Baccano! Wiki:Manual of Style

The following manual serves as a guide to the general standards of formatting that are used and expected across the wiki. By writing in a consistent style, editors can ensure that the wiki maintains a cohesive, uniform tone conducive to any reference encyclopedia.

Always Remember:

 * Any earnest contributions to the wiki are always appreciated.
 * Earnest contributions, while appreciated, are still subject to revision from other editors if the style is inconsistent with the guidelines in the Manual or otherwise in need of improvement. Revisions to an editor's contribution should be taken as opportunities to learn, assuming that the revisions are consistent with the Manual of Style and are of general good quality.
 * Editors unaware of the Manual of the Style should be linked to it; once aware of the Manual, they should strive to follow it.
 * All suggestions and concerns with the Manual of Style are welcome, and should be expressed on its Talk Page.

Language

 * Spelling: This is the English edition of the Baccano! Wiki, and all contributions must be in English. The Visual Editor does not include spell check, so it is recommended that you either use the Source Editor to check spelling or write your contribution in a program with spell check and copy the content into the course editor.
 * Sentence Flow: Natural sentence flow is achieved through proper grammar and judicious punctuation. Run-on sentences and short, fragmentary sentences are the extreme results of too little and too much punctuation, and both are to be avoided. Some issues editors may struggle with are excessive comma use and sentence rhythm, which if not varied may result in a paragraph that comes across as stilted. Note that 'natural' does not refer to or include overly casual language or slang.
 *  'Vulgar' language: Given that many characters in the Baccano! light novels use vulgar language, articles may use offensive words in their proper context, uncensored. Most of the time, 'proper context' is when a character is quoted directly.

Perspective

 * Tense: The majority of articles are written in present tense on the Baccano! Wiki, with past tense strongly discouraged. Never switch tenses mid-paragraph.
 * Point of View: Edits should be written solely in neutral third person. First person ("I") and second person ("you") are not acceptable, nor is inserting one's own personal opinions into an article. Examples of personal opinions include "Ladd is the worst character" and "Chané, the most gorgeous woman in the series [...]". For guidelines on speculation and non-canon' content, see the "Article Content" section below.

In-Universe Names

 * The Baccano! Wiki was created in 2009, years before Yen Press announced their licensing of the light novels in 2015, and thus relied on Japanese-speaking fans for the names of novel-only characters and locations. The wiki has thus far updated to reflect the Yen Press spelling of names where they differ from the fan-translation names, and will continue to do so with every new release. 'Updated' in this case means 'renaming pages' and replacing names with their new versions across articles. Editors should not use the retired spellings when writing content, and should update outdated names when spotted in any article.
 * The only character exception to the Yen Press treatment thus far has been Denkurō Tōgō, whose name is spelled "Denkurou Tougou" in the novels. Both spellings are legitimate romanizations and there is no meaningful difference between the spellings.
 * Examples of outdated names and their Yen Press replacements include: "Ronnie Sukiart" and "Ronnie Schiatto" must both become "Ronny Schiatto," "Chane Laforet" becomes "Chané Laforet," and "Phil" becomes "Fil."
 * This rule also applies cross-media. The light novels' spelling takes precedence in cases where a name is spelled differently in other related media. For instance, the title of Episode 07 of the 2007 anime adaptation spells the name of the alchemists' ship as Advenna Avis, while the Yen Press translation uses Advena Avis. The wiki therefore uses the latter spelling in all circumstances with the exception of Episode 07's title. See "Valid Sources" below.

Novel and Chapter Titles

 * Like character names, the titles of light novels and chapters should be updated to reflect the Yen Press translation where different. The most common required change on the wiki is the removal of the colon from the novel titles, which the Yen Press titles do not use.

Valid Sources

 * The light novels are the ultimate source used on the wiki, and deferred to always before anything else. Do not use material from the 2007 anime adaptation when contributing text to a character's main chronology section. All the media listed in the category page are valid and referenceable insofar as they are confirmed or referenced in the light novels. For instance:
 * Rosetta and Jacques-Rosé Boronial from the 2006 manga are validated because they are referenced in the novels by name;
 * Donatello and the "1927 arc" from the 2015 manga are considered 'canon' (see below) because they are referenced in 1935-D: Luckstreet Boys;
 * The events of the second Drama CD are considered 'canon' because Elita is referenced in the novels.
 * The 2007 anime adaptation is not permissible as reference material for major chronology edits due to multiple scenes directly contradicting the light novels. However, screenshots are permissible as embedded images. See Image Policy for more details.
 * The concept of 'canon': Content on the wiki is 'canon' by default because it is based on verifiable facts. 'Non-canon' material, which includes personal opinions, theories, speculation, and fanart or fanfiction, is not acceptable in articles and will be automatically removed.

Article Formatting and Other Tips

 * Article Creation: When creating an article, editors should follow the formatting precedent that other articles in relevant categories have set. "Formatting precedent" includes section order and
 * Articles in the Characters Category, for instance, typically have the following section order below the introductory paragraph(s): Appearance [IF APL]; Personality; Chronology; Abilities [IF APL]; Relationships [IF APL]; Trivia; Gallery; References.
 * [IF APL] Include these sections only if applicable or relevant.
 * Add Categories: Always remember to categorize the new article once finished. Categories can be added after publication at the bottom of the article, or in the Editor before publication.
 * Temporal Emphasis: The story of Baccano! is one that spans centuries, its arcs temporally distinguished and presented in a nonlinear fashion. Establishing a clear chronology is therefore essential when documenting Baccano! 's contents, and the wiki emphasizes years and months in articles by bolding them.


 * Links: Linking to internal articles is fundamental to any online reference encyclopedia, but there is no need to link to the same internal article every time the pertinent topic is brought up on a single page. Linking to the relevant internal article the first time a topic is mentioned on a page is generally sufficient.