Editing Policy:Article Naming

{{Policy}}
{{Nutshell|Articles have a naming convention that establishes the proper methodology for determining page names, based on the subject of the article.}}
BattleTechWiki has several categories of articles on the mainspace, with [[BattleMech]]s, Characters and Products being just a few of the numerous representatives. In order to establish consistency between like-minded pages, a naming convention has been established to guide the naming of future pages.

==BattleMechs==
The naming of articles featuring [[BattleMech]]s is rather well-established by the time of this policy's unveiling. 'Mechs are known primarily by their proper name (ex: ''[[Hunchback]]''), and not with their model nomenclature (ex: HBK-4G). While discussed in more detail at the [[BattleTechWiki:Project BattleMechs|Project: BattleMechs]] page, variants of that 'Mech are listed on the same page, with the initial (chronologically in Real World dating) model as the primary.

Non-variant 'Mechs that share a name (ex: ''[[Phoenix Hawk IIC]]'', ''[[Pack Hunter II]]'') with a similar 'Mech but are considered to be different models (and not variants) will have separate articles, with ordinals (II, III, etc.) as part of the article name. Canon names take precedence over this policy (ex: ''[[Mad Cat Mk II]]'', ''[[Phoenix Hawk LAM]]'').

With the introduction of the [[Clan Invasion]], many new [[Clan]] BattleMech models were introduced with two proper names, one Clan, one [[Inner Sphere]]. These articles are named first with the Clan name, followed by the Inner Sphere name in parenthesis (ex: ''Mist Lynx (Koshi)'').

In cases where a 'Mech shares a name with another article's subject (ex: ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]'' the 'Mech and [[Atlas (system)|Atlas]] the planet), the 'Mech article's title should have the term '''(BattleMech)''' included after the proper name. An exception would be where the primary 'Mech is an [[OmniMech]], wherein the term '''(OmniMech)''' is to included after the proper name. A [[BattleTechWiki:Disambiguation|disambiguation]] page should also be established.

==Battles==
Articles about battles, including campaigns, should match the canon name for the battle, whenever possible. In the case of a battle that is described but not formally provided a canon name, the phrase "Battle of [place]" should be applied as the article's name, with [place] providing as specific a location as possible. 

''Examples:
*[[Battle of Epsilon Indi]]
*[[Battle of the Kyoto Zen Arcology Project]]
*[[Battle of Skytower City]]''

Where multiple battles have occurred at the same location but in different campaigns/wars, the date should follow the name, in parenthesis.

''Examples:
* Battle of Hesperus II (2787)
* Battle of Hesperus II (2837)
* Battle of Hesperus II (3019)''

When multiple battles occur in the same location and the same campaign/war, then it is proper to label them sequentially.

''Examples:
* [[First Battle of the Takashi Memorial Spaceport]]
* [[Second Battle of the Takashi Memorial Spaceport]]'' 

If two battles share the same name but different planets, the planet name should follow the name, also in parenthesis.

''Examples:
* Battle of Dead Water Gulch (Anywhere)
* Battle of Dead Water Gulch (Blackjack)''

==Characters==

===Middle and abbreviated names=== 
Generally, use the most common format of a name used in reliable sources: if that is with a middle name or an abbreviation, make the article title conform to that format. Examples: [[Kester Hsiun Chi]], [[Lester J. Otto]].

For abbreviations:
* If the version of an article name with the first and middle names written in full is used nearly as often as the version with abbreviated names followed by a period, prefer the version with these names written in full. 
* Where the subject uses two consecutive initials, the space between initials ''is'' used. Example: T. S. Elliot.

'''Important''': provide redirects wherever possible (or appropriate disambiguation where redirects are not possible) for all other formats of a name that are also in use, or could reasonably be typed in BTW's "Search" box by someone looking for information about that person.

Adding middle names, or their abbreviations, merely for disambiguation purposes (if that format of the name is ''not commonly used'' to refer to the person) is not advised.

===Multiple and changed surnames===
Some Western cultures use a "double last name" format. Also, people sometimes change their surnames, particularly on marriage.

The general rule in such cases is to title the article with the name ''birth name''. Some examples are listed below.
* [[Danai Liao-Centrella]]; Liao is the last name of her father, Centrella of her mother.
* [[Raymond-Roger Marsin]]; Born and known fully as Raymond-Roger, his article would not be shortened to Raymond Marsin. 
* [[Kym Sorenson]]; On marriage she became Kym Hasek-Davion, so a redirect should be created for Kym Hasek-Davion article title.

===Multiple Characters, Same Name===
The BattleTech universe, utilizing a feudal aristocracy based on familial lines, has multiple characters that share the same name. For example, [[Ian Davion (26th c.)|Ian Davion]] was a regent of the [[Federated Suns]], and while the first (currently known) to bear that name, is not the one most readers expect to read about, as he lived in the late 2500s (26th c.). Instead, the primary article bearing the name [[Ian Davion]] redirects to the better known and older brother of [[Hanse Davion]], who lived in the late 2900s (30th c.) and early 3000s (31st c.).

In the instances where multiple characters share the same name, the character that is best known should receive the primary article title, while all others should be titled with that same name, with the century of most notable activity indicated as well. For example, the latter Ian Davion gets the expected title (ex: [[Ian Davion]]), while the former would be titled with the century for which he served as regent (ex: [[Ian Davion (26th c.)]]. Creating a re-direct from a similarly titled page for the primary character to the main article would also help this character be quickly identified in searches. The '''<nowiki>{{Otheruses}}</nowiki>''' tag should also be employed on each article to lead users to the other characters.

In the rare case that two characters inhabit the same centuries and cannot be distinguished as above, the relationship might be the best way to further break them out. For example: 
*[[Sami Taisto (father)]], [[Sami Taisto (son)]] 
*[[Irvine Muir (27th c., grandfather)]], [[Irvine Muir (27th c., father)]], [[Irvine Muir (28th c.)]].

Alternatively, if none of the above are sufficient to distinguish two characters with the same name, they may be disambiguated using their primary faction. For example:

*[[Curtis Fong (Capellan Confederation)]]. 
*[[Curtis Fong (Wolf's Dragoons)]]. 

Finally where all the above are shared, characters may be disambiguated by their last known military unit or other distinguishing characteristic, for example [[Herman Manes (XIII Principes)]] or [[Herman Manes (XIV Hastati)]].

Ordinals (I, II, III, etc.) should mostly be used as redirects.

===Clan Characters===
The issue of multiple characters sharing the same name is further exacerbated for [[Clan]] characters, since except for [[Bloodnamed]] warriors, most members of the Clans will only have a first name. Accordingly in the first instance there is the issue of how to refer to various types of unblooded Clan characters, and then secondly how to distinguish articles for Clan characters who share the same name.

The primary rule for naming unblooded Clan characters is to use any surname explicitly mentioned for the character within a canonical source. This may include names like:

* [[Zane Nova Cat]] (i.e. First Name and Clan Name) which is used for certain [[Abtakha]] warriors, [[freebirth]]s or other unblooded characters during some historical [[Eras]] such as the [[Dark Age]].

* [[Vlad Ward|Vlad of the Wards]] (i.e. First Name of the Bloodhouse) which is used by some [[trueborn]] warriors if they have not won a bloodname.

* [[Peri|Peri Watson]] or [[Igmar Ohlson]] (i.e. First Name and a Surname not officially recognized by the Clans), such as a [[Labname]] or an [[Inner Sphere]] freebirth’s surname from before they joined the Clans.

Where no surname is mentioned, the secondary rule is that the first given name only is to be used, and no assumption should be made about any unmentioned surname they may be entitled to. For example while some freebirth characters are referred to by their Clan's name such as [[Kandari Falcon]], and some unblooded trueborns are referred to by their bloodhouse such as Vlad of the Wards, neither practice was consistent across different Clans or Eras.

In instances where multiple Clan characters share the same name, they should be distinguished in order by:

* The Clan they are affiliated with, in the format "Name (Clan)" such as [[Brin (Clan Smoke Jaguar)]] or [[Brin (Clan Jade Falcon)]].

* When there is more than one from the same Clan, their military unit is used, for example [[Saridan (4th Wolf Guards)]] or [[Saridan (352nd Assault)]].

* For any Clan character not affiliated with a unit, or for characters affilitated with more than one unit, their phenotype (i.e. Elemental, MechWarrior, Aerospace pilot, etc.) or [[caste]] (i.e. scientist, technician, merchant, laborer, etc.) is given, for example [[Dara (Elemental)]] or [[Nomad (Technician)]].

* Next, the century of most notable activity is used in the format "Name (Clan - XXth c.)".

* If necessary, characters needing to be distinguished from several others of the same Clan, unit, and phenotype living in the same century may have multiple characteristics or additional information included, for example [[Tara (16th Battle - Aerospace pilot)]] and [[Tara (16th Battle - MechWarrior)]], or [[Gera (Gurbeng Garrison - Trinary Twelfth)]] and [[Gera (Gurbeng Garrison - Trinary Fourteenth)]].

The '''<nowiki>{{Otheruses}}</nowiki>''' tag may also be employed on each article to lead users to the other characters with the same name.

===Real People===
Another cause of articles for individuals with the same name, are real people who have had an influence on BattleTech such as authors, who then may also have been honored with a canonical or apocryphal fictional BattleTech character. In these cases the real person should be distinguished by reference to their being a person, as follows:  

*[[James Bixby (person)]], a real life person and BattleTech author. 
*[[James Bixby (BattleTech)]], an apocryphal character in the 2018 ''[[BattleTech (Video Game)|BattleTech]]'' video game, based on the real life person.

==Fiction==
Fiction set in the [[BattleTech Universe]] is published with a name. If the fiction shares a name with any other article on Sarna the term (short story), (novella) or (novel) should be appended to the name as is appropriate. If the fiction shares a name with another piece of fiction then the year of publication should be appended to both articles in brackets.

==Military Commands==
Per [[BattleTechWiki:Project Military Commands#Guidelines|Project Military Commands]], the guidelines for naming military command articles are as follows:
* When article titles involve numbers, the text should always be represented as a number (mind that this only applies to article names and is a deliberate deviation from the [[BattleCorps]] style guide which says numbers below 100 should be spelled out and which should be adhered to otherwise; redirects from spellings with spelled-out numbers may be called for).
** Examples: [[1st Davion Guards]] and [[666th Mechanized Assault (Clan Hell's Horses)]]
* The full name of a command should be used rather than an abbreviation, however common (again, consider creating redirects from common abbreviations).
** Example: [[Valexa Capellan March Militia]], instead of "Valexa CMM"
* All Clan commands should have the Clan name after the title in parenthesis.
** Example: [[Golden Keshik (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)]]
* For all typical Inner Sphere units except from the SLDF, omit "Regiment" from the title; for all typical Clan units, leave "Cluster" off from the title.
** Examples: [[1st Ghost]] and [[3rd Falcon Talon (Clan Jade Falcon)]], but [[51st Hussar Regiment]] (Star League)
** Examples of exceptions: [[17th Recon Regiment]], [[Winfield's Regiment]], [[444th Cluster (Clan Wolverine)]], [[Gamma Cluster (Clan Steel Viper)]]
* If (and only if) it is necessary to disambiguate between titles for any reason, use the same format as for the Clans and put the state (or Clan faction) behind the formation name in parentheses.
** Examples: [[1st Fleet (Free Worlds League)]] and [[1st Fleet (Star League)]].

==Products==
Articles about BattleTech-related products, be they boxed sets, books, computer games or other paraphernalia, should always have the same name as the product in question - even if the name or spelling is arbitrary.<br />Example: ''[[The Crescent Hawk's Inception]]'' (which is arguably misspelled, as the unit in question is called the Crescent Hawks, not the Crescent Hawk)

BattleTech-themed prefixes such as "BattleTech", "Classic BattleTech" or "MechWarrior" should be omitted in the article name except for special cases where it is deemed relevant (to differentiate the product from others of the same name, for example).

Where no proper product name can be determined, use a neutral, descriptive and informative title.<br />Example: [[Peter La Casse faction list]]

==Ships==
===Individual ships===
Where an individual ship is known by multiple names, use the latest name of the ship. Previous names can be listed in the article's [[Template:InfoBoxIndividualSpacecraft|InfoBoxIndividualSpacecraft]]. Omit [[naval prefixes]] from article names.

Articles about individual ships should use only the name of the ship, if possible. Otherwise (i.e. if the name has multiple uses), use a parenthetical to indicate the article is about an individual ship, identifying the class if possible. If the class is unknown, identify the type, and if neither class nor type are known, identify it as an individual spacecraft. In the rare case that two ships of the same name cannot be distinguished using the above methods, use the name of the owner or another reasonable method to distinguish the two.

''Examples:''
*No naming conflict:
**[[De Ruyter]]
**[[Flight of Icarus]]
**[[Prosperity]]
*Class known:
** [[Ripper (Individual Vincent-class WarShip)]]
** [[Caliban (Individual Merchant-class JumpShip)]]
** [[Stiletto (Individual Broadsword-class DropShip)]]
*Type known, class unknown:
** [[Achilles (Individual WarShip)]]
** [[Alacrity (Individual JumpShip)]]
** [[Alpha (Individual DropShip)]]
*Type and class unknown or indeterminable:
** [[Avalon (Individual spacecraft)]]
*Same name, can't be distinguished by class alone:
**[[Ranger (Individual Lola III-class WarShip, ComStar)]]
**[[Ranger (Individual Lola III-class WarShip, Clan Nova Cat)]]

===Ship classes===
Ship class articles should use only the name of the class, if possible.

''Examples:''
* [[Sovetskii Soyuz]]
* [[Monolith]]
* [[Union]]

When the name of the class has other meanings, use a parenthetical to indicate the article is about a ship class, identifying the general type of ship.

''Examples:''
*[[New Syrtis (WarShip class)]]
*[[Star Lord (JumpShip class)]]
*[[Achilles (DropShip class)]]

==Image files==
Images should have relevant and descriptive names, applied prior to or during the upload process. Image names like '''CloudCobra-StarCommanderInsignia.png''', '''TRO3075-Cover.jpg''', '''1stSwordOfLightInsignia-3025.jpg''' are useful to editors, while names like '''mech.jpg''', '''bookcover.jpg''', or '''1stsol'''.jpg are not.

==Redirects==
If an article could conceivably have several names (especially commonly used abbreviations), then redirect pages should be put in place for other possible names or spellings.<br />Example: [[Science Fiction Combat Book Game]] = [[Nova Game Books]] = [[Combat books]]

==Disambiguation pages==
Disambiguation pages are named after the ambiguous term itself, unless that term has a primary name that is much more notable than all others. For example, the term "Defiance" could be considered equally notable for the [[Defiance (BattleMech)|BattleMech]], the [[Defiance (Aerospace Fighter class)|aerospace fighter]], the [[Defiance (system)|planet]] or the [[Defiance Industries|two]] [[Defiance Motors|companies]]. In that case, a [[Defiance|disambiguation page]] has been established, with the term as the primary page.

In examples where one use of the term (ex: [[IlClan]]) overrides all others, the far-more notable article may retain that proper name, with others having the subject following the term in parenthesis (ex: [[IlClan (sourcebook)]], [[IlClan (Era)]]). A disambiguation page, named for the term followed by '''(disambiguation)''' should also be established, to link to all similarly named articles, with a link on the primary article to the disambiguation page.