UniWiki:Manual of Style: Difference between revisions

Line 275:

Always insert hard/thin spaces symbolically (<code>&nbsp;</code>, <code>&thinsp;</code>), never by entering them as literal Unicode characters entered directly from the keyboard.

~~== Quotations ==~~

~~{{shortcut|MOS:QUOTE|MOS:QUOTATIONS}}~~

~~{{see also|#Italics and quotations|#Quotation marks|Wikipedia:Quotations}}~~

While quotations are an indispensable part of Wikipedia, [[Wikipedia:Quotations#Overusing quotations|try not to overuse them]]. Brief [[WP:NFCCEG|quotations of copyrighted text may be used]] to illustrate a point, establish context, or attribute a point of view or idea. It is generally recommended that content be written in Wikipedia editors' own words. Using too many quotes is incompatible with an encyclopedic writing style, and may indicate a [[Wikipedia:Copyrights|copyright infringement]]. Consider minimizing the use of quotations by [[Wikipedia:Close paraphrasing|paraphrasing]], as quotations should not replace free text (including one that the editor writes),

~~=== Original wording ===~~

{{anchor|Principle of minimal change|Minimal change|PMC|PLC|MINIMALCHANGE|MINCHANGE|LEASTCHANGE|reason=We link to this from several places, and it's sometimes referred to as "principle of least change".}}

~~{{shortcut|MOS:PMC}}~~

Quotations must be [[WP:V|verifiably]] attributed, and the wording of the quoted text should be faithfully reproduced. This is referred to as the {{strong|principle of minimal change}}. Where there is good reason to change the wording, enclose changes within square brackets (for example, ''[her father]'' replacing ''him'', where the context identifying "him" is not included in the quotation: {{xt|"Ocyrhoe told [her father] his fate"}}). If there is a significant error in the original statement, use {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} or the template {{tlx|sic}} to show that the error was not made by Wikipedia.  However, trivial spelling and typographic errors should simply be corrected without comment (for example, correct {{!xt|basicly}} to {{xt|basically}} and {{!xt|harasssment}} to {{xt|harassment}}), unless the slip is textually important.

Use [[#Ellipses|ellipses]] to indicate omissions from quoted text. Legitimate omissions include extraneous, irrelevant, or parenthetical words, and unintelligible speech ({{!xt|umm}}, and {{!xt|hmm}}). Do not omit text where doing so would remove important context or alter the meaning of the text. When a vulgarity or obscenity is quoted, it should appear exactly as it does in the cited source; unless faithfully reproducing quoted text, Wikipedians should never [[WP:BOWDLERIZE|bowdlerize words]] by replacing letters with dashes, asterisks, or other symbols. In carrying over such an alteration from a quoted source, {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} may be used to indicate that the transcription is exact.

~~In direct quotations, retain dialectal and archaic spellings, including capitalization (but not archaic glyphs and ligatures, as detailed below).~~

~~=== Point of view ===~~

~~{{main article|Wikipedia:Neutral point of view}}~~

~~Quotation should be used, with attribution, to present emotive opinions that cannot be expressed in Wikipedia's own voice, but never to present cultural norms as simply opinional:~~

* Right: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "unforgettable".}}

* Wrong: {{!xt|The site is considered "sacred" by the religion's scriptures.}}

Concise opinions that are not overly emotive can often be reported with attribution instead of direct quotation. Use of quotation marks around simple descriptive terms can often seem to imply something doubtful regarding the material being quoted; sarcasm or [[weasel words]], like "supposedly" or "so-called", might be inferred.

* Permissible: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film interesting.}}

* Unnecessary and may imply doubt: {{!xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "interesting".}}

* Should be quoted: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "interesting but heart-wrenching".}}

~~=== Typographic conformity ===~~

A quotation is not a [[wikt:facsimile|facsimile]], and in most cases it is not desirable to duplicate the original formatting. Formatting and other purely typographical elements of quoted text should be adapted to English Wikipedia's conventions without comment provided that doing so will not change or obscure the meaning of the text; this practice is universal among publishers. These are alterations which make no difference when the text is read aloud, such as:

* Styling of dashes and hyphens: see {{Section link||Dashes}}, below. Use the style chosen for the article: unspaced [[em dash]] or spaced [[en dash]].

* Styling of apostrophes and quotation marks

** These should all be straight, not curly or slanted. See {{section link||Quotation marks}}, below.

** When quoting a quotation that itself contains a quotation, single quotes may be replaced with double quotes, and vice versa. See {{section link||Quotations within quotations}}, below.

* Replacing non-English typographical elements with their English equivalents. For example, replace [[guillemets]] ({{!xt|« »}}) with straight quotation marks.

* Removing spaces before punctuation such as periods and colons.

* Generally preserve bold and italics (see {{section link||Italics}}, above), but most other styling should be altered. {{!xt|{{Underline|Underlining}}}} and spacing  {{!xt|<kbd>w i t h i n  w o r d s</kbd>}}  (as found in typewritten documents) should be changed to italics, and other unusual forms of emphasis (colored highlighting, all caps or small caps, etc.) should likewise generally be normalized to italics or boldface. It is also permissible to add appropriate non-emphatic italics or quotation marks, for example to mark the title of a book or poem within a quotation.

* Expanding abbreviations.

* Normalizing archaic glyphs and ligatures, when doing so will not change or obscure the meaning or intent of the text. Examples include [[æ]]→ae, [[œ]]→oe, [[Long s|ſ]]→s, and [[Thorn (letter)#Abbreviations|y<sup>e</sup>]]→the. See also {{section link||Ampersand}}, above.

However, national varieties should not be changed, as these may involve changes in vocabulary, and because articles are prone to flipping back and forth. For example, a quotation from a British source should retain British spelling, even in an article that otherwise uses American spelling. (See {{section link||Consistency within articles}}, above.)

~~Direct quotation should not be used in an attempt to preserve the formatting preferred by an external publisher, especially when the material would otherwise be unchanged:~~

*{{em|Right}}: {{xt|The animal is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}

*{{em|Wrong}}: {{!xt|The animal is listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}

Italics can be used to mark a particular usage as a [[term of art]] (a case of "[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Words as words|words as words]]"), especially when it is unfamiliar or should not be reworded by a non-expert:

*{{em|Permissible}}: {{xt|The animal is listed as ''critically endangered'' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}

~~When quoting a complete sentence, it is recommended to keep the first word capitalized unless the quoted passage has been integrated into the surrounding sentence.~~

*{{em|Right}}: {{xt|Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world."}}

*{{em|Permissible}}: {{xt|Gandhi said one should "[b]e the change you want to see in the world."}}

~~=== Quotations within quotations ===~~

~~{{shortcut|MOS:QWQ}}~~

For quotations within quotations, use double quote marks outermost and, working inward, alternate single with double quote marks: {{xt|He said, "That book claims, 'Voltaire said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.{{" ' "}}}} For two or more quote marks in immediate succession, use the {{tlx|" '}}, {{tlx|' "}}, or (as in the example just given) {{tlx|" ' "}} templates, which add appropriate space between the quote marks (as well as making that space non-breaking).

~~=== Attribution ===~~

The author of a quote of a full sentence or more should be named; this is done in the main text and not in a footnote. However, attribution is unnecessary with quotations that are clearly from the person discussed in the article or section. When preceding a quotation with its attribution, [[Wikipedia:Words to avoid#Synonyms for said|avoid characterizing it in a biased manner]].

~~=== Linking ===~~

~~As much as possible, avoid linking from within quotes, which may clutter the quotation, violate the principle of leaving quotations unchanged, and mislead or confuse the reader.~~

~~=== Block quotations ===~~

~~{{anchor|nocquote|reason=The old name of Template:Pull_quote was Template:Cquote, and "nocquote" was historically used to refer to this MOS section, which now has its own shortcuts.}}~~

~~{{shortcut|MOS:BLOCKQUOTE|MOS:BQ}}~~

Format a long quote (more than about 40 words or a few hundred characters, or consisting of more than one paragraph, regardless of length) as a [[block quotation]], indented on both sides. Block quotations can be enclosed in the {{tlx|quote}} template, or between a pair of {{tag|blockquote}} HTML tags. The template also provides parameters for attribution. Do not enclose block quotations in quotation marks (and especially avoid decorative quotation marks in normal use, such as those provided by the {{tlx|pull quote}} a.k.a. {{tlx|cquote}} template, which are reserved for [[pull quote]]s). Block quotations using a colored background are also discouraged.

Poetry, lyrics, and other formatted text may be quoted inline if they are short, or presented in a block quotation. If inline, line breaks should be indicated by <code>/</code>, and paragraph or stanza breaks by <code>//</code>. Wikipedia's [[MediaWiki]] software does not normally render line breaks or indentation inside a {{tnull|quote}} or {{tag|blockquote|o}}, but the {{xtag|poem}} extension can be used to preserve them:

~~<source lang="html5">~~

~~<blockquote><poem>~~

~~Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,~~

~~Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—~~

~~While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,~~

~~As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.~~

~~"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—~~

~~Only this and nothing more."~~

~~</poem></blockquote>~~

~~</source>~~

~~This will result in the following, indented on both sides (it may also be in a smaller font, depending on browser software):~~

~~{{xt|<blockquote><poem>~~

~~Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,~~

~~Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—~~

~~While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,~~

~~As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.~~

~~"'Tis some {{not a typo|visiter|reason=original spelling}}," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—~~

~~Only this and nothing more."~~

~~</poem></blockquote>}}~~

~~Do not abuse block quotation markup to indent non-quotations. Various templates are available for indentation, including {{tlx|block indent}}, and (for inline use) {{tl|in5}}.~~

~~=== Foreign-language quotations ===~~

Quotations from foreign-language sources should appear with a translation into English, preferably a modern one. Quotations that are translations should be explicitly distinguished from those that are not. Indicate the original source of a translation (if it is available, and not first published within Wikipedia), and the original language (if that is not clear from the context).

~~If the original, untranslated text is available, provide a reference for it or include it, as appropriate.~~

When editors themselves translate foreign text into English, care must always be taken to include the non-English source material, {{em|in italics}} (except for non-Latin-based writing systems), and to use actual and (if at all possible) common English words to translate. Beware linguistic "[[false friends]]": Portuguese ''{{lang|pt|[[wikt:Federativo|Federativo]]}}'' should never be rendered as {{!xt|Federative}} but always as {{xt|Federal}}, for example, while Spanish ''{{lang|es|[[wikt:raro|raro]]}}'' should usually be translated as {{xt|strange}} or {{xt|weird}} and only in limited contexts as {{xtg|rare}}.

== Punctuation ==

@@ Line 275: / Line 275: @@
 Always insert hard/thin spaces symbolically (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>, <code>&amp;thinsp;</code>), never by entering them as literal Unicode characters entered directly from the keyboard.
-== Quotations ==
-{{shortcut|MOS:QUOTE|MOS:QUOTATIONS}}
-{{see also|#Italics and quotations|#Quotation marks|Wikipedia:Quotations}}
-While quotations are an indispensable part of Wikipedia, [[Wikipedia:Quotations#Overusing quotations|try not to overuse them]]. Brief [[WP:NFCCEG|quotations of copyrighted text may be used]] to illustrate a point, establish context, or attribute a point of view or idea. It is generally recommended that content be written in Wikipedia editors' own words. Using too many quotes is incompatible with an encyclopedic writing style, and may indicate a [[Wikipedia:Copyrights|copyright infringement]]. Consider minimizing the use of quotations by [[Wikipedia:Close paraphrasing|paraphrasing]], as quotations should not replace free text (including one that the editor writes),
-=== Original wording ===
-{{anchor|Principle of minimal change|Minimal change|PMC|PLC|MINIMALCHANGE|MINCHANGE|LEASTCHANGE|reason=We link to this from several places, and it's sometimes referred to as "principle of least change".}}
-{{shortcut|MOS:PMC}}
-Quotations must be [[WP:V|verifiably]] attributed, and the wording of the quoted text should be faithfully reproduced. This is referred to as the {{strong|principle of minimal change}}. Where there is good reason to change the wording, enclose changes within square brackets (for example, ''[her father]'' replacing ''him'', where the context identifying "him" is not included in the quotation: {{xt|"Ocyrhoe told [her father] his fate"}}). If there is a significant error in the original statement, use {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} or the template {{tlx|sic}} to show that the error was not made by Wikipedia. <!-- IF EDITING THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE, PLEASE UPDATE THE DOCUMENTATION AT [[Template:Sic/doc]] ACCORDINGLY --> However, trivial spelling and typographic errors should simply be corrected without comment (for example, correct {{!xt|basicly}} to {{xt|basically}} and {{!xt|harasssment}} to {{xt|harassment}}), unless the slip is textually important.
-Use [[#Ellipses|ellipses]] to indicate omissions from quoted text. Legitimate omissions include extraneous, irrelevant, or parenthetical words, and unintelligible speech ({{!xt|umm}}, and {{!xt|hmm}}). Do not omit text where doing so would remove important context or alter the meaning of the text. When a vulgarity or obscenity is quoted, it should appear exactly as it does in the cited source; unless faithfully reproducing quoted text, Wikipedians should never [[WP:BOWDLERIZE|bowdlerize words]] by replacing letters with dashes, asterisks, or other symbols. In carrying over such an alteration from a quoted source, {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} may be used to indicate that the transcription is exact.
-In direct quotations, retain dialectal and archaic spellings, including capitalization (but not archaic glyphs and ligatures, as detailed below).
-=== Point of view ===
-{{main article|Wikipedia:Neutral point of view}}
-Quotation should be used, with attribution, to present emotive opinions that cannot be expressed in Wikipedia's own voice, but never to present cultural norms as simply opinional:
-* Right: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "unforgettable".}}
-* Wrong: {{!xt|The site is considered "sacred" by the religion's scriptures.}}
-Concise opinions that are not overly emotive can often be reported with attribution instead of direct quotation. Use of quotation marks around simple descriptive terms can often seem to imply something doubtful regarding the material being quoted; sarcasm or [[weasel words]]<!--not Wikipedia:Weasel_words which only applies to actual content, not implications/inferences-->, like "supposedly" or "so-called", might be inferred.
-* Permissible: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film interesting.}}
-* Unnecessary and may imply doubt: {{!xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "interesting".}}
-* Should be quoted: {{xt|Siskel and Ebert called the film "interesting but heart-wrenching".}}
-=== Typographic conformity ===
-A quotation is not a [[wikt:facsimile|facsimile]], and in most cases it is not desirable to duplicate the original formatting. Formatting and other purely typographical elements of quoted text should be adapted to English Wikipedia's conventions without comment provided that doing so will not change or obscure the meaning of the text; this practice is universal among publishers. These are alterations which make no difference when the text is read aloud, such as:
-* Styling of dashes and hyphens: see {{Section link||Dashes}}, below. Use the style chosen for the article: unspaced [[em dash]] or spaced [[en dash]].
-* Styling of apostrophes and quotation marks
-** These should all be straight, not curly or slanted. See {{section link||Quotation marks}}, below.
-** When quoting a quotation that itself contains a quotation, single quotes may be replaced with double quotes, and vice versa. See {{section link||Quotations within quotations}}, below.
-* Replacing non-English typographical elements with their English equivalents. For example, replace [[guillemets]] ({{!xt|«&nbsp;»}}) with straight quotation marks.
-* Removing spaces before punctuation such as periods and colons.
-* Generally preserve bold and italics (see {{section link||Italics}}, above), but most other styling should be altered. {{!xt|{{Underline|Underlining}}}} and spacing&nbsp; {{!xt|<kbd>w&nbsp;i&nbsp;t&nbsp;h&nbsp;i&nbsp;n&nbsp; w&nbsp;o&nbsp;r&nbsp;d&nbsp;s</kbd>}}&nbsp; (as found in typewritten documents) should be changed to italics, and other unusual forms of emphasis (colored highlighting, all caps or small caps, etc.) should likewise generally be normalized to italics or boldface. It is also permissible to add appropriate non-emphatic italics or quotation marks, for example to mark the title of a book or poem within a quotation.
-* Expanding abbreviations.
-* Normalizing archaic glyphs and ligatures, when doing so will not change or obscure the meaning or intent of the text. Examples include [[æ]]→ae, [[œ]]→oe, [[Long s|ſ]]→s, and [[Thorn (letter)#Abbreviations|y<sup>e</sup>]]→the. See also {{section link||Ampersand}}, above.
-However, national varieties should not be changed, as these may involve changes in vocabulary, and because articles are prone to flipping back and forth. For example, a quotation from a British source should retain British spelling, even in an article that otherwise uses American spelling. (See {{section link||Consistency within articles}}, above.)
-Direct quotation should not be used in an attempt to preserve the formatting preferred by an external publisher, especially when the material would otherwise be unchanged:
-*{{em|Right}}: {{xt|The animal is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}
-*{{em|Wrong}}: {{!xt|The animal is listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}
-Italics can be used to mark a particular usage as a [[term of art]] (a case of "[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Words as words|words as words]]"), especially when it is unfamiliar or should not be reworded by a non-expert:
-*{{em|Permissible}}: {{xt|The animal is listed as ''critically endangered'' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.}}
-When quoting a complete sentence, it is recommended to keep the first word capitalized unless the quoted passage has been integrated into the surrounding sentence.
-*{{em|Right}}: {{xt|Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world."}}
-*{{em|Permissible}}: {{xt|Gandhi said one should "[b]e the change you want to see in the world."}}
-=== Quotations within quotations ===
-{{shortcut|MOS:QWQ}}
-For quotations within quotations, use double quote marks outermost and, working inward, alternate single with double quote marks: {{xt|He said, "That book claims, 'Voltaire said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.{{" ' "}}}} For two or more quote marks in immediate succession, use the {{tlx|" '}}, {{tlx|' "}}, or (as in the example just given) {{tlx|" ' "}} templates, which add appropriate space between the quote marks (as well as making that space non-breaking).
-=== Attribution ===
-The author of a quote of a full sentence or more should be named; this is done in the main text and not in a footnote. However, attribution is unnecessary with quotations that are clearly from the person discussed in the article or section. When preceding a quotation with its attribution, [[Wikipedia:Words to avoid#Synonyms for said|avoid characterizing it in a biased manner]].
-=== Linking ===
-As much as possible, avoid linking from within quotes, which may clutter the quotation, violate the principle of leaving quotations unchanged, and mislead or confuse the reader.
-=== Block quotations ===
-{{anchor|nocquote|reason=The old name of Template:Pull_quote was Template:Cquote, and "nocquote" was historically used to refer to this MOS section, which now has its own shortcuts.}}
-{{shortcut|MOS:BLOCKQUOTE|MOS:BQ}}
-Format a long quote (more than about 40 words or a few hundred characters, or consisting of more than one paragraph, regardless of length) as a [[block quotation]], indented on both sides. Block quotations can be enclosed in the {{tlx|quote}} template, or between a pair of {{tag|blockquote}} HTML tags. The template also provides parameters for attribution. Do not enclose block quotations in quotation marks (and especially avoid decorative quotation marks in normal use, such as those provided by the {{tlx|pull quote}} a.k.a. {{tlx|cquote}} template, which are reserved for [[pull quote]]s). Block quotations using a colored background are also discouraged.
-Poetry, lyrics, and other formatted text may be quoted inline if they are short, or presented in a block quotation. If inline, line breaks should be indicated by&nbsp;<code>/</code>, and paragraph or stanza breaks by&nbsp;<code>//</code>. Wikipedia's [[MediaWiki]] software does not normally render line breaks or indentation inside a {{tnull|quote}} or {{tag|blockquote|o}}, but the {{xtag|poem}} extension can be used to preserve them:
-<source lang="html5">
-<blockquote><poem>
-Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
-Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
-While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
-As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
-            Only this and nothing more."
-</poem></blockquote>
-</source>
-This will result in the following, indented on both sides (it may also be in a smaller font, depending on browser software):
-{{xt|<blockquote><poem>
-Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
-Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
-While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
-As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-"'Tis some {{not a typo|visiter|reason=original spelling}}," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
-            Only this and nothing more."
-</poem></blockquote>}}
-Do not abuse block quotation markup to indent non-quotations. Various templates are available for indentation, including {{tlx|block indent}}, and (for inline use) {{tl|in5}}.
-=== Foreign-language quotations ===
-Quotations from foreign-language sources should appear with a translation into English, preferably a modern one. Quotations that are translations should be explicitly distinguished from those that are not. Indicate the original source of a translation (if it is available, and not first published within Wikipedia), and the original language (if that is not clear from the context).
-If the original, untranslated text is available, provide a reference for it or include it, as appropriate.
-When editors themselves translate foreign text into English, care must always be taken to include the non-English source material, {{em|in italics}} (except for non-Latin-based writing systems), and to use actual and (if at all possible) common English words to translate. Beware linguistic "[[false friends]]": Portuguese ''{{lang|pt|[[wikt:Federativo|Federativo]]}}'' should never be rendered as {{!xt|Federative}} but always as {{xt|Federal}}, for example, while Spanish ''{{lang|es|[[wikt:raro|raro]]}}'' should usually be translated as {{xt|strange}} or {{xt|weird}} and only in limited contexts as {{xtg|rare}}.
 == Punctuation ==