Help:Contents

This article provides background on the wiki concept and how to apply it to the Bogleheads wiki.

Wiki editors can find comprehensive help regarding the MediaWiki software on the Help:Editor page from the Wikimedia Meta-Wiki Project. You may also post questions on the Bogleheads Wiki Editors' Lounge subforum.

Three core content policies form the guidelines for writing appropriate articles:
 * Write all Boglehead articles and other encyclopedic content from a neutral point of view, representing significant views fairly, proportionately, and without bias.
 * Neutral point of view


 * Attribute material challenged or likely to be challenged, and all quotations, to a reliable, published source.
 * Verifiability


 * Articles must not contain material such as facts, allegations, and ideas, for which no reliable, published sources exist.
 * No original research

In short, we expect your contributions to follow Wikipedia standards and be written from a neutral point of view. Citations of claims and facts are necessary to ensure verifiability. On the main page of a topic, avoid long examples (they can be provided via links on other pages). Instead, stress general principals that are applicable to a broad audience.

Citing references
For consistency, organize references in a common format. Please list references as follows:


 * This is the first header for links and is used for internal wiki page links.
 * Explanatory footnotes (those that are not references) appear first.
 * Footnote references appear after the See also section and before the External links section.
 * A general reading list, but should not include references cited elsewhere in the page.
 * This section contains outside links.
 * Footnote references appear after the See also section and before the External links section.
 * A general reading list, but should not include references cited elsewhere in the page.
 * This section contains outside links.
 * This section contains outside links.
 * This section contains outside links.

Omit unused reference section headings.
 * An example from Wikipedia: Stock
 * An example with footnotes: Risk and return: application

How to check and see if a page already exists in the wiki
Type the title in the search box (upper left corner of the sidebar on left) and press return (or select the Go button). If the page exists, your search will go directly to the page. If the page does not exist, a list of possible matches will appear. If your page is similar to a page that exists, considering updating that page instead.

How to create a page
You can create a new page in one of two ways:
 * 1) If you are in a current wiki page, you can create a new page by using the internal wiki link syntax   around the text you wish to signify as the title of the new page. This as yet unwritten page will appear in red type on the page.
 * 2) A  more common way to start a new page is to type the title into the sidebar search box and press the Go button. You will see the message: There is no page titled "name of title". You can create this page . If you click  create this page you will be taken to an empty page box. As soon as you place content in the box and save it you will have created a page.

See Format for new page in the Wiki Help:Guide for contributors for a new page template.

How to edit a page
See: Help:Editing, from Wikipedia

The Wikipedia:Manual of Style is a style guide for Wikipedia articles that encourages editors to follow consistent usage and formatting. Use this guide for reference.

For a summary of style guide recommendations specific to the wiki, see Help:Style guide.

Wiki cheatsheet
The Wikipedia:Cheatsheet contains basic formatting commands. Content is more important than format. If you run into difficulty, please continue to edit and ask for assistance later.

Renaming pages
If you need to rename a page please do not copy and paste the contents of the old article into a new article. A cut and paste will separate the previous contributions from their edit history. Use the move tab at the top of the page and carefully follow the directions. See Help:How to move a page from Wikipedia for details.

Using discussion
You can use the discussion page (up in the heading) to make a comment. When you do leave a comment, select  (four tildes), this dates and signs the comment. Alternatively, the "Signature and timestamp" icon in the editing toolbar will enter this for you.

Wiki writing is collaborative. You can find the authors of every edit by using the View history tab. This will show you the authorship of each edit.

Templates
Use message templates to inform readers of page status or find a page displaying a message and help edit it.
 * List of template messages
 * Pages using messages that may require cleanup

Use article templates to make writing articles easier.
 * List of article templates

If you are engaged in a substantive edit on a page it is a good idea to place an Under construction or In use template in your page. This allows others to know that you are working on the page, and to refrain from editing the page until you have finished your edits.

Navigation templates
A navigation template groups multiple related pages into a single menu. Use this template when you would like to link the page with others. An example navigation template is the Helpful tools template shown below.