Evacuation - Writing and Publishing Articles

Creating Articles and Drafts Overview When contributing to a collaborative reference platform, there are important procedures to follow when creating new articles. This section covers the key steps for creating articles, ensuring they meet quality standards, and preparing them for publication. Writing Articles Directly at the Title The most straightforward way to create a new article is to write it directly at the article's title page. This approach works well when you have a topic that is clearly primary—meaning it is a well-established subject that deserves its own dedicated article page. Rather than starting the article elsewhere and transferring it later, editors can navigate to the title where they want the article to appear and begin writing immediately. This is an efficient method when you are confident that: The topic is significant enough to warrant an independent article You understand what content should be included You are prepared to meet the platform's standards from the start This direct approach saves time and creates a clear, permanent location for the article within the platform's structure. Ensuring Notability and Sources Before an article can be considered complete, it must demonstrate that its subject is notable—meaning it is important, recognized, or significant enough to be documented on the platform. Notability alone, however, is not sufficient. Your draft must include reliable sources that establish and support the subject's notability. These sources serve two critical purposes: Verification: Readers can check the facts presented in your article against independent, credible sources. Evidence of notability: Sources show that the topic has been covered seriously by established publications, organizations, or institutions. Without reliable sources, even potentially notable topics may be rejected. When gathering sources, prioritize published materials from established outlets, academic works, and official documentation over informal sources. Review Before Publication The final step in creating an article is reviewing the draft before moving it to its permanent location on the title page. This review process ensures quality and consistency. Before publishing, editors should verify that the article meets key standards: Style guidelines: The writing follows the platform's conventions for formatting, tone, and structure Content guidelines: The article includes proper citations, appropriate detail level, and relevant information Notability standards: The subject is sufficiently notable and well-supported by sources Accuracy: Factual claims are correct and verifiable This verification step acts as a quality gate, catching issues before the article becomes public. A thorough review prevents problematic articles from reaching readers and maintains the overall credibility of the platform.