Help:How to contribute
From Theopedia
You are invited to create an account and become a registered user (editor) -- it's easy. Anonymous contributions are not allowed. Registering provides a name behind your edits, fosters a sense of community among users, and allows for informal discussion via TALK pages. Once you register, you are encouraged to briefly introduce yourself on your User:page.
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I'd like to contribute to Theopedia - what should I do?
A. Get a feel for how wikis work
If you are new to wiki-technology, you will first want to familiarize yourself with it. The best way to do this is simply to do some exploration of Theopedia and other similar websites like Wikipedia, and experiment in the sandbox where you are free to create and delete trial sections and content.
B. Create new articles
Fill in the gaps by creating new articles on aspects of the topic that have not been covered yet. When creating new pages, please consider first if there will be enough material for a whole article, otherwise add the information to an appropriate "aggregation" page (eg "Views on the Trinity" as a whole). If an entry in the aggregation article gets really long, you can split it out into its own article then.
When writing about controversial subjects, please keep the writing guide in mind.
Links to non-existent pages are by default displayed in red (e.g. I don't exist). Click on the link, and add something about that topic. No, not this one!
Study a topic or person you know little about and then write on it
Use Theopedia as an excuse to research a new topic. As you learn about it, take notes and begin to develop and encyclopedic entry for Theopedia. This is actually a good study aid because it forces you to take notes, organize information, and take what you've learned and communicate it clear and concise way to others.
Don't be surprised if other people edit "your" pages to adapt them to our policies.
Find something appropriate for Theopedia from a public domain resource, update it, add links to it, and put it here. But make sure it isn't copyrighted -- see Wikipedia copyrights).
For more basic information on contributing to Theopedia, see our own How to start a page and Help:How to edit a page.
C. Or, Edit existing articles
You do not have to create a new article or make additions to contribute. Other improvements can be made to the articles that already exist. For example, there are many maintenance-related tasks that can be performed on a regular basis. Contributors can:
- Edit pages for spelling and grammatical errors.
- Correct false or misleading claims.
- Provide citations/references where needed or requested.
- Wikify words (turn them into internal links by using
[[double-brackets]]). - Find pages containing the same or very similar information and combine them into one article.
- Ask questions on the Talk (i.e. Discussion) pages which contribute to the improvement of each article
To start editing, try visiting a random page and look for spelling errors, sections that need content, or any cleanup that may be required.
If you want to see where more extensive help is needed, consult any of the following:
- See the wanted pages list and the article requests page, which consist of pages that have been provided links to articles that do not yet exist.
- See the cleanup category, which consists of articles that have been created but need editing assistance (e.g. formatting).
- See the stub pages category and the short pages list, which list articles that are too brief and thus need more content.
No original research
Theopedia (like Wikipedia) is not the place for original research. Citing sources and avoiding original research are inextricably linked: the only way to verifiably demonstrate that you are not doing original research is to cite reliable sources which provide information that is directly related to the article, and to adhere to what those sources say.
Original research is a term used by Theopedia to refer to material added to articles by Theopedia editors that has not been published already by a reputable source. In this context it means unpublished theories, data, statements, concepts, arguments, and ideas; or any new interpretation, analysis, or synthesis of published data, statements, concepts, or arguments that would amount to a "novel narrative or historical interpretation."
Have a question?
If you are not sure how to do something and cannot find the answer on Theopedia, please go to Theopedia:Ask a question and ask it there. Do not hesitate to ask anything, for when you learn you enable yourself to contribute more to Theopedia and help work towards its vision.
See also
The following articles are from the Wikipedia, not Theopedia. Many of the policies are the same, but not all. We will be creating our own similar pages as time allows.
