FalloutWiki:Reference Style Guide

References are used to support the claims of statements made throughout the Independent Fallout Wiki. Groups of sources are used for this purpose, and each type is placed individually based on where it is derived.

Groups
Several source groups exist, including Game Content, publications, Design Documents, developer statements, and external. References must be formatted by group according to the following instructions.

Game
If the information referenced is derived from a game, including datamined information from game files and textures, a group distinction is not needed. if an item from a game was unused, place the template at the end of the reference. All references from games are formatted as followed.

''The following is part of a new initiative to automate reference format. All new terminal entry references should use the new format and previously added references will be updated over time.''
 * Terminal Entries ATX NEW.png

Publication
If the information referenced is derived from a published media piece, such as game guides, image captions within art books, and strategy books, the Pub distinction is used. For art books, Pub is used specifically for image captions and new material for the book, as opposed to writing on the art done by the artist at the time. References from publications are formatted as followed.

Developer Statement
If the information referenced is derived from a statement made by developers, including those on social media or chat based platforms, the Dev distinction is used. In addition, a screenshot repository is maintained for each game and project, which has unique format requirements in addition to those listed here.

Design Document
If the information referenced is derived from a design document, including those from canceled projects, the Doc distinction is used. Writing done by concepts artists on their art as they draw would fall under this category. References from design documents are formatted as followed.

External
If a source does not fit into the four groups, editors need to be mindful of whether or not it is an appropriate reference. This group is not intended to open the door to fan-made content or speculation but to group sources such as press releases and patch announcements.

If you are unsure whether a reference is suitable, please speak with an administrator. Utilize the Ext distinction, making sure to archive all external links.

Duplicate citation
If a citation is used more than once in an article, the following formatting is used. Replace

In January 2077, all FEV research was transferred to the Mariposa Military Base.[Dev 1]
 * The citation will look like this in the article:
 * The citation will look like this in the article:


 * For subsequent, identical references, instead of the full reference, replace it with:
 * 
 * 


 * The code will look like this in the article:
 *  Barnett decided to move all FEV research to Mariposa. The scientists objected to the orders.
 *  Barnett decided to move all FEV research to Mariposa. The scientists objected to the orders.

Barnett decided to move all FEV research to Mariposa.[Dev 1] The scientists objected to the orders.[Dev 2]
 * The citation will look like this in the article, the same after each reference:
 * The citation will look like this in the article, the same after each reference:

2.0 2.1 ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2077 January 7 Major Barnett orders transfer of all FEV research to the newly-constructed Mariposa Military Base."
 * In the reference section, a duplicate article will appear:
 * In the reference section, a duplicate article will appear:
 * }

End of article
At the bottom of an article, a references subheader and template must be used to display all references listed in the article. {| class="ace-table" style="width:100%" ! colspan="2" | End of the article ! style="width: 44%;" | Instructions ! style="width: 56%;" | Code


 * The following is placed at the very bottom, regardless of what groups of references appear in the article:
 * 
 * 