View source for Help:Creating articles

Because of the ever-expanding nature of this wiki, there will always be articles on obscure or limited topics that do not exist. However, if the topic is well known, you should anticipate that it already exists. It is worth making sure that the article does not already exist before duplicating information and possibly confusing a reader.

{{Help}}

== Checking for an article's existence ==

You can find an article by:

* Going directly to its address, such as <code>[http://Starfinderwiki.com/wiki/Human http://Starfinderwiki.com/wiki/Human]</code>.
* Using the search box on the right side. Use as few search terms as possible. If you are unsure of the spelling, try several alternatives. Even if you are sure of the spelling, there is a slight chance that the previous editor misspelled it or the spelling has changed over time, so the page might be under a different title.
* Looking in an appropriate [[:Category:Categories|category]]. For example, if you are trying to find an article about an elf you know to be a [[Forlorn]], look in [[:Category:Forlorn]] to see if you can find the article there.
* Looking for links from a similar subject. For example, you would expect the [[Varisia]] article to provide a link to the [[Korvosa]] article, since Korvosa is Varisia's largest city. It should therefore stand to reason that other cities within Varisia might also be linked on the Varisia article, although this is no guarantee.

== Improving access ==

If you want to create an article on a particular topic but found the information in an unexpected place, you should consider whether it is in the appropriate place.

=== Incorrect names ===

Sometimes the creator of the article made a mistake and typed in its name wrong. In this case, you should move the article to the correct name, citing a source for the correct name if possible.

A topic may be spelled differently in different sources. Consult the [[StarfinderWiki:canon policy|canon policy]] for advice on dealing with conflicting sources.

=== Unexpected names ===

Is the article under an obscure name, consider moving the article. Check convention where possible, because an article might be named a specific way for a reason you're unaware of. In all but the clearest cases, it's useful to start a discussion on the article's talk page and reach a consensus about moving the article. Provide specific examples if possible.

=== Wrong category ===

Did you have trouble finding the article because it is in the wrong category, or a category that is not specific enough? Sometimes editors can change information that would effectively recategorize an article, but forget to add the relevant categories. For example, if a person has been listed as a [[wizard]] but is actually a [[sorcerer]], the editor should both alter the text in the article to reflect this, and change the category from [[:Category:Sorcerer]] to [[:Category:Wizard]].

=== Improving redirects ===

If an article's expected or natural spelling is not the article's title, consider creating [[Help:redirect|redirect]]s. You don't need to create redirects for every possible spelling or misspelling, but cover the obvious ones. 

For example, a user might attempt to access the [[Ileosa Arabasti]] article by looking for [[Ileosa]], or her title as [[Queen of Korvosa]]. In these cases, create redirects that point to Ileosa Arabasti.

== Articles vs. sections ==

Consider whether your topic merits its own article, or whether it can be incorporated into an existing article as a new section. You should consider:

* Whether you can write more than three sentences about the topic.
* Whether the topic is distinct from every other topic with its own article.
* Whether the topic is within the [[StarfinderWiki:Scope of the project|scope of the wiki]].

If you can wholeheartedly answer "yes" to all of the above points, it is probably, but not definitely, worth its own article. Similarly, some topics for which the above points all answer "yes" still don't need to be created as articles. It is quite often a judgment call.

For publications that contain multiple adventures, each adventure should be a section in the article for the publication. For details, refer to the [[Help:Writing an article about a book#Adventure Overview|"Adventure Overview"]] section of the [[Help:Writing an article about a book|"Writing an article about a book"]] Help page.

== Creating the article ==

If you are satisfied that the topic needs its own article, [[StarfinderWiki:Be bold in updating pages|be bold]] and create it. While creating the article, refer to these Help pages for guidance:

* [[Help:Writing an article about an accessory]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a book]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a creature]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a deity]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about an organization]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a person]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a place]]
* [[Help:Writing an article about a year]]

== Sections ==

The bulk of your article should be split into logical sections depending on the article's topic. Towards the end of the article, most sections will be the same, regardless of what the article is about. Generally, these include (in this order):

; See also: Other articles on the local wiki that might be of interest to the reader who has completed the current article.
; References: Citations that have been created inline in the text using the <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code> tags should appear here, so you should only ever need to put <code><nowiki>{{refs}}</nowiki></code> here. See [[Help:Citing sources]] for more information.
; Notes: Citations that are relevant to the article, but not associated with any particular statement, can be placed here. It is best to use the {{tl|Cite book}} subtemplates or their sister templates as relevant. See [[Help:Citing sources]] for more information.
; Further reading: Where to go to find out more on the article's topic. This could be books, web sites or potentially anything else that does not serve as a reference for the article, but provides extra information on the same subject.
; External links: Links that are relevant to the current article but do not directly provide further reading.

The above order is suggested but not required, and many pages will simply have a References section.

== Unsure about categories? ==

If you have written an article and are unsure about which categories to apply, or simply want your categories double checked, then please feel free to add this text at the bottom of your article in this format:
<pre>[[Category:Please check categories]]</pre>
This will flag to others that the article's categories need checking or adding. We hope that, soon thereafter, another wiki member will be along to help.

[[Category:Help]]