Listoscope:Writing an article
From Listoscope: Lists, Top 10s, Top 100s and more
Contents |
Thank you for reading this short guide to writing a Listoscope article
Creating or editing a Listoscope article is not difficult, and aside from the information contained on this page and in the help section, the best way to learn is to copy formatting from other pages you like on the site.
Before creating a page
Before you create a new article, please make sure that:
1. You have read this page and the About Listoscope page
2. The same list does not already appear on the site (browse the site here or type keywords into the search bar above)
3. You have browsed other articles on the site to get a feel for the style/layout of article pages
4. You are able to verify all the information you wish to post using reliable sources
5. The work you are submitting is not copyrighted (see below)
Page layout
In its basic form, each Listoscope article contains four sections:
"List name" - Without a list, there is no article. Lists can be of any length and cover any topic.
Comments – Additional facts or points of interest concerning the list in question.
References – Notes on and links to all the source materials used in the compilation of the article.
External links – Links to other resources relating to the page content, such as websites, books, articles etc.
All articles should also be categorised according to the subject matter they cover. Click here to learn how to do this and here for an overview of Listoscope categories.
Adding images
It is very easy to add an image to a Listoscope article.
First of all, upload your file by clicking on the footer tab at the bottom of this page (you must be logged on to do this). Uploading a file creates a page on the site dedicated to it - please edit this page to show:
- The author and immediate source of the image
- The copyright status of the image
- General descriptive details
It is courteous to acknowledge the author of a file even if they have explicitly allowed it to be copied and distributed.
Secondly, refer to the Help:Images page for details on how to add an image to an article.
Please make sure that you have permission to use the image you wish to add. Wikimedia Commons is a great resource for images, containing millions of free-to-use media files to suit almost any theme. Listoscope strongly recommends that editors use either copylefted images (ie. images whose author explicitly permits their distribution and re-use, even in a commercial context) or images they themselves have created.
Writing references
Because Listoscope aims to be both lawful and verifiable, any article or image for which no reference is provided will be deleted.
About copyright
Listoscope encourages all editors to read the Listoscope:Copyright page on this site, which provides a detailed guide to copyright issues. Editors are advised that copyright laws vary between countries and that they should always respect the laws of the country (1) in which they reside, and (2) in which the material they wish to post was originally published.
However, Listoscope also encourages editors to bear the following summary in mind and use their common sense:
A fact cannot be copyrighted - Nobody can "own" an indisputable fact. For example, the fact that Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world could never be copyrighted and this information can be openly shared in the public domain. Likewise, a list of US presidents could never be subject to copyright, because this information is freely available and requires no amount of original or creative research to unearth.
A list of facts which has been creatively compiled can be copyrighted – A list of unusual, entertaining or hard-to-find facts, such as those you might see in a book or research article, might very well be subject to copyright on the grounds that it is a work of original research. Please do not post such a list on Listoscope unless you have explicit and verifiable permission to do so.
Any list you have to pay for to access (online or elsewhere) is almost definitely copyrighted - Please do not post such a list on this site.
Just use your common sense - if you feel like you’re stealing you probably are! In any case, Listoscope encourages editors to be creative and compile their own lists!
Golden rules for Listoscope contributors
1. Respect the work of fellow Listoscope editors
2. Be impartial and transparent about what you do or don’t know
3. Base your work on verifiable fact and always give credit where it's due
