User:Niteowlneils/Guide outline/Creating new pages
There are two main ways to create a new article. One is to click on a "red link" (also referred to as a requested article, even though that term can also mean topics more formally requested at Wikipedia:Requested_articles); the other is to edit a URL. Clicking on a red link is preferred for a couple reasons. It is simpler, and it ensures the article is not an orphan.
If you want to create a new article, but don't have a red link available, make one! That is, go to a related page that should refer to the topic you want to write about, edit it to refer to your new topic (including linking the reference). When you save it, you will now have a red link for you to click to start your new article.
However, it is important you choose the name of your new article carefully. The underlying software of Wikipedia is case-sensitive, so you should check if the topic is already covered using alternate capitalization. Also check for alternate forms of the word (especially verbs), and different spellings. For example, you might expect to find an article at rollerskating, only to discover it's at roller skating (possibly by checking just skating). Also check for alternate words. For example, a "state highway" may be listed as a "state route". At least some of the Canada-related articles refer to "provincial expressway"s.
Naming conventions[edit]
In general, the name should be spelled out, not initials (E.G United Kingdom, not "UK"). If it's a person, it should be how they are most commonly referred to, not their full or formal name (E.G. George W. Bush, not "George Walker Bush"). Also, honorific titles should not be part of an article title; thus Judi Dench, not "Dame Judi Dench". Whether or not a peerage title is included depends on common usage, and whether the person is historic, or from recent times.
The convention for any city/town/village in the United States is [city name, state name] (E.G. Hollywood, California, not just "Hollywood"). It's not a bad idea to use this form in other countries (if it applies).
If it's a name or a proper noun, the first letter of every word should be capitalized, as in Open Office. Otherwise, it should be mostly lowercase, as in List of leaders who died in office (the first letter of every Wikipedia title will always appear uppercase, regardless of how it is entered). Also, in most cases, the subject should be in the singular form. Exceptions are when it's a proper noun, such as United Nations, or always used as a plural, such as pants.
If the topic of the article is directly related to the United States, US spellings should be used (E.G. World Trade Center). If the topic is related to Britain, or any English-speaking country that uses British English, British spelling should be used (EG British Labour Party, not "British Labor Party"). If the topic is completely country-neutral (such as the sciences), feel free to use whichever spelling is natural for you (E.G. both "aluminum" and aluminium would be valid article titles).
Introductions[edit]
Unlike the page title, in the introduction the full name is preferable. Again, the George W. Bush article is also a good example. Also note that the subject of the article (usually the same as the title, except with people's names as previously mentioned) is given as early as possible in the intro, and appears in bold type. Notice, too, that the intro is a short prose summary, highlighting what the subject is most noted for, and precedes any subject headers. Just like in a newspaper, the first paragraph should introduce the subject, giving the highlights of the context (who, what, why, when, where).
Examples[edit]
While short stubs to introduce topics are welcome, over time it is hoped that the article will become comprehensive. Therefore, it is good to keep the final look in mind even when creating short starts. You might want to look at this annotated article, and/or some of the Wikipedia Featured articles to get a feel for what a polished article looks like.
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