Dragon Ball Encyclopedia:Manual of Style

The Manual of Style (MoS) is a style guide for articles on Dragon Ball Encyclopedia. Please read through the policy below to familiarize yourself with common practices and rules. If you have any questions, suggestions, or complaints then please post them on the talk page. Please do not introduce or alter guidelines on this page without consensus.

Article titles, headings, and sections

Article titles

• Titles are generally nouns or noun phrases (Saiyan-Tsufruian war, not About the Saiyan-Tsufruian war).
• Titles should not begin with "the", "a", or "an" unless the article is part of a proper noun. (Saiyan-Tsufruian war is preferable to The Saiyan-Tsufruian war. However, The End of Vegeta is appropriate, as "The" is part of that episode's name.)
• Article titles should be singular; category titles should be plural. For example, the article Saiyan (singular) belongs to the category Races (plural). If an article is about a plural subject, prefer calling it a list. (List of Dragon Ball episodes rather than Dragon Ball episodes.)
• The first letter in an article's title should be capitalized. The rest of the title should be lowercase unless it would be uppercase when written in a normal sentence. (Proper nouns are still capitalized, such as Tsufruian in Saiyan-Tsufruian war.)
• The titles of articles about individual characters should be the name by which the character was most commonly known, with later names preferred to earlier names and full names preferred to partial names or nicknames. Titles, such as military ranks or titles of nobility, should be omitted. (Vegeta instead of Prince Vegeta.) Exceptions may be made to this rule when a commonly used rank or title is used to distinguish a less prominent character from a major character who shares the same name. For example, Lord Piccolo or King Vegeta. In such cases, appropriate disambiguation links should be present on all the relevant articles. Titles may also be used when a character is most commonly referred to using that title. For example, Doctor Gero. See naming convention for the preferred sources of names.
• Articles about planets should use the planet's name as a title. Standard disambiguation procedure applies when the planet shares its name with another subject. (For example, an article about the planet Vegeta may be entitled Vegeta (planet) to disambiguate from other subjects that share that name.)

Section headings

• Capitalize the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns in headings, but leave the rest in lower case. (Saiyan-Tsufruian war instead of Saiyan-Tsufruian War.)
• Section names should not explicitly refer to the subject of the article, or to higher-level headings, unless doing so is shorter or clearer. For example, Early life is preferable to His early life when His means the subject of the article; headings can be assumed to be about the subject unless otherwise indicated.
• Headings provide an overview in the article's table of contents and should be nested appropriately. The article title is automatically H1, all other headings should be nested inside of it. (==H2==, followed by ===H3===, ====H4====, and so on.)

Linking to sections

• When linking to a section, as a courtesy, go to that article's section and leave an editor's note to remind others that the title is linked. List the names of the linking articles, so that if the title is altered, others can fix the links without having to perform exhaustive searches. For example:
  ===Imperfect Cell===<!--This section is linked by [[Dr. Gero]] and [[Android 17]]-->
• As well, consider a preemptive measure to minimize link corruption when the text of a heading changes by inserting an {{anchor}} with the old name with which to link to that heading section. For example:
  ===Imperfect form{{anchor | Imperfect Cell}}===<!--This section is linked by [[Dr. Gero]] and [[Android 17]]-->

Layout

All articles should conform to the following basic layout:

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Body
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Naturally, if a particular section is not applicable to an article, it need not be present, but sections that are applicable should follow the above ordering. The structure of the article's body depends on the nature of the article. The following sections describe the complete layouts of different article types. While this listing is not exhaustive, it should provide an adequate template for other articles to follow. (Note the general trend of description, followed by history, followed by miscellaneous, and in-universe sections followed by out-of-universe sections.)

In-universe

Characters

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Appearance
• Personality
• Biography
  • Series
  • Films
• Video games
• Transformations
• Techniques
• Fusions
• Major battles
• Voice actors
• Other media
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Places and objects

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Description
• History
  • Series
  • Films
• Video games
• Other media
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Techniques

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Description
• Usage
• Video games
• Other media
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Out-of-universe

People

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Description
• History
• Other work
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Episodes and manga chapters

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Summary
• Major events
• Major battles
• Quotes
• Cast
• Differences from the manga
• Edits
• Releases (e.g. DVDs)
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Sagas

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Summary
• Characters
• Major events
• Major battles
• Quotes
• Releases (e.g. DVDs)
• Episode list
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

References

Films

• Disambiguation
• Header templates and notifications
• Stub
• Quote
• Infobox
• Introduction
• Summary
• Characters
• Major events
• Major battles
• Quotes
• Canonicity
• Production
• Releases (e.g. DVDs)
• Cast
• Music
• Behind the scenes
• Trivia
• Notes
• References
• See also
• External links
• Categories

Canonicity

In in-universe sections, there are several sources of information that can be used. They are arranged in order of authoritativeness. If a more authoritative source directly conflicts with a less authoritative source, the more authoritative source is used and a separate side note should be made about the conflict. If a less authoritative source includes information that was absent in more authoritative sources, but does not directly conflict with those sources, that source is used and a note should be made about the omission in the more authoritative sources. The usable sources in order of authoritativeness are as follows:

1. The Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z manga
2. The Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Z Kai anime series.
3. Movies and TV Specials
4. Authorized guides and statements
   1. Statements by Akira Toriyama (author of the original manga series)
   2. Statements by Toei Animation (producer of the anime and author of Dragon Ball GT)
   3. Authorized guides (discussion may be required to gauge relative importance)
5. Video games

Note that this applies only to generic in-universe material, such as that found on most character, item, and location articles. If an article's subject is specific to a particular source, that source's information should take precedence (though conflicts and omissions from other sources should still be noted). For example, an article about an episode from the anime would describe the anime's account – even if it conflicted with the original manga's account – since anime episodes are specific to the anime series. Any conflicts or omissions between the two sources should be discussed in side notes.

Naming convention

The following order of preference is used for names referring to characters, techniques, locations, etc. The first name on the list should be used if available. If not, preference shifts to the second choice, the third choice, and so on. When a Japanese name must be used for a subject, it should be rendered in rōmaji.

1. English anime title
   1. FUNimation sub title
   2. FUNimation Kai dub title
   3. FUNimation/Ocean dub title
   4. Harmony Gold dub title
2. English manga title
   1. VIZ title
3. Official English video games
4. Official English authorized guides
5. Other Official English material
6. Japanese anime title (rōmaji)
7. Japanese manga title (rōmaji)
8. Official Japanese video games (rōmaji)
9. Official Japanese authorized guides (rōmaji)
10. Other Official Japanese material (rōmaji)

While the above convention is used for common article titles and references, a subject's own page may list all of that subject's alternative titles, including those rendered in Japanese characters.

Family connections

Within the family connections portion of character infoboxes, this basic structure should be applied. There should be the name of the character followed by the relation in parenthesis. Here is an example of the basic structure and order that should be used.

If there are family connections that are not applicable, such as an unknown mother, then relation should be skipped and order continued as followed. Other exceptions to the basic structure such as relation to Cell should be listed as (Modified clone) if applicable. (Creator) or (Creation) should also be included when applicable, such as with Doctor Gero. Teammates, Henchmen, or Leader should be listed as (Comrade, Henchman, or Leader) and placed below immediate family if any. Connections such as Great-grandparents should also be included and listed directly after Grandson or Granddaughter.

• (Alternate timeline counterpart (if applicable))
• (Father)
• (Mother)
• (Brother)
• (Sister)
• (Brother-in-law)
• (Sister-in-law)
• (Grandfather)
• (Grandmother)
• (Husband, Wife, or significant other)
• (Father-in-law)
• (Mother- in-law)
• (Son)
• (Daughter)
• (Son-in-law or Adoptive son)
• (Daughter-in-law or Adoptive daughter)
• (Grandson)
• (Granddaughter)
• (Cousin)
• (Mentor)
• (Student)
• (Fusee)

The appearance of alternate timeline counterpart characters calls for a specific order in which to approach editing. Editors should follow this basic structure.

• Main timeline character pages (ex. Son Goku): list alternate timeline self (ex. Future Son Goku), Future Trunks, Future Gohan, and Future Bulma if applicable (as they are main characters in the alternate timeline).

• Alternate timeline character pages with the exception of Future Trunks, Future Gohan, and Future Bulma (ex. Future Vegeta): list all alternate timeline family (ex. Future Bulma) and alternate timeline counterpart (ex. Vegeta).

• Alternate timeline Future Trunks, Future Son Gohan, and Future Bulma pages: list all alternate timeline family and all main timeline family.

• Connections between main timeline characters and alternate timeline characters should only be listed if the original connection existed before the events leading to the timelines' divergence.

Dates

The use of the official Age and Before Age should be used in correlation to any dates given.

• For example, Goku is born in 737 Age and Korin is born around 50 Before Age. If dates are repeated numerous times, dropping of Age or Before Age may be applicable, such as for example, the sentence, "Goku was born sometime in 737 Age. Twelve years later, in 749, he meets Bulma". This scenario is a prime example of when it is ample to drop the use of Age, as dates are repeated in proximity to each other. This change is not required, but is recommended.

Usage

Language

• Though the readers and editors of the Dragon Ball Encyclopedia speak many varieties of English, standard American English spelling, punctuation, and word usage is preferred. (Color, center and gray, not colour, centre and grey.)
• Slang and profanity are inappropriate unless they are part of a quote. Even then, it should be carefully gauged whether such a quote is really notable and necessary.

Abbreviations and acronyms

• When using acronyms, write out both the full version and the abbreviation at first occurrence. (One could write Red Ribbon Army (RRA) the first time that subject was used in an article, and then use RRA in subsequent references.)
• Avoid abbreviations when they would be confusing to the reader, interrupt the flow, or appear informal or lazy.

Formatting

• Titles of films, series, and books are italicized. (The World's Strongest, Daizenshu, Dragon Ball Z.)
• Titles of episodes, chapters, articles, and songs are enclosed in double quotes. ("Battle for the Universe Begins", "Separate Ways".)
• Strong emphasis that is not adequately conveyed by an article's wording may be italicized.
  • Bold or capitalized text should not be used to convey emphasis.
• Headings should use the aforementioned header tags, as opposed to bold text.
• Bold text is used when the subject of an article is introduced. (Son Goku is a character in the Dragon Ball metaseries created by Akira Toriyama and is the main protagonist in the Dragon Ball universe.) If other alternate English titles are also used to introduce the subject, they should be bold as well. (For example, an attack which has been referred to by two names might be introduced by multiple titles, all of which would be bold.)
  • Bold text should not be linked.
• Blank lines should be used primarily to separate sections and paragraphs, and they should not be used to align elements in an article. In the rare event that such alignment is necessary, it can be achieved with the {{-}} template. No further formatting is necessary to convey line breaks. Members are urged only to maintain one blank line in between each section and paragraph. It is strongly recommended that members refrain from adding line breaks throughout an article, as they are likely to be reverted and removed in order to maintain consistency and proper formatting.
• Any use of kanji should be marked up with the relevant template (both for consistency and so that the kanji is properly wrapped in a tag marking it as Japanese for browsers):

• • For Japanese (日本語, Nihongo) style of uses use, {{translation|Japanese|日本語|Nihongo}} in the form {{translation|English|Kanji|Rōmaji}}.
  • For "Nihongo" (日本語) style of uses use {{"jp"|Nihongo|日本語}} in the form {{"jp"|Rōmaji|Kanji}}.
  • For Nihongo (日本語) style of uses, use {{jp|Nihongo|日本語}} in the form {{jp|Rōmaji|Kanji}}.
  • For "Nihongo", 日本語; (Japanese) style of uses, use {{"jp",|Nihongo|日本語|Japanese}} in the form {{"jp",|Rōmaji|Kanji|English}}.
  • If you have a need to include Kanji raw on its own without anything else around it, use {{kana|日本語}} in the form {{kana|Kanji}}.

Verb tense

• In-universe articles should be written in past tense.
• Out-of-universe articles should be written in present tense.

Referring to episodes, films, and sagas

• Within an article, episodes, films, and manga chapters should be referred to by name, not by number.
• Preference for reference uncut material as opposed to edited material unless you are referring to something that was only present in edited material.
• When referring to a saga, refer to the specific minor saga. (Use Cell Games Saga, not Cell Saga.)
• References that cite an episode/chapter should include the episode/chapter's name, saga/volume, series, and number (using both edited and uncut numbering, where applicable).

Perspective

In-universe

In-universe articles are about subjects which exist within the Dragon Ball universe. hese include, but are not limited to, characters, techniques, objects, and places that are found in the series. In-universe articles should be written in in-universe style from the perspective of someone who lives in the Dragon Ball universe.

Out-of-universe

Out-of-universe articles are about subjects which pertain to the Dragon Ball franchise but do not exist inside the Dragon Ball universe. These include, but are not limited to, voice actors, Dragon Ball anime and manga series, and episodes and sagas. Out-of-universe articles should be written in out-of-universe style, from the perspective of someone who lives in the real world. Sections that summarize in-universe events (for example, summaries inside saga or episode articles) should be written in in-universe style (and in past tense), even if they exist within an out-of-universe article.

Images

• If possible, each article should include at least one image that appropriately presents its subject.
• Fan art of the series is not permitted on articles or in user space, though representation of one's self by means of Dragon Ball-themed images is permissible for avatars, signatures, or user descriptions.
• Animated images should not be used in articles, as they distract from encyclopedic content and can substantially increase page load times for users with slow internet connections.
• Preference for the PNG format for images. GIFs should not be used unless the image is a screenshot of a game with 256 colors or less. (Even then, PNG is preferable.)
• Images should be tagged with their license type.
• Images should preferably be at least 300 pixels wide to accommodate users who have thumbnails set to that width in their preferences.
• Absolute thumbnail sizes should not be specified in pixels unless there is a special reason to do so, as this overrides users' preferences.
• Subjects that appear in the Dragon Ball anime or manga series should not use video game screen captures as their primary images.
• Images should not be used excessively to the point that they crowd out and distract from the textual contents of an article.
• Screen captures from the anime should preferably be displayed in the aspect ratio in which they were originally presented. For example, a fullscreen (4:3) screen capture from the anime series is preferable to a cropped, widescreen (16:9) image.
• Explicit images should only be used when they convey something substantial and pertinent that cannot be adequately expressed in words. In such cases, the {{explicit}} template should be used to obscure the material from sensitive viewers.
• Filename extensions should be uploaded using lower case letters. For example, Image.png, not Image.PNG.
• Filenames should be as close to the image's subject as possible. For example, Kinto Un.png, not FlyingCloudImage33FromAnime.png.

Videos

• Like animated images, embedded videos should not be used in articles, as they distract from encyclopedic content and can substantially increase page load times for users with slow internet connections.
• Links to videos may be provided in an article's external links or references as long as they are pertinent to the article's subject, and as long as doing so does not violate copyright laws.

Fan works

Dragon Ball Encyclopedia is dedicated to official Dragon Ball material, and specific fan works are not discussed on its articles. If you are interested in contributing fan-made material to a wiki, there are a couple other projects on Wikia that may suit your needs:

• Dragon Ball Fanon Wiki
• Dragon Ball AF Fanon Wiki