 | This page documents one of Memory Alpha's guidelines. |
Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. |
What a perfect article is
The perfect Memory Alpha article...
- ...begins with a clear definition of the article's subject. The article needs to explicitly describe the topic in clear and succinct language that gives the reader a clear idea of what the rest of the article will cover. The definition is often an introduction to the subject.
- ...uses simple and unambiguous language. Although Memory Alpha is primarily intended for other Star Trek fans, it should also be readily accessible for non-fans. This means that jargon should be explained, and the context should be established, to make the setting and background abundantly clear for all readers.
- ...is long. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but long articles are considered better because they can cover the given topic much more thoroughly. This may not be possible for all articles, of course, because information may not be available for all aspects of the subject. However, where such information is available, it should always be included.
- ...is well-documented. It's crucial to document references to individual episodes, as well as cite other sources that may be referred to in the course of the article. Illustrative images and audio files also prove the existence, context, and content stated in the body of the article.
- ...is well-written. This almost always means that the article has gone through many, many revisions to fix small grammar and spelling mistakes, to remove vague language, and to reorganize the text for a more logical progression. Often, the later revisions of the article have very little (if any) resemblance to the original submission.
- ...is well-structured. The article should begin with a clear introduction, and follow a logical progression of descriptions to thoroughly cover all aspects of the subject. Sections should almost always be used to divide the material into appropriate parts.
- ...includes contributions from many members. The best articles contain knowledge that has been submitted by a wide range of fans from all across the world, with different perspectives on the material.
- ...is written in an interesting, engaging style. Long, rambling sentences should be avoided – the goal of every article is to inform and entertain the reader.
- ...does not exist.
Although these guidelines are useful in helping to define what the perfect article is, we also realize that it is very hard to meet these standards. Remember that perfection is not required – we'd much rather have a large number of good articles than just a few perfect articles. It takes a long time to refine and revise any article towards perfection. Spend more time writing good articles, and just keep the ideals of the perfect article in the back of your mind as you contribute.
Room for improvement
Even if a page seems to be perfect, it is most likely not, or at least will not be forever. Some sharp-eyed archivists may notice a nuance or appearance that you missed. A new Star Trek production may add new details to previously-mentioned subjects (and may have you to thank for noticing and documenting them here originally). Additional images may more effectively illustrate the subject matter, or prove the veracity of an article's claims. A more recent interview with those involved might shed additional light on the genesis of an idea, or a production member's opinion on a subject.
Alternatively, there might simply be better options for communicating a page's message than its current iteration, whether it's a matter of word choice, the format the information is presented in (e.g. a table instead of a list, a template rather than a paragraph), or the way the article is structured (e.g. separate sections focusing on a character's relationships with other characters, in addition to a chronological account of their overall history). Memory Alpha is constantly in flux, and the wiki is hopefully becoming better for it.