Raleighpedia:What is an article

This page defines what topics qualify for standalone articles on Raleighpedia. It is intended to promote consistency, clarity, and long-term usefulness, while avoiding unnecessary fragmentation or editorial disputes.

Raleighpedia is a civic history and community encyclopedia focused on the Raleigh region. Articles should document public actions, institutions, and decisions that are durable, verifiable, and relevant to understanding the city’s development and governance.

This page addresses whether a topic merits its own article. Guidance on writing style, tone, and formatting is covered separately in Raleighpedia:Style Guide.

General principle

A topic qualifies for a standalone article if it meets all of the following conditions:

• It represents a distinct civic action, institution, policy, or historical subject;
• It is documented in reliable primary sources such as City Council minutes, adopted policies, official reports, or election records; and
• It has significance beyond a single meeting agenda item or transient discussion.

When in doubt, editors should favor consolidating material into broader articles rather than creating narrowly scoped standalone pages.

Topics that generally qualify for articles

Legislation, policies, and formal actions

The following typically warrant standalone articles:

• Voter-approved referenda and bonds
• Formally adopted City policies and ordinances
• Comprehensive plans, strategic plans, and master plans
• Long-running City programs with defined scope and funding
• Major amendments or replacements of prior policies

Examples:

• Affordable Housing Location Policy
• 2020 Raleigh Affordable Housing Bond Referendum
• Unified Development Ordinance

Government bodies and institutions

Standalone articles are appropriate for:

• City Council
• Major City departments
• Boards and commissions with ongoing statutory or charter authority
• Advisory committees that play a sustained and documented role in shaping policy

Short-lived task forces or advisory groups should generally be documented as sections within related policy or bond articles unless their work resulted in a major adopted action.

Elections and referenda

The following qualify for standalone articles:

• Municipal elections
• Ballot referenda
• Significant redistricting actions
• Changes to election structure or governance

Election result tables may be embedded within articles or summarized in list pages as appropriate.

Places and infrastructure

Articles may be created for:

• City-owned facilities
• Major infrastructure projects
• Parks, greenways, and civic buildings
• Historically significant sites

Routine capital projects should generally be documented within broader program or bond articles.

Topics that generally do not qualify

The following do not typically merit standalone articles:

• Individual City Council agenda items
• Single meeting presentations without resulting action
• Preliminary concepts not adopted or implemented
• Advocacy positions not reflected in formal City action
• Routine staff reports absent a policy decision

Such material may still be cited as sources or summarized within larger articles.

Multiple editions, versions, and updates

Many civic documents, plans, and programs exist in multiple editions over time. Raleighpedia documents these in a way that prioritizes clarity, continuity, and historical recordkeeping.

When a policy, plan, or program has multiple editions, the primary article should generally cover the current or most recently adopted version.

The main article should:

• describe the current version in detail;
• summarize the purpose and scope of the document; and
• briefly note prior editions and major revisions.

Example:

• Raleigh Comprehensive Plan should primarily describe the plan currently in effect.

Treatment of prior editions

Older editions may warrant their own standalone articles if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• They were formally adopted and governed City policy for a significant period;
• They represented a substantial shift in planning philosophy, regulatory approach, or City priorities; or
• They continue to be referenced in historical, legal, or policy discussions.

When separate articles are created for prior editions, they should be clearly titled using the adoption year.

Examples:

• Raleigh Comprehensive Plan (2030)
• Raleigh Comprehensive Plan (2009)

The main article should link to these pages in a dedicated “Previous editions” or “History” section.

When not to create separate articles

Minor amendments, routine updates, or technical revisions should not receive standalone articles.

Such changes should be documented within the main article, typically in a section describing:

• amendment history,
• update cycles, or
• implementation milestones.

Standalone articles should not be created for:

• draft plans;
• staff-recommended versions not adopted by Council; or
• interim updates that did not materially change policy direction.

Articles about people

Raleighpedia maintains strict boundaries on biographies to avoid becoming a directory or personnel record.

Who may have an article

Standalone articles about people are generally limited to:

• Elected officials (current and former)
• Mayors, council members, and charter officers
• Historically significant figures with a lasting impact on Raleigh
• Individuals whose actions are central to a major civic event or policy

These standards are informed by Wikipedia’s guidance on biographies of public figures (see wikipedia:Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons), adapted to a local civic context.

Who should not have an article

Standalone articles should generally not be created for:

• City staff, department directors, or employees solely by virtue of their position
• Advisory committee members
• Consultants, advocates, or developers appearing in the public record
• Individuals mentioned only in meeting participation or testimony

Staff members and other individuals should be referenced within articles only insofar as their roles are necessary to document a decision or policy outcome.

Living persons

Extra care should be taken when writing about living individuals:

• Content must be factual, neutral, and well-sourced
• Avoid interpretive language, motive attribution, or characterization
• Focus on official actions and roles, not personal background

When possible, biographical information should be minimal and context-driven rather than encyclopedic.

Article consolidation and scope decisions

When multiple closely related topics exist, editors should consider whether they are better handled as:

• sections within a single article,
• a timeline or list article, or
• a summary article with subpages.

Overly granular articles make it harder to understand civic processes and should be avoided.

Disputes and editorial judgment

Disagreements about whether a topic merits an article should be resolved by reference to this page and to the quality and durability of available sources.

If consensus cannot be reached, editors should err on the side of consolidation rather than expansion.

Related pages

• Raleighpedia:Style Guide
• Raleighpedia:Citations and sources (if created)
• Raleighpedia:Editorial principles (optional)