Wikipedia:WikiProject Outlines/Archive/Helpful tips

Procedures and tips

Outline creation

This project's main procedure is the creation of outline articles. The creation template is called Template:Topic outline. Instructions on how to use it is included with it. (Another template exists called Template:Topic outline country which was used to create a topic outline for every country of the World (unless we missed some). The country topic outlines are all listed below, further down this page.

If you create a topic outline list in article space, be sure to place a {{under construction}} template at the top of it. Otherwise, you run the risk that someone will come along and nominate the page for deletion after you barely get started. For example, the Outline of Canada was nominated for deletion at AfD when it only included a few links. Someone had to jump in and develop it fast in order to save it. The same thing happened to Outline of mining.

A safer approach is to create new topic outlines in this WikiProject's space, starting the page title with "Wikipedia:WikiProject Topic outline/Drafts/Outline of ". One must have a compelling reason to delete a draft, since it is by definition under development, which means all problems are subject to being discussed on its talk page before it gets moved to article space. There are lists of drafts under development, below.

Determining scope

One of the more challenging aspects of developing an outline is determining an appropriate scope, or depth, of the topic. By making too narrow of an outline one runs the risk of failing to define the true extent of the topic, but by making too broad of an outline there is the chance of the topic's basic core being obscured. Either way, the topic's relevance will be lost to the average reader.

For example, the majority of applied sciences are interdisciplinary and apply principles from a wide variety of scientific fields. Including links to articles for all (if not most) of the principles would not only be an exhaustive task but could also cause the average reader to incorrectly assume the linked articles exclusivity to the topic. In forestry, genetic cultivars are often used in plantations in attempt to assure adequate tree growth. Despite this, it would be illogical to include cultivars in the outline of forestry, on the basis that it is a horticultural aspect (which is itself an example of applied genetics), relatively of very minor importance to the topic, and covered in an article that is included in the outline.

Here are some questions one could ask thyself when deciding whether or not to include an article link in an outline:

• Is this article directly relevant to the topic? Would it make more sense in a different outline linked to in the "allied sciences/fields" or "see also" section(s)?
• If I included this article, would I need to include subsidiary articles to explain its relevance?

Finally, whether in doubt or throughout, use common sense.

Assembling an hierarchy

A good way to start determining the hierarchy of outline article is by studying the topic's categories and subcategories.

Outline maintenance

Information may become out of date, and when it does it needs to be updated. For example, the population and area figures presented in the country outlines.

Wikipedia is constantly expanding, and as coverage on a subject expands, so too should its topic outline. For each topic outline, a search for articles on its subject should be conducted periodically, and links to topics added to the outline. If there are too many of a particular type of link, for example, the cities in a particular country, a link should be provided to a list of them rather than listing them all in the outline itself.

Special considerations

Countries or other geographic regions

In addition to starting or maintaining the article in the generally accepted style through Template:Topic outline country