoid relative terms like currently (usually redundant), in modern times, is now considered , and is soon to be superseded. Instead, use either:


 * more precise and absolute expressions ( since the start of 2005; during the 1990s; is expected to be superseded by 2008 ); or
 * an as of phrase ( as of August 2007 ), which signals the time-dependence of the statement, and alerts later editors to update the statement (see As of); or simply use at instead: The population was over 21,000,000 ( at December 2008 ).

To help editors keep information up to date, statements about current and future events may be used with the as of technique. This is done by using the as of template to tag information that may become dated quickly, however this technique is not an alternative to using precise language. For instance, one should not replace since the start of 2005 with 2005 because some information (the start of 2005) would be lost; instead, use either the plain text or a more advanced feature of such as.

Every individual, non-contiguous statement in an article that may date quickly should be so tagged, even if there are several such statements that link to the same year. Otherwise, it is possible that when one statement is updated, other statements in the article might be overlooked, and no one will realize that they need to be checked also.

Grammar and spelling
Since a wiki article must be as clear as possible for all the people reading it, editors must keep close to correct grammar and spelling standards to ensure clear communication.

Capitalization
Titles such as mayor or detective start with a capital letter when used as a title (followed by a name): Detective Dan D. Mann not detective Dan D. Mann. When used generically, they should be in lower case: Dan is a detective.

Traits, aspirations, life stages, life states, careers, skills, motives, talent badges, interests, etc., likewise should only be capitalized when used as a proper noun, i.e. as someone's name.

Do not use capital letters for emphasis; where wording alone cannot provide the emphasis, use italics.

When using "The" mid-sentence, generally do not capitalize the definite article. However, some exceptions, including most titles of artistic works, should be quoted exactly according to common usage.


 * Incorrect (generic):
 * Correct (generic):
 * Incorrect (title): Bella Goth appeared in the Sims.
 * Correct (title): Bella Goth appeared in The Sims.
 * Correct (title): Bella Goth's image is on the Bella Squared wall hanging.
 * Incorrect (exception): A community lot in The Urbz: Sims in the City is the Foundry.
 * Correct (exception): A community lot in The Urbz: Sims in the City is The Foundry.

Italics
Italics may be used sparingly to emphasize words in sentences (whereas boldface is normally not used for this purpose).

Italics are used for the titles of works, such as books and games. The titles of articles, chapters, and other short works are not italicized but are enclosed in double quotation marks. For example, italicize The Sims.

Tense
Most articles should be described as facts, so use the present or future tenses. "The Gypsy matchmaker is in The Sims 2: Nightlife." "This skill can be learned by swimming." Works of fiction are generally considered to "come alive" when experienced. They exist in a kind of perpetual present tense, regardless of when the fictional action is supposed to take place relative to "now." Thus, generally you should write about fiction using the present tense, not the past tense.

The major exception to this rule are undocumented patch notes. The tense used should match how Electronic Arts's official patch notes are written. For the most part, past tense should be used, "Fixed an issue where ghosts could become stuck in vehicles." For new features, future tense can be used as well, primarily used in conjunction with now, "A Bay Window will now appear in the game," "Players may now use the Tattoo feature to customize Sims when in Create a Sim." Other tenses should be converted. For example, "Story progression will be improved" should be "Story progression has been improved."

Punctuation
Where footnotes (ref tags) are adjacent to most punctuation, such as a comma or period, place them after the punctuation, with no intervening space.

U.S. English and commonwealth English
Cultural clashes over grammar, spelling, and capitalisation/capitalization are a common experience on wikis. Remember that millions of people have been taught to use a different form of English from yours, including different spellings, grammatical constructions, and punctuation.

Where possible, the preferred use on The Sims Wiki is U.S. English for spellings. Where certain words might cause confusion (see American and British English differences), it is preferable to avoid the word or phrase altogether. Where possible, international standards are to be used (Dates, names, etc.) to avoid confusion.

Regardless, articles should generally follow the same style throughout. Each article should have uniform spelling and not a haphazard mix of different spellings, which can be jarring to the reader. For example, do not use center in one place and centre in another in the same article (except in quotations or for comparison purposes).

Bear in mind that some words shared by all English speakers are spelled one way by Americans (and at times Canadians and Australians) but are spelt differently in most other English speaking countries; it is generally acceptable to leave an article alone where the style is consistent throughout the article - though changes to important articles to adapt them to house style are occasionally useful, please don't make a point of changing an article to your preferred style.

Related articles

 * The Sims Wiki:Project Sims/Manual of style