Help:Introduction to the Manual of Style/3
The MoS
A vast resource
Article sections
Making articles readable
Images and refs
Enriching the text
Linking
Tying the encyclopedia together
Consistency
Final little things to think about
Summary
Review of what you've learned
Images should support the body of the article without overwhelming it, and references should be made for information that is controversial or likely to be challenged.
Images
Images are excellent for helping readers understand an article. You should add or replace images only if they are better than the existing ones or add to the article—they are there to support the text of the article. When creating and uploading an image, try to make sure it is high resolution, and in the appropriate file format.
Images should be spread evenly within the article, be relevant to the sections in which the images are located and include a caption that explains the image. Images are shown as small thumbnails and aligned to the right of the article by default to maintain visual coherence within the page. If necessary, other formats are possible, e.g. left-aligned, galleries, or panoramas.
Avoid stacking too many images within a short section, since they then overflow into the next section and can reduce readability (standard layout is aimed at a 1024×768 screen resolution).
- See also
Citing
- Don't use quotes much, if at all
- Use reliable sources of information
- Cite the sources that you're using
- Use existing reference style, with reference list at bottom of the article
Sources should be cited when adding material that is controversial or likely to be challenged, when quoting someone, when adding material to the biography of a living person, and when uploading an image. While you should try to format citations correctly, the important thing is to include enough information to identify the source, and others can improve the formatting if needed.
Just like with images, there is a default referencing style, however in some circumstances an alternative format is used (e.g. Parenthetical referencing in some history articles). When adding new references, use the same style as already used in the article or seek consensus on the talk page before changing it. Inline references that you insert into the article will automatically be added to the "References" section at the end of the article (which below the "See also" section and above the "External links" section).
- See also