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| It is the policy of Misplaced Pages to only put in ONE instance of an internal Wikilinki per article, unless there is a list or table. So, you adding additional Wikilinki's in an article are NOT needed, as not to overlink. ] 03:13, 25 September 2007 (UTC) | |||
| ==Internal links== | |||
| Items in Misplaced Pages articles can be linked to other Misplaced Pages articles that provide information that significantly adds to readers' understanding of the topic. This can be done directly ("<code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>", which results in "]"), or through a ''piped link'' ("<code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>", which results in "]" in the text, but still links to the article "]"). | |||
| Internal links add to the cohesion and utility of Misplaced Pages by allowing readers to deepen their understanding of a topic by conveniently accessing other articles. These links should be included where it is most likely that readers might want to use them; for example, in article leads, the beginnings of new sections, table cells, and image captions. <!--Suggest the next statement be removed, since repeated links are a contentious issue.-->Generally, where it is likely that a reader may wish to read about another topic, the reader should not have to hunt for a link elsewhere in the page. | |||
| Do not link items in the ]. | |||
| ===Overlinking and underlinking: what's the best ratio?===<!-- This section is linked from ] --> | |||
| On the other hand, do not make too many links. An article may be considered ] if any of the following is true: | |||
| * More than 10% of the words are contained in links; | |||
| * There are links to articles that are not likely to exist or if they did would have little significance in the context of the article; | |||
| * Low added-value items are linked without reason — such as, ], ], and ] (this excludes special date formatting, see ]); | |||
| * Two links are next to each other in the text, so that it looks like one link — such as ] ]; | |||
| * A ] for any single term is excessively repeated in the same article, as in the example of overlinking that follows: "Excessive" is more than once for the same term, in a line or a paragraph, because in this case one or more duplicate ]s will almost certainly appear needlessly on the viewer's screen. Remember, the purpose of ]s is to direct the reader to a new spot at the point(s) where the reader is most likely to take a temporary detour due to needing more information; | |||
| * However, note that duplicating an important link distant from a previous occurrence in an article may well be appropriate (but see the exception about dates, ]). Good places for link duplication are often the first time the term occurs in each article subsection. Thus, if an important technical term appears many times in a long article, but is only linked once at the very beginning of the article, it may actually be underlinked. But take care in fixing such problems. If an editor finds themselves "reflexively" linking a term without having a good look around the entire article, it is often time to stop and reconsider. | |||
| These guidelines also apply to tables, considered by themselves. | |||
| === Form === | |||
| Links that follow the Misplaced Pages ] are much more likely to lead to existing articles. When there is not yet an article about that subject, good links will make the creation of a correctly named article much easier for later writers. | |||
| It is possible to ] that are not exactly the same as the linked article title — for example, <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>. However, make sure that it is still clear what the link refers to without having to follow the link. | |||
| When forming plurals, do so thus: <code><nowiki>]s</nowiki></code>. This is clearer to read in wiki form than<code><nowiki> ]</nowiki></code> — and easier to type. This syntax is also applicable to adjective constructs such as <code><nowiki>]n</nowiki></code> and the like. Hyphens and apostrophes must be included in the link to show as part of the same word. For example <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code> or <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>. Keeping possessive apostrophes inside the link, where possible, makes for more readable text and source, though either form is acceptable for possessive forms of links such as <code><nowiki>]'s</nowiki></code> or <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>. | |||
| === Context === | |||
| {{Main|Misplaced Pages:Only make links that are relevant to the context}} | |||
| As the ] says, "". Link an existing word or phrase in context. | |||
| While editing, use preview to check a link, and follow it by opening the page in another window. If that title doesn't seem to exist, do a quick search to find out whether that is really the case. The article may have a differently worded title, or the subject may be included in a separate section of an existing article. | |||
| Links should use the most precise target that arises in the context, even where that is merely a simple redirect to a less specific page title. Don't use a ] to avoid otherwise legitimate redirect targets that fit well within the scope of the text. This assists in determining when a significant number of references to redirected links warrant more detailed articles. | |||
| For example, link to "]" rather than "] engine". | |||
| Automated processes should not replace or pipe links to redirects. Instead, the link should always be examined in context. | |||
| (For more information, see | |||
| ], | |||
| ], and | |||
| ].) | |||
| === Dates and numbers === | |||
| {{Main|Misplaced Pages:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)}} | |||
| Where a date contains day, month, and year — <code><nowiki> ] ]</nowiki></code> — or day and month — <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code> — a link will permit the ] of the reader to operate. Day, month, and year must all be linked for the preference to work fully. | |||
| Preferences and, in some cases, editorial freedom regarding the linking of dates are discussed in ]. | |||
| === Capitalisation === | |||
| There is currently no rule prescribing whether one should write "See also ]" or "See also ]" (and similar with a bulleted list), but in the case of multiple links, be consistent. Note that linking does not force use of a capital letter, if you don't desire one in the interest of readability. | |||
| === Quotation === | |||
| {{disputedtag|section=yes|talk=links in quotations}} | |||
| In general, do not include links in quotations; links can alter the form or emphasis of the original. Dates should never be linked in quoted material, because this will cause the quotation to be altered according to ]. | |||