Assassin's Creed Wiki:Sourcing

The following is the official Assassin's Creed Wiki attribution policy. The Assassin's Creed Wiki is an encyclopedia dedicated to the documentation of the lore of the Assassin's Creed series and is not a forum for personal or original thought. Any and all information on the wiki must be attributed to a verifiable source.

In particular, editors must provide attribution for any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged, or it may be removed. The burden of evidence lies with the editor wishing to add or retain the material. If an article topic has no reliable sources, the Assassin's Creed Wiki should not have an article on it.

It must also be noted that the following policy applies only to the Wiki's main space articles and not to the associated Forums.

Key principles

No original research

Original research (OR) refers to content for which no reliable, published source exists. They are original in that individual users developed them through their own study and theorizing. This includes unpublished facts, analysis, ideas, and personal opinion regardless of the strength of their arguments or validity. Speculation and fan theories, no matter how likely to be true, are strictly prohibited from inclusion.

By extension, editors are discouraged from synthesizing published material. This refers to combining information from multiple sources to reach or imply a conclusion that is not explicitly stated by any of these sources. Original research may at times be disguised through such synthesis when, in reality, using published sources to formulate and deliver a reasoned and well-supported analysis does not make it any less original.

Aside from ensuring that the material provided by this encyclopedia are supported and verifiable, the principle of NOR also reinforces the policy of neutral point-of-view. It is important to remember that just because material an editor has provided is original research, doesn't mean that it is fallacious, poorly-reasoned, or insignificant. Original research is rejected not because they have no value, but because as an encyclopedia dedicated to compiling and sharing authoritative material, the Assassin's Creed Wiki is not the proper place for it. If an editor so wishes, they may share their analysis or fan theory in their user blog.

Grey areas

There are certain cases situated within grey areas where a degree of leniency may be observed for this policy, namely when discussing philosophy and the personality of characters. Sections like these can pose a challenge because by nature, they incorporate subjective and abstract assessments. At the same time, the wiki cannot do without them because they may provide the audience with critical information. For example, political philosophy is a central element of the series, with its deep commentary on conflicting theories of global politics, and it would be remiss not to explain the perspectives of the two main factions, the Assassins and Templars, on these subjects.

In these scenarios, editors are still expected to be ever vigilant against original research while those reviewing their work should be mindful of the pressures involved in balancing this principle with the necessity of relaying the lore. Certain tactics may be used in navigating this process. These include but are not limited to:

• Attributing an assessment to a specific character, rather than stating it as though it were a fact.
  • Correct: Haytham believed that the Templars stand for "order, peace, stability" while the Assassins had come to forsake peace for freedom.
  • Incorrect: The Templars stand for order, peace, and stability while the Assassins only stand for freedom and has forsaken peace.
  • Correct: An Abstergo Entertainment market analysis disparaged Ezio Auditore as a "man of ugly contradictions".
  • Incorrect: Ezio Auditore was a man of ugly contradictions.
  • Exceptions can be observed, at editors' discretion, when a characterization is so apparent and consistent as to be uncontroversial, such as in describing Cesare Borgia as a sadist. In such cases, supporting evidence should be given for the description.
• Distinguishing an explanation from a personal analysis.
  • Example: Elaborating on the Creed of the Assassins in clearer terms for the audience, as it has been described by the series' characters, without delving into any further personal interpretations.
• Unqualified, subjective statements from authoritative sources such as database entries and reference books can be included with corresponding citation and taken for granted at editors' discretion.

Note that logical deductions such as data derived from verified statistical data through mathematical conversions do not violate the principle of no original research.

Attribution

Information in an article should be attributable to an authoritative source on the Assassin's Creed series. This remains the case even if there appears to be a contradiction between what is true or what one wishes to be true and the authoritative source, such as in the case of an unpopular retcon. The Assassin's Creed Wiki is meant to faithfully document the series' lore through rigorous sourcing, not to enact creative decisions on it.

An authoritative source is normally one that has been licensed by Ubisoft and relates expressly to the Assassin's Creed IP. Official statements by Ubisoft representatives are also accepted. Responses given by such representatives in interviews, podcasts, or when otherwise consulted through social media may also be accepted, but under normal circumstances, are relied upon only for clarification of lore.

Speculation, fan theories, or "news" posted on popular gaming websites do not constitute authoritative sources.

Authoritative sources

A list of reliable sources can be found here.

General standards

Once information is added to an article, its author must cite it. Unsourced information is subject to immediate removal, especially if its claim is decidedly incredulous or patently false. However, if an editor suspects that it may be truthful, only that its author has neglected to cite the source, it should be left alone for the time being and a {{Fact}} template should be added in place of a citation. This indicates not that the information is almost certainly untrue but that there is reason to believe that an authoritative source can be found for it.

There are a few key points to observe before any information is placed into an article.

Specificity

References should be as specific as possible so as to help readers and editors alike to locate the exact source. Simply citing the title of the medium without narrowing the scope down to the exact memory, i.e. game mission, chapter, etc. is often insufficient in informing the audience to where the information can be traced. In the worst case scenario, such as in a game as massive in scope as Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, a citation giving only the main title may be all but useless without additional context.

Further information regarding how to format a reference can be found below.

Canonicity

With the ever-growing amount of material available to the Assassin's Creed series, the possibility of conflicting information is present. As such, the following assumptions should be made before information is entered into any of the articles on the Wiki;

1. In most cases, the main games are the highest tier of canon. If any information given in another medium explicitly contradicts that given in these games, it is considered non-canon. For example, if Assassin's Creed: Renaissance states that it took an individual three days to travel from Venice to Florence, while Assassin's Creed II clearly indicates it only took two, the article will cite the game over the novella.
2. The canonicity of media is tiered. The highest tier contains the aforementioned main games, while the second tier contains the spin-off games. The third tier contains the films, novellas, the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia and Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide, and the comics.

Introduction

Ideally, the introduction or lede section of an article should not contain any references. Most if not all of the information in the introduction is mentioned again later in the article, and should be cited within the main text. This helps to limit congestion of the introductory text and keep the overall presentation respectable.

If, however, a sourced piece of information in the introduction is not mentioned again in the main text, it may be cited where required.

Positioning

Citations go immediately after punctuation and outside of quotation marks, with no space between the end of a sentence and a reference tag. It must be made directly after that which is being cited, so as to prevent confusion to the reader.

If an entire paragraph or section cites information from a single source, then simply place the citation at the end of the paragraph or section.

Formats

Upon confirming that both the information and citations to be used are valid, the citations must be properly formatted in accordance with the formats listed below. Typically, most articles will require the citation of several different sources. and the format required for each unique citation shall differ depending on the nature of the source.

References also need to be as specific as possible in order to limit the possibility of confusion as to the source in question. Simply citing the game or novel from which the information derives is, in most cases, not sufficient and would be in violation of this policy - instead, the mission name or supplementary flavour text should be linked in the references. In the case novels or comics, the chapter or issue in question should be referenced.

How to reference

References are typically made up of two parts. The first part, known as "ref name" is used within an article to easily reference the same specific source on multiple occasions and is written as below:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">

The [REF NAME] is flexible and can vary between different articles, but efforts should be made to keep this part as consistent as possible across the wiki. It requires double quotation makes in order to function.

The second part of the reference needs only be included on the first instance of a given reference being made and is written as below:

''[REF ARTICLE]'' – [MISSION NAME]</ref>

The [REF ARTICLE] must link to the wiki's corresponding article for the source in question and be italicised. The [MISSION NAME] must link to the wiki's corresponding article for the source mission in question and should not be italicised.

Once the full reference has been included in an article, it can be easily recalled simply by using the following code at subsequent insertion points:

<ref name="[REF NAME]" />

PLEASE NOTE: Even in those instances where an article uses a specific reference only once, the complete format detailed above must still be used. Repeated failures to use the complete format will result in disciplinary action.

Example 1: Video game missions

When referencing flavour text, such as database entries, the following format should be used:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'' – [MISSION NAME]</ref>

For instance, when referencing the Assassin's Creed II mission In Bocca al Lupo, use the following:

<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[In Bocca al Lupo]]</ref>

In those cases where the source comes from downloadable content, the above needs to be expanded slightly:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'' – ''[DLC NAME]'' – [MISSION NAME]</ref>

For instance, when referencing the mission The Land of Turquoise from the The Hidden Ones downloadable content:

<ref name="The Land of Turquoise">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]'' – [[The Land of Turquoise]]</ref>

When referencing a video game mission, the following format should be used:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'' – [MISSION NAME]</ref>

For instance, when referencing the Assassin's Creed II mission In Bocca al Lupo, use the following:

<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[In Bocca al Lupo]]</ref>

In those cases where the source comes from downloadable content, the above needs to be expanded slightly:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'' – ''[DLC NAME]'' – [MISSION NAME]</ref>

For instance, when referencing the mission The Land of Turquoise from the The Hidden Ones downloadable content:

<ref name="The Land of Turquoise">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]'' – [[The Land of Turquoise]]</ref>

Example 3: Novel & reference guides

When referencing a book, whether a novel or reference guide, use the following format:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'': Chapter [X], [Y] Edition</ref>

For instance, when referencing chapter five of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag:

<ref name="ACBF Chap5">''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]'': Chapter 5, 1st Edition</ref>

PLEASE NOTE: Because the precise page number the citable material is on can fluctuate dependant on the edition or version of the novel/guide in question, please do not include a page number.

Example 4: Comics

When referencing a comic, use the following format:

<ref name="[REF NAME]">''[REF ARTICLE]'': Issue #[X]</ref>

For instance, when referencing issue #3 of Assassin's Creed: The Fall:

<ref name="The Fall 3">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'': Issue #3</ref>

External sources

Outside references, or those external to the Assassin's Creed series, should be kept to a minimum, and preferably only mentioned in the "Trivia" section of an article. The references must be Relevant, add something constructive to the article, and come from a source reliable in relation to the field it is from.

For example, if sourced from Wikipedia's article on The Prince, the line "Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a book which seems to counter the very ideals of the Assassins." should be written as such;

[[Niccolò Machiavelli]] wrote ''The Prince'', a book which seems to counter the very ideals of the [[Assassins]].<ref name="Wiki: The Prince">''{{Wiki|The Prince}}'', Wikipedia Inc.</ref>

Reference list

Whether the article makes use of multiple series references, multiple outside references, or a mixture of both, the "References" section must be included. At the bottom of the article, just before categories and appearance templates such as {{ACII}}, the following must be inserted;

==References==
{{Reflist}}

In those instances where the reference list becomes excessively large in relation to the overall size of the article, additional columns can be added by using the following wiki-text:

• {{Reflist|2}} for two columns
• {{Reflist|3}} for three columns
• {{Reflist|4}} for four columns

No more than four columns maximum should be used, if it can be avoided.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about implementing this Sourcing policy, feel free to contact one of the site's moderators and they will be happy to answer any questions you have.