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=====Contextual links===== | =====Contextual links===== | ||
The opening sentence should provide links to the broader or more elementary topics that are important to the article's topic or place it into [[Wikipedia:context (language use)|context]]. | |||
The opening sentence should provide links to the broader or more elementary topics that are important to the article's topic or place it into | |||
For example, an article about a building or location should include a link to the broader geographical area of which it is a part. | For example, an article about a building or location should include a link to the broader geographical area of which it is a part. | ||
<blockquote>'''Arugam Bay''' is a [[bay]] on the [[Indian Ocean]] in the dry zone of [[Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka's]] southeast coast. | <blockquote>'''Arugam Bay''' is a [[Wikipedia:Bay|bay]] on the [[Wikipedia:Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]] in the dry zone of [[Wikipedia:Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka's]] southeast coast. | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
In an article about a technical or jargon term, the opening sentence or paragraph should normally contain a link to the [[field of study]] that the term comes from. | In an article about a technical or jargon term, the opening sentence or paragraph should normally contain a link to the [[Wikipedia:Field of study|field of study]] that the term comes from. | ||
<blockquote>In [[heraldry]], '''tinctures''' are the colours used to [[ | <blockquote>In [[Wikipedia:Heraldry|heraldry]], '''tinctures''' are the colours used to [[Wikipedia:Blazon|emblazon]] a [[Wikipedia:Coat of arms|coat of arms]]. | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
The [[ | The [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Biographies#Opening paragraph|first sentence of an article about a person]] should link to the page or pages about the topic where the person achieved prominence. | ||
<blockquote>'''Harvey Lavan''' "'''Van'''" '''Cliburn Jr.''' (July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American [[pianist]] who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial [[International Tchaikovsky Competition|International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition]] in Moscow, at the height of the [[Cold War]]. | <blockquote>'''Harvey Lavan''' "'''Van'''" '''Cliburn Jr.''' (July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American [[Wikipedia:Pianist|pianist]] who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial [[Wikipedia:International Tchaikovsky Competition|International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition]] in Moscow, at the height of the [[Wikipedia:Cold War|Cold War]]. | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
Exactly what provides the context needed to understand a given topic varies greatly from topic to topic. | Exactly what provides the context needed to understand a given topic varies greatly from topic to topic. | ||
<blockquote>The '''Gemara''' is the component of the [[Talmud]] comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the [[Mishnah]]. | <blockquote>The '''Gemara''' is the component of the [[Wikipedia:Talmud|Talmud]] comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the [[Wikipedia:Mishnah|Mishnah]]. | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
Do not, however, add contextual links that don't relate directly to the topic's definition or reason for notability. For example, [[Van Cliburn|Van Cliburn's]] opening sentence links to [[Cold War]] because his fame came partly from his Tchaikovsky Competition victory being used as a Cold War symbol. The first sentence of a page about someone who rose to fame in the 1950s for reasons unrelated to the Cold War should not mention the Cold War at all, even though the Cold War is part of the broader historical context of that person's life. By the same token, [[ | Do not, however, add contextual links that don't relate directly to the topic's definition or reason for notability. For example, [[Wikipedia:Van Cliburn|Van Cliburn's]] opening sentence links to [[Wikipedia:Cold War|Cold War]] because his fame came partly from his Tchaikovsky Competition victory being used as a Cold War symbol. The first sentence of a page about someone who rose to fame in the 1950s for reasons unrelated to the Cold War should not mention the Cold War at all, even though the Cold War is part of the broader historical context of that person's life. By the same token, [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Linking#Year linking|do not link to years]] unless the year has some special salience to the topic. | ||
Links appearing ahead of the bolded term distract from the topic if not necessary to establish context, and should be omitted even if they might be appropriate elsewhere in the text. For example, a person's title or office, such as colonel, naturally appears ahead of their name, but the word "Colonel" should not have a link, since it doesn't establish context. Do not, however, reword a sentence awkwardly just to keep a needed contextual link from getting ahead of the bolded term. | Links appearing ahead of the bolded term distract from the topic if not necessary to establish context, and should be omitted even if they might be appropriate elsewhere in the text. For example, a person's title or office, such as colonel, naturally appears ahead of their name, but the word "Colonel" should not have a link, since it doesn't establish context. Do not, however, reword a sentence awkwardly just to keep a needed contextual link from getting ahead of the bolded term. | ||
<blockquote>Colonel '''Charles Hotham''' (died 1738) was a special [[Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service|British envoy]] entrusted by [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] with the task of negotiating a double marriage between the [[House of Hanover|Hanover]] and [[Hohenzollern]] dynasties. | <blockquote>Colonel '''Charles Hotham''' (died 1738) was a special [[Wikipedia:Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service|British envoy]] entrusted by [[Wikipedia:George II of Great Britain|George II]] with the task of negotiating a double marriage between the [[Wikipedia:House of Hanover|Hanover]] and [[Wikipedia:Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] dynasties. | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||