MOS:THETITLE
MOS:THETITLE
The "MOS:THETITLE" is a guideline within the Wikipedia Manual of Style that provides instructions on how to format the titles of articles. This guideline is crucial for maintaining consistency and clarity across Wikipedia articles, ensuring that readers can easily understand and navigate the content.
Overview[edit | edit source]
The primary purpose of MOS:THETITLE is to standardize the way titles are presented on Wikipedia. This includes the use of capitalization, punctuation, and the inclusion or exclusion of certain words. The guideline helps editors decide how to format titles in a way that is both grammatically correct and consistent with Wikipedia's overall style.
Capitalization[edit | edit source]
One of the key aspects of MOS:THETITLE is the rule on capitalization. According to the guideline, only the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns should be capitalized in article titles. This is known as "sentence case." For example, the title "History of the United States" follows this rule, with only "History" and "United States" capitalized.
Punctuation[edit | edit source]
Punctuation in titles should be minimal and only used when necessary for clarity. Commas, colons, and other punctuation marks should be used sparingly. For instance, a title like "World War II: Causes and Effects" uses a colon to separate the main topic from the subtopic.
Definite and Indefinite Articles[edit | edit source]
The use of definite and indefinite articles ("the," "a," "an") in titles is generally discouraged unless they are part of a proper noun or necessary for clarity. For example, "The Beatles" includes "The" because it is part of the band's official name.
Disambiguation[edit | edit source]
When multiple topics could have the same title, disambiguation is necessary. This is often done by adding a parenthetical clarification, such as "Mercury (planet)" versus "Mercury (element)". MOS:THETITLE provides guidance on how to choose appropriate disambiguation terms.
Exceptions[edit | edit source]
There are exceptions to these rules, particularly when dealing with titles that are proper nouns or have established conventions outside of Wikipedia. In such cases, the established format should be respected.
Also see[edit | edit source]
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