Editing Raleighpedia:Style guide

While Raleighpedia is designed to be a community resource, the content on the site should conform to a shared style. Unless otherwise specified below, use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style Wikipedia's style guide.]

==Citations==
=== Repeated references ===
Raleighpedia favors clear, consistent citations over dense or repetitive footnoting.

When the same source supports multiple statements, editors should use named references and reuse them rather than repeating identical citations. This follows standard MediaWiki practice and improves readability.

Example:
<pre>
&lt;ref name="Meeting Minutes"&gt;...&lt;/ref&gt;
</pre>

Subsequent uses:
<pre>
&lt;ref name="Meeting Minutes" /&gt;
</pre>

Citations should generally be placed at the paragraph level when a paragraph clearly summarizes a single source or document. Sentence-level citations are appropriate when multiple sources are used within the same paragraph or when precise attribution is required.

=== Citation templates ===
Raleighpedia uses standardized citation templates to ensure consistency across articles. Templates such as <code>Template:Cite minutes</code>, <code>Template:Cite govdoc</code>, and <code>Template:Cite web</code> should be used wherever applicable.

Citation templates should be:
* defined centrally in the Template namespace;
* documented on their own template pages; and
* reused consistently across the site.

Editors should not create ad hoc citation formatting within articles. If an existing template does not fit a new source type, the preferred approach is to create or extend a template rather than formatting citations manually.

== Naming conventions and capitalization ==

===Individuals===
Editors should use commonly recognized names when naming articles, and if needed, note full or alternative names in the article introduction.

* Mahatma Gandhi (not: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)
* Bill Clinton (not: William Jefferson Clinton)
* J. R. R. Tolkien (not: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien) 

''See: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Article_titles#Use_commonly_recognizable_names Wikipedia:Article titles]''

=== City vs. city ===
Use '''“City of Raleigh”''' when referring to the municipal government as an organization or legal entity.

Example:
* “The City adopted the policy in 2015.”

Use '''“the city”''' (lowercase) when referring to Raleigh as a geographic place or community.

Example:
* “The policy applies throughout the city.”

This convention follows common usage in municipal documents and helps avoid ambiguity.

=== Committees, boards, and policies ===
Use full, official names on first reference, with abbreviations if needed thereafter.

Example:
* “Affordable Housing Bond Advisory Committee (AHBAC)”

Capitalize the names of formally adopted policies, boards, and committees.

Example:
* “Affordable Housing Location Policy”

Do not capitalize informal or descriptive references.

Example:
* “the housing bond committee” when not referring to the formal name.

=== Dates and titles ===
Use specific dates where available.

Example:
* “At the May 19, 2020 City Council meeting…”

Avoid relative phrasing such as “recently,” “at the time,” or “in the past.”

In article titles, put the year at the end in parentheses. 

Example:
* [[Raleigh Parks Bond Referendum (2022)]]

== Tone and interpretation ==
Raleighpedia articles should be descriptive rather than interpretive. Articles should document what occurred, when it occurred, and what decisions were made, using the language of the record wherever possible.

Avoid verbs or phrases that imply judgment or narrative framing, such as “marked a turning point,” “signaled a shift,” or “set the stage,” unless such language is explicitly used in a cited source.

== Use of AI, citations, and naming conventions ==

=== Use of AI-assisted writing ===
Raleighpedia does not prohibit the use of AI tools to assist with research, drafting, or formatting. However, AI tools should be treated as writing assistants, not as sources or authors.

All content published on Raleighpedia is expected to meet the same standards regardless of how it was drafted. Content must be factually accurate, verifiable using reliable sources, neutral in tone, and grounded in documented records.

Editors are responsible for reviewing, editing, and verifying any AI-assisted text before publication. Unedited or lightly edited AI output should not be pasted directly into articles.

Editors may find Wikipedia’s guidance useful when evaluating AI-generated prose, particularly [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing|Signs of AI writing]]. Common issues include overly generic phrasing, vague summaries not tied to specific documents, fabricated or imprecise citations, and excessive repetition without documentary grounding.

Appropriate uses of AI tools include:
* summarizing long documents after they have been reviewed by the editor;
* drafting neutral descriptive prose from meeting minutes, reports, or memoranda;
* assisting with formatting tables, timelines, or citations; and
* checking consistency of names, dates, or terminology across an article.

AI tools should not be relied upon to:
* invent narrative structure not supported by sources;
* infer intent or motivation beyond what is stated in the record; or
* generate citations that have not been independently verified by the editor.