Marriland Wiki's article Manual of Style details basic principles users should follow when building articles.
Basic guidelines[]
When writing articles it is important to follow these rules of the english language:
- Don't use netspeak or any similar slang. We are compiling a professional resource for Pokémon fans.
- Keep your writing around a 6th Grade reading level. You don't need to fill it with big words just to make it sound smarter, especially if you're not certain how the word should be used.
- Vary your words. When writing, try to vary the words you use and the length of your sentences. It makes things sound more interesting.
- Capitalize words when appropriate. (see below)
- Use correct punctuation. This includes commas, periods, quotation marks, and apostrophes. (see below)
- Know the difference between homophones: there, their, and they're; here and hear; it's and its; who's and whose.
Neutral point of view[]
Articles that contain subjects of debate should not be sympathetic or in objection to any side of the argument. Instead the article should present both sides, should they be a key factor to the article itself, without engaging in the argument.
When discussing the material, background should be provided on who believes what and why, and which view is more involved in popular consensus. Writers must think of it as being purely analytical, describing the sides of the debate without stating which is better.
Using certain terms in description of something must also be closely watched. Using negative statements such as "this character sucks" in an article is by no means allowed. In addition using other non-negative terms to describe something may also be unacceptable. Describing things with phrases such as "the best" or with words like "beautiful", should not be used when writing. These are matters of personal opinion and not of a neutral point of view. Should it be necessary to state something like the previous, talk pages should be used instead of articles.
Usage of images[]
- See Marriland Wiki's image policy.
References[]
Marriland Wiki focuses on the content of the Pokémon series, and in order to be a reputable encyclopedia over the franchise, cited sources of well-established means should be given. References should be added to pages under their own "References" header and use the <references/> tag. References in the article are labeled by the <ref>/</ref> tags.
Places of interest regarding references are official websites and books regarding the Pokémon franchise, in-game information, etc.
Trivia[]
The trivia policy enforces the fact that trivia sections on articles on the Marriland Wiki are not an area to input any random fact one obtains about the article’s subject. The guidelines are as follows:
- Trivia must always pertain to the subject of the article
- Trivia should only contain trivial yet interesting facts, not facts that belong in another section or trivial, uninteresting facts
- Trivia facts should not be copied word-for-word from another website
- Images are permitted in the trivia section if they better illustrate a trivia fact, but do so infrequently
- Trivia should only contain canon facts, or facts that have been stated in the Pokémon anime, manga, and games
- It shouldn’t be useless trivia, such as "she is the only Pokémon Coordinator that has freckles," but an interesting personal fact, such as "she has had a mortal fear of Beedrills ever since they attacked her when she was 5."