Help:Introduction to the Manual of Style/2: Difference between revisions

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<noinclude>{{pp-protected|reason=This help page doesn't need to be edited by brand new users|small=yes}}</noinclude>{{intro to|

{{intro to|

[[File:Wikipedia layout sample mediumlarge.png|thumbframeless|uprightborder|right|300px|alt=An article with a table of contents block and an image near the start, then several sections|Sample article layout (click on image for larger view).]]

{{nutshell|StartAn article should start with a simple summary of the topic, then lead the reader into more detail, breaking up the text into manageable sections with logical headings.}}

===The lead===

[[File:Wikipedia layout sample medium.png|thumb|upright|alt=An article with a table of contents block and an image near the start, then several sections|Sample article layout (click on image for larger view).]]

The [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section|lead section]] is the very first part of an article, appearing before the table of contents and any headings. The first sentence of the lead typically contains a concise definition and establishes the topic's notability. The rest of the lead should introduce the article's context and summarise its key points.

The lead section should be ableone to four paragraphs long and stand alone as a concise overview of the article. It should define the topic, establish context, explain why the subject is interesting or notable, and summarize the most important points—including any notable controversies. The emphasis given to materialeach statement in the lead should roughly reflect its relative importance to the topic, and the notability of the article's subject should usually be established in the first sentence. The lead should contain no more than four paragraphs,Statements should be carefully sourced if covering material not sourced elsewhere in the article, and should be written in a clear, accessible style to inspireencourage a reading of the full article. AsThe rest of the article progresses the's prose canwill go into moregive detail for thosereaders who needwant more itinformation.

{{nutshell|Start simple, then lead the reader into more detail, breaking up the text into manageable sections with logical headings.}}

===Sections and headings===

Layout:

Articles [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout|are organised into sections and subsections]], each with a short heading that will automatically appear in the table of contents. In general, sections that are one to four paragraphs long are the most readable.

Headings normally omit an initial "the" or "a", and avoid repeating the title of the article. Typically only the first word in a heading is capitalised ([[sentence case]]).

Lead

* First sentence, paragraph, section

Heading 1 (=Headingis 1=)the article's title and is automatically generated. asThe thesection titleheadings ofin the article. Sections headings start at the second level (<nowiki>==Heading 2==</nowiki>), with subsections at the third level (<nowiki>===Heading 3===</nowiki>), and so on. Sections should be consecutive, such that they do not skip levels from sections to sub-subsections; the exact methodology is deferred to WP:ACCESS(e. Sections should be separated byg., a singlefourth-level blanksubsection lineheading toimmediately avoidafter tooa muchsecond-level white space in the articleheading).

The lead section is the very first part of an article, appearing before any table of contents and headings. The lead serves both as an introduction to the article and as a summary of the important aspects of its subject.

The lead should be able to stand alone as a concise overview of the article. It should define the topic, establish context, explain why the subject is interesting or notable, and summarize the most important points—including any notable controversies. The emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic, and the notability of the article's subject should usually be established in the first sentence. The lead should contain no more than four paragraphs, should be carefully sourced if covering material not sourced elsewhere in the article, and should be written in a clear, accessible style to inspire a reading of the full article. As the article progresses the prose can go into more detail for those who need it.

Sections

* Titles (first letter capped, not too long)

* Order

Sections and subsections are introduced by headings. Very short or very long sections and subsections in an article look cluttered and inhibit the flow of the prose. These headings clarify articles by breaking up text, organizing content, and populating the table of contents.

Heading 1 (=Heading 1=) is automatically generated as the title of the article. Sections headings start at the second level (==Heading 2==), with subsections at the third level (===Heading 3===), and so on. Sections should be consecutive, such that they do not skip levels from sections to sub-subsections; the exact methodology is deferred to WP:ACCESS. Sections should be separated by a single blank line to avoid too much white space in the article.

;See also

*[[Help:Introduction to editing with Wiki Markup/2|Introduction to formatting (Wiki markup)]]

*[[Help:Introduction to editing with VisualEditor/2|Introduction to formatting (VisualEditor)]]

*[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility|Manual of Style (Accessibility)]]

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