Wikipedia:GLAM/University of Toronto Libraries/Resources/MOS checklist

This MOS checklist is adapted from the 27 Sep 2021 version of Wikipedia:Manual of Style, the style manual for all English Wikipedia articles.

Here, you will find a summary list of guidelines on common editing features. For detailed guidelines, please use the sidebar (on the right) and provided links to reference the appropriate page in full.

Rules of thumb

• Be clear, precise, and concise. Avoid jargon and vague phrasing. When technical terms are unavoidable, at least explain them with sources.
• Maintain an impartial and instructional tone, and avoid the use of editorial or persuasive voice.
• Aim for stylistic consistency within each article.
• When reproducing names, titles of works, or quotes, preserve original stylistic conventions.
• Sometimes, more than one style is considered acceptable in an article. In such cases, please do not change an article from one style to another "unless there is some substantial reason for the change."

Checklists

Formatting

What	How	Example
Titles and headings (MOS:AT)	Use sentence case. Capitalise only the first letter and all proper names.	"Funding of UNESCO projects" instead of "Funding of UNESCO Projects"
	For English-language works (books, films, poems, songs, etc.), or the English-language portions of those titles, use title case.	nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up
Citation placement (MOS:PF)	Cite after punctuation. If multiple sentences use the same source, cite after the final consecutive sentence.	Flightless birds have a reduced keel, and they also have smaller wing bones than flying birds of similar size.
Spelling (MOS:ARTCON)	Write titles/quotes as given in the source. For proper names, use the subject's own spelling.	joint project of the United States Department of Defense and the Australian Defence Force International Labour Organization
	Overall, keep spelling consistent within the same article.
Quotes (MOS:QUOTE; MOS:QUOTEPOV)	Use quotes only when they add value beyond what can be paraphrased. Do not overuse.	The women of high Chinese society also followed these codified practices, and used silk in their garments alongside the addition of countless decorative motifs. A 17th century work, Jin Ping Mei, gives a description of one such motif: Golden lotus having a quilted backgammon pattern, double-folded, adorned with savage geese pecking at a landscape of flowers and roses; the dress' right figure had a floral border with buttons in the form of bees or chrysanthemums.
	Quotes may be used, with attribution, to present emotive opinions that cannot be expressed in Wikipedia's instructional voice. Concise opinions can be reported directly without quotes. Opinional quote use does not apply to cultural norms, which should not be presented as opinional.	Acceptable: Siskel and Ebert called the film interesting. Acceptable: Siskel and Ebert called the film "unforgettable". Unacceptable: The site is considered "sacred" by the religion's scriptures.
	If adding a foreign language quote, ideally supply a modern translation.
Date and time (MOS:DATE)	Keep date format consistent through the article.	On 24 October 2018, [...] In June 2020, [...] Between May and July 2021, [...].
	Use standardised references to time, if possible. Vague and/or relative references can vary across contexts and become outdated.	Seasonal references are different across Southern and Northern hemispheres. Avoid traditionally, 15 years ago, to date, presently, now, soon, recently

Vocabulary and phrasing

What	How	Example
Tone (MOS:NOTE	Keep the tone impartial and instructional. Avoid phrases that "break the fourth wall" or insert the editor's personal judgment.	Avoid rhetorical questions, "note that", "obviously", "awesome", "unbelievable", etc.
Tense (MOS:TENSE)	Write articles in the present tense. Avoid past tense except for past events, subjects that are dead or no longer meaningfully exist, or periodicals and similar written material that are no longer being produced.	Barack Obama is a former president of the United States. The Beatles were an English rock band that formed in Liverpool in 1960. Earth: Final Conflict is a Canadian science fiction television series that ran for five seasons between October 6, 1997, and May 20, 2002. Dún Aonghasa is the ruin of a prehistoric Irish cliff fort. Its original shape was presumably oval or D-shaped, but parts of the cliff and fort have since collapsed into the sea.
Gender (MOS:GNL; MOS:GID)	Make generic references gender-neutral. This does not apply to situations where gender-neutral language will confuse the reader.	In basketball, players start by taking their positions. A pilot must keep the (vs 'his') spacepod under control at all times. The pregnant woman refused to be examined by a male nurse, but accepted help from a female nurse.
	For specific references, use pronouns that reflect the subject's most recent ID.	Elliot Page is a Canadian actor and producer. He has received various accolades.
Group/cultural identity (MOS:ID)	Be specific and avoid vague, stereotyping ID	Acceptable: Marinera is dance that originated along the coastal regions of Peru, as a blend of Andean zamacueca and Spanish contradanza. Unacceptable: Marinera is a blended Latin American dance.
	Where there is a discrepancy between a group's preferred term and a reliable source, use what is most commonly used by reliable sources when this is clear. Use the preferred term when this is unclear.
Words to watch (MOS:WTW)	Use sources and factual statements to demonstrate a subject's importance. There is no need to rely on value-laden words (see below).	Acceptable: Bob Dylan was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, in which he was called "master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation". By the mid-1970s, his songs had been covered by hundreds of other artists. Unacceptable: Bob Dylan is the defining figure of the 1960s counterculture and a brilliant songwriter.
	Avoid "peacock terms", or positively loaded words that promote the subject of an article. Use sources and factual statements to demonstrate a subject's importance.	iconic, visionary, innovative, revolutionary, virtuoso
	Avoid negatively loaded labels unless widely used by reliable sources to describe the subject. In the latter case, attribute the use of the label and establish context for any formal use of the term.	cult, fundamentalist, heretic, neo-Nazi, -gate, pseudo-
	Avoid weasel words which vaguely dress a statement with authority, without basis. Some such statements may be acceptable in the lead section of an article (which summarises content in the body of the article) when they accurately represent the overall opinions of reliable sources.	some people say, many scholars state, it is considered, experts declare, it is widely thought, scientists claim
	Avoid persuasive writing. The editor should not impose an interpretation of a story.	actually, indeed, tragically, arguably, interestingly, it should be noted
	Repetition is not a problem. Avoid distorting meaning with synonyms in an attempt to avoid repeating words.	Clear and preferred: said, stated, described, wrote, commented, according to Synonyms to watch: reveal, point out, expose, explain, insist, confess, surmise