Disaster recovery Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Primary Topic – The article most readers expect when they type the title; it must have the deepest coverage, strongest sources, and lasting significance. Broad‑Concept Article – An article that explains a general idea covering many specific sub‑topics, used when no single sub‑topic dominates the title’s usage. Related Title – A title that falls within the scope of the broad‑concept article (e.g., “Apple (fruit)” is related to “Apple”). Unrelated Title – A title that shares the same name but refers to a completely different subject (e.g., “Apple (company)”). Disambiguation Page – A navigational page that lists all possible articles for an ambiguous title, guiding readers to the intended article. Talk Page – The discussion space where editors debate article type, present evidence (page‑views, sources), and build consensus. Consensus – Agreement among editors, usually a majority, on whether an article should be a primary‑topic or broad‑concept piece. Ongoing Review – Periodic re‑evaluation of article status as notability, sources, or usage patterns change. --- 📌 Must Remember Primary topics need most extensive coverage, reliable sources, long‑term significance. Use a broad‑concept article when multiple specific topics are equally notable. Related titles belong under the broad‑concept article; unrelated titles go to separate articles. After creating a disambiguation page, all internal links pointing to the ambiguous title must be checked and redirected to the correct specific article. Talk‑page evidence: page‑view stats, depth of coverage, source quality. Consensus → tag: add “primary topic” or “broad‑concept” tag in the article header. --- 🔄 Key Processes Deciding Article Type Gather data: page‑views, source depth, notability. Compare each potential specific topic. If one clearly dominates → set as primary topic. If several are comparable → create a broad‑concept article. Creating a Disambiguation Page List every article sharing the ambiguous title. Add brief descriptors for each entry. Place the page at the ambiguous title (e.g., “Apple”). Updating Links After Disambiguation Run a link‑check (e.g., “WhatLinksHere”). For each link pointing to the ambiguous title, edit to target the intended specific article. Verify that the link now lands on the correct page. Reaching Consensus on Talk Page Post a proposal with supporting evidence. Invite comments; editors respond with arguments or additional data. Summarize positions; if a majority agrees, declare consensus. Add the appropriate status tag to the article. --- 🔍 Key Comparisons Primary Topic vs. Broad‑Concept Article Dominance: Primary → one topic dominates; Broad → multiple topics share prominence. Scope: Primary → narrow, deep; Broad → wide, overview. Related Title vs. Unrelated Title Scope Fit: Related → fits within broad‑concept article’s subject area. Different Subject: Unrelated → entirely different concept despite name overlap. Disambiguation Page vs. Regular Article Purpose: Disambiguation → navigation only; Regular → substantive content. --- ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “If a title has many meanings, it must be a disambiguation page.” Wrong: If one meaning is clearly primary, the article stays as a primary‑topic with a hatnote linking to the disambiguation page. “Related titles need separate articles.” Wrong: Related topics are often covered as sections within a broad‑concept article. “Once consensus is reached, the decision is permanent.” Wrong: Ongoing review may overturn the decision when new data appear. --- 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition “Dominance Tree” – Visualize each possible specific topic as a branch; the branch with the biggest leaf (most coverage/traffic) becomes the primary topic. “Scope Funnel” – Broad‑concept articles act as a funnel collecting many related titles; disambiguation pages are the “exit signs” pointing to the right branch. --- 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases Transient Popularity – A temporary news spike may inflate page‑views; rely on long‑term trends, not a single week’s data. Cultural/Regional Variance – Different language editions may have different primary topics; decisions are edition‑specific. Hybrid Articles – Occasionally an article can serve as both a primary topic and contain a brief disambiguation hatnote; still tagged as primary. --- 📍 When to Use Which Use a Primary‑Topic Article when: One subject has significantly higher page‑views and more reliable sources than any alternative. Use a Broad‑Concept Article when: No single subject meets the dominance threshold; multiple subjects are equally notable. Create a Disambiguation Page when: The title is ambiguous and no primary topic can be justified, or after establishing a primary topic to guide readers to other meanings. Edit Internal Links after disambiguation whenever: A link still points to the ambiguous title instead of the intended specific article. --- 👀 Patterns to Recognize Equal Notability Signals – Similar page‑view counts, comparable source depth, and parallel coverage across topics. Hatnote Presence – “For other uses, see …” indicates a primary‑topic article with a disambiguation link. Talk‑Page Activity Spike – Sudden debate often signals a contested primary vs. broad‑concept decision. --- 🗂️ Exam Traps Distractor: “The most recent article automatically becomes the primary topic.” – Wrong; must meet coverage, source, and significance criteria, not recency. Distractor: “All ambiguous titles require a disambiguation page.” – Incorrect; a clear primary topic overrides the need for a pure disambiguation page. Distractor: “If two topics share a name, they must be merged into one article.” – Wrong; they stay separate unless a broad‑concept article is appropriate. Distractor: “Consensus is reached once a single editor votes.” – Consensus requires a majority of contributors, not a single vote. ---