WikiIslam:Policies and Guidelines: Difference between revisions

==Content==

{{Main|WikiIslam:Scope and Article Relevance}}This article defines the scope of WikiIslam, to assist editors and volunteers in understanding the nature and limits of WikiIslam. The article relevance section of this article and the flowchart included therein give more detailed guidance as to how one can determine whether or not an article or a body of content have a home on WikiIslam.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Source Editing}}

Editors who are wondering how to create specific parts of an article should go here.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Writing Style Guide}}

Copying and pasting articles from other sites is not allowed. Nor is, for various reasons, copying and pasting articles from Wikipedia. However, there are some exceptions to this rule e.g. where a suitable Wikipedia article is going to be deleted or has been deleted. If something specific is being quoted from another site, it should be made clear that it is a quotation.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Citing, Linking, and Quoting}}All statements of facts, especially those that are likely to be challenged, must be referenced using inline citations. Naked URLs are not sufficient. What is being referenced should be easily identifiable without having to leave the page through an external link. Minimal information (if available) should include the URL, page title, author, publisher and the date of publication. Each link must also be archived to avoid link rot. When quoting from these sources, bold or italic emphasis may be added, but underlining and all-capitals should be avoided.

Although WikiIslam does not host original research, and is built upon citations of established works of scholarship and primary sources, it does consist of original content. As such, WikiIslam maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards the wholesale copying and pasting of content from other websites, whether they be Wikipedia or any other source in print or on the web. As such any editor who engages in this type of plagiarism will be subject to an immediate ban.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Structure}}The Structure of an article concerns the organization of sections and media. Better structure allows the reader to navigate the page easier and feels more intuitive. The structure should also seek to give maintain cohesiveness throughout the wiki. This aims to give the reader a better experience by using a predictable layout. WikiIslam employs an encyclopedic format for all articles. (e.g. [[72 Virgins]], [[The Qur'an]]). All articles can be adjusted to keep the flow and intuitive feel of the article but must be encyclopedic in nature.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Articles_or_Categories_for_Deletion}} Articles which meet the following criteria are subject to speedy deletion:

In addition, any article which fails to meet the criteria of our {{Main|WikiIslam:Scope and Article Relevance}} document is subject to deletion.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Reliable Sources}}

WikiIslam articles should be based on reliable, published sources. References that are cited must explicitly support any claims being made. There are three types of sources:

Primary sources are original materials, an artifact, a document, a recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study. In an article about a book it would be the book itself. In the case of a person, it would be the subject themselves. WikiIslam's analysis of Islam is based on its own sources (the Qur'an, hadith and Islamic scholars) as well as secondary scholarly sources (e.g. Shahab Ahmed's ''Before Orthodoxy'', published by Harvard University Press).  

Use of primary sources is not limited and they should be freely used in articles. However, only published and recognized translations of primary sources are to be used, and they must be quoted exactly as they appear in the cited reference.  

Secondary sources are documents or recordings that relate or discuss information originally presented elsewhere. For example, a statement by a scholar about a certain battle in the history of Islam would be a secondary source. News articles that report on a development or an incident are also secondary sources. Statements of fact concerning Islam from polemic sources such as books, articles or commentaries by individuals such as Robert Spencer, Pamela Gellar, Mark A. Gabriel etc. are not to be used under any circumstances as references on WikiIslam. If editors come across any such statements, they must remove them immediately.

Secondary sources referenced on WikiIslam should be published by reliable academic presses and journals.

Tertiary sources are sources that rely upon primary and secondary sources. Unlike secondary sources, they attempt to provide a broad introductory overview of a topic. ''The New Encyclopedia of Islam'' would be an example. They may be used as well. There are a [http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref32.00.00/ variety of encyclopedias].

==Interactions==

{{Main|WikiIslam:User Names and Pages}}

Userpages should not be used as placeholders or homes for articles and essays. Personal email addresses should also not be displayed. Active editors with over 50 constructive edits are permitted to post links. However, these should also be chosen appropriately and they should try to keep the number of links within 10.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Talk Pages}}

===Contributions===

{{Main|WikiIslam:Pending Changes Protection}}

When a user makes contributions that need corrections or cleanup by another editor, these issues should be explained to them on their talk page. If their contributions continue to suffer from the same issues after being corrected two or three times and having the matter explained to them, editors should then revert their future edits, ask them to see their talk page (in the edit summary) and consult with other editors and administrators.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Assume Good Faith}}

Assuming good faith is the assumption that a user's edits and comments are made in good faith. This guideline does not prohibit discussion and criticism. Rather, editors should not attribute the actions being criticized to malice unless there is specific evidence of malice or obvious vandalism. If an editor wishes to express doubts about the conduct of another user, they should substantiate those doubts with specific diffs and other relevant evidence, so that people can understand the basis for their concerns. WikiIslam administrators and other experienced editors involved in dispute resolution will usually be glad to help, and are very capable of identifying policy-breaching conduct if their attention is drawn to clear and specific evidence.

{{Main|WikiIslam:Blocking_Policy}}

That is not to say that you will not find valuable and accurate information in WikiIslam; much of the time you will. However, WikiIslam cannot guarantee the validity of the information found here. The content of any given article may recently have been changed, vandalized or altered by someone whose opinion does not correspond with the state of knowledge in the relevant fields.

*[[WikiIslam:Frequently Asked Questions]]

*[[WikiIslam:About]]

To contact WikiIslam concerning general help or inquiries, a message can be left on the relevant [[WikiIslam:Discussions|Discussions]] page. For copyright issues, click [[WikiIslam:Copyright Issues|here]]. And for other important issues or to request an account, click [[WikiIslam:Contact Us|here]].

[[Category:Policies and Guidelines]]