Theopedia:Writing guide
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[edit] Theopedia is distinctively Christian
Theopedia is distinctively Christian and thus rejects the requirement to be provide "neutral" content.
[edit] Endorsed perspective
Content consistent with the statement of faith and content generally accepted within traditional, evangelical Protestantism may be written assertively and is the stated point-of-view of Theopedia.
[edit] Dissident perspective
Content that runs contrary to the statement of faith and traditional, evangelical Protestantism may be respectfully and reasonably criticized.
[edit] Appropriate neutral perspective
Other content, particularly that which is not addressed in the statement of faith, but which finds a respected place within traditional, evangelical Protestantism (even though not completely agreed upon), should be written descriptively and without unnecessary bias.
[edit] Intended audience
Theopedia is intended to be a resource for laymen with varying degrees of experience and interest in Christianity and theology. Articles are to be written accordingly, for the edification of a diversity of people.
[edit] Acceptable content
Articles which are appropriate for inclusion are those which address issues confronted by Christians who might turn to Theopedia for information. Examples include topics in theology, doctrine, biblical interpretation and application, Christian living, church polity, and notable pastors, authors, and theologians.
[edit] Specific guidelines
To maintain a desired level of quality, the material and content offered on Theopedia should meet the following criteria:
- Include a concise introductory paragraph defining the topic at hand and mentioning the most important points. The reader should be able to get a good overview by only reading this first paragraph.
- Submit biographies only for individuals who meet some reasonable standard of notability, e.g., they are widely published, are a principal leader in a well-known Christian organization, or are key proponents for a major school of thought or religious movement.
- Begin new stubs only if you have specific content or links to include. This avoids giving the false impression that there is information available when there is nothing to offer.
- Provide internal links only to established articles or to topics which meet the above stated criteria.
[edit] Unacceptable content
It is generally unnecessary for Theopedia to have an article that:
- Contains only a list of external links with no context
- Is of minimal significance to evangelical Christians
- Serves only to promote the cause of one individual or organization
- Relies primarily on sources of dubious reliability
[edit] Commentary
Theopedia is working toward having an article for each chapter of the Bible with commentary. There will be brief commentary after passages, and expanded commentary available in individual articles for some passages (e.g. John 1 and John 1:1). When writing commentary, remember to keep in mind the following order of importance:
- Plain sense of passage, with attention to grammar and vocabulary.
- How the passage fits in the larger encompassing literary units.
- Theological implications of the passage that can be asserted within the bounds of Theopedia's statement of faith and writing guide.
- Simple introduction to controversies surrounding the text.
Because Theopedia's textual content is in the public domain, make sure to abide by fair use law when quoting scripture. Practically this means using an assortment of translations as much as possible.
[edit] Style
Keep the article encyclopedic in style. Articles should be factual in nature. Avoid personal comments (or turn them into general statements if legitimate). Don't use personal forms (e.g. I found that. . .), and don't present personal opinions. Also in keeping with the encyclopedic style, add etymology or provenance when appropriate.
Avoid stilted, over-technical and complex language in constructing articles, which may appear as arrogance and pseudo-intellectualism. Simple, clear wording is more understandable and the most effective way to communicate ideas.
Separate the major sections of your articles with section headlines. For many topics, a brief history section is very appropriate, outlining the origins and historical development of the concept. Make sure to link to other relevant Theopedia articles. Also, where appropriate, add links in other articles back to your article. See other sections here and in How to contribute for editing help regarding format, producing links, emphasizing text, lists, headlines, etc.
If there are significant differences of opinion about your topic, characterize that debate for the reader. Present the information as objectively as possible while being mindful of Theopedia's stated point of view.
A good article may often be developed by collaborating with other members of Theopedia. Use the Talk pages to refine the topic and ask for suggestions and confirmations. The composition of a commonly-agreed presentation is an important ingredient of a serious Theopedia article.
At the end, you should list all references you used and pertinent external links about the topic. Don't neglect the "External Links" and "References" sections that should appear at the bottom of every page. The most useful and accurate material you've found by "online searching" during your research might make good links for a reader too. All strong articles will contain a list of references.
[edit] External links
When available, links to publications, articles, and blog posts by seminary professors and established Christian leaders are to be preferred. Links to resources by others are permitted but subject to the collective wisdom and discernment of the Theopedia community.
[edit] Formatting
[edit] Prioritize multimedia resources
Given that people are more inclined to watch / listen to a multimedia presentation, such are to be prioritized in articles. You can see an example of this here.
[edit] Spelling
Check your spelling. Theopedia does not contain a spell checker, but you can write and spell-check your article first in a word processor or text editor and then paste it into the text-box.
[edit] Capitalization
In article titles, capitalize the first letter of the first word only, except for proper names that are normally capped. This should be the same scheme for the titles of sections and sub-sections in an article.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, Bible and Scripture as proper names are capitalized, but biblical and scriptural as adjectives are normally not.
[edit] Reference your work
- See also: Wikipedia's standard appendices guide, copyright, and copyright FAQ
Being a wiki does not relieve contributors from academic rigor. Contributors must respect copyrights and, as much as possible, cite their sources.
It is, of course, preferable that you write articles in your words; however, sometimes we all find articles, webpages or books which just put it so well that we couldn't possibly improve upon it. In cases where this happens, you may want to copy that source directly. Before doing so, you must ensure that you have the relevant permissions. When copying the text, you should make it quite plain where you are getting it from, with a link or a clear citation in a "References" section, in case of hard copy.
Checking before copying, and referencing your sources, are not optional extras: they are part of a good Christian witness towards others who have put in hard work on articles, web pages and books, showing honesty and good manners in crediting those who deserve it. They also help to keep us on the right side of the law!
[edit] 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."
[edit] Wikipedia
Some projects and documents may be better placed in the Wikipedia project rather than Theopedia. This is not a definitive rule, but articles about topics such as general biographies, geography, historical events, or philosophical positions may be better placed at Wikipedia so that they can enjoy the expanded scholarship represented by that site. Furthermore, "interwiki" links to Wikipedia from Theopedia are easy: any wiki link that starts with w: or wikipedia: will link to the Wikipedia article on the topic. E.g. [[w:postmodernism]] becomes w:postmodernism. Theopedia uses all of the standard Wikimedia interwiki shortcuts; see Special:Interwiki for Theopedia's full interwiki chart (including sites like Wikible and MormonWiki.org).
[edit] Copying Wikipedia articles
Wikipedia is an obvious resource for material in Theopedia. However, discretion and restraint in doing so are needed. Only import material consistent with Theopedia's scope - biblical Christianity. Entire articles from Wikipedia are not allowed to be copied because Theopedia's content is public domain. If Wikipedia content is directly copied, you must add a footnote or clear form of reference as you would with any other source.
Please mention any copyright infringements at the Village pump, or on the talk page of the specific article in question.
[edit] Citation Formats
We have not been consistent in the way we cite resources, references and/or footnotes. However, as we move forward we should strive for consistency. The following is from the Chicago Manual of Style, which is in agreement with the Turabian Style Guide:
[edit] Bibliographic entry for Book, Journal article, and Website:
- Hodge, Alexander. Outlines of Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980. ISBN 0-310-26200-3
- Cowen, Stephan B. "Common Misconceptions of Calvinism" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 33, No. 2 (June 1990): 124-130.
- University of Georgia, "Points of Pride," University of Georgia, http://www.uga.edu/profile/pride.html
[edit] Footnote entry for Book[1], Journal article[2], and Website[3].:
- ↑ Alexander Hodge, Outlines of Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), 159.
- ↑ Steven B. Cowen, "Common Misconceptions of Calvinism" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 33, No. 2 (June 1990): 124.
- ↑ University of Georgia, "Points of Pride," University of Georgia, http://www.uga.edu/profile/pride.html (accessed October 30, 2003)
