The Manual of Style, often abbreviated MoS, is a style guide for users that aims to make the encyclopedia easier to read
For information on the most basic writing techniques and styles, which are used here, see Wikipedia's Manual of Style.
Layout guide
All in-universe articles should be structured as follows:
- Title/Eras/Infobox
- Main article
- Stub
- Appearances in Lego
- Sources
- Notes and references
- See also
- Interwiki links
- External links
- Succession box
- Category
For more details as to what each section of an article should contain, see the Layout Guide. Please note that not all articles use every section.
Naming articles
Here are some rules regarding how articles should be named.
- Article names should be in singular form, not plural.
- The titles of articles about individual characters or minifigures should be the name by which the character or minifigure was named in the Lego® sets or games as much as possible.
- Unless the name of the article contains (or is) a proper noun, none of the words should be capitalized.
- Names of articles about sets should start with the sets number followed by the sets name. Example: 10179 Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon
Using the #
Do not use the # in a link unless you intend to direct to a section of that article with the title after the # as a section. When linking to articles, particular books and guides with numbers denoting their order, omit the # and simply put the number. Otherwise the software will look for that number as a section title on the page.
e.g. 3343 Star Wars 4, not 3343 Star Wars #4
You can use piped links to account for this. For example, [[3343 Star Wars 4|Star Wars #4]] would give you >Star Wars #4.
Headings
Use the == (heading) markup for headings, not the ''' (bold) markup. Example:
===This is a heading===
which produces:
- This is a heading
If you mark headings this way, a table of contents is automatically generated from the headings in an article. Sections can be automatically numbered for users with that preference set and words within properly marked headings are given greater weight in searches. Headings also help readers by breaking up the text and outlining the article.
- Capitalize the first letter only of the first word and of any proper nouns in a heading, and leave all of the other letters in lower case.
- Avoid links within headings.
- Avoid overuse of sub-headings.
Usage and spelling
Though the readers and editors of this wiki speak many varieties of English, we mandate standard American English spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage. This is the variety of English used in the first printings of most primary sources.
If a word has two acceptable variants in American English, the one that is considered "more American" is to be used. Such example is the spelling of judgement as judgment. The only exception of this rule is the spelling of words ending in -ogue: while dialog is an acceptable version of dialogue, the latter is preferred.
If the title of an article differs in different varieties of English, the American title should be the article title, with alternate names being used as redirects (for example, Lightsabre redirects to Lightsaber).
Perspective
Tense
All Out of Universe articles or sections of articles (Articles about sets, minifigures or other Lego products) should be written in present tense.
All in-universe articles (Stories, game levels, things that are considered “part of the Star Wars Universe”) should be in past tense, per the quote below.
- "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
- ―Star Wars films
Point of view
All articles must be written from a neutral point of view, representing views fairly and without bias. This includes real-world articles, in-universe articles, reader-facing templates, and categories. No article should reflect (for example) the experiences one person or persons had with a set, minifigure or game.
The neutral point of view is a means of dealing with conflicting views. The policy requires that, where there are or have been conflicting views, these should be presented fairly, but not asserted. All significant points of view are presented, not just the most popular one. It should not be asserted that the most popular view or some sort of intermediate view among the different views is the correct one. Readers are left to form their own opinions.
As the name suggests, the neutral point of view is a point of view, not the absence or elimination of viewpoints. It is a point of view that is neutral - that is neither sympathetic nor in opposition to its subject.
Capital letters
Galaxy
When the galaxy is linked to, it not to be capitalized. Similarly, when we name systems and sectors, and when we link to them, the words "system" and "sector" should remain in lower case, unless canon dictates otherwise (e.g. Corporate Sector).
Jedi and Sith
The words "Jedi" and "Sith" must always be capitalized. "Jedi" and "Sith" are metonymies that refer to "a member of the Jedi Order" and "a member of the Sith Order," respectively.
The Force
While "the Force" is a proper noun and therefore must be capitalized, the light and dark sides of the Force are not capitalized in the vast majority of official sources. Therefore, they must not be capitalized on Wookieepedia. For example: "Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side," not "...to the Dark Side."
Please note that this does not apply if force refers to any other meanings of the word: A strike force”, not A strike Force...
Rebel and Imperial
If these adjectives refer to the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, they should always be capitalized.
Ranks and titles
A rank's name is not to be capitalized if it refers to the rank, not a person. "Ackbar was a well-known admiral." or "As a captain, he had many responsibilities."
However, if the word refers to a person, it should be in capitals. "As an experienced leader, Admiral Ackbar..." or "He never liked telling jokes to the Admiral."
There are some ranks the name of which should always be capitalized, no matter the semantics. Such titles are Padawan, Jedi Knight, and so on.