View source for TrainzOnline:What is TrainzOnline

{{Displaytitle|2=Wikibooks:What is Wikibooks?}}
{{policy|WB:WIW}}
{{branch unstable}}
 
This page attempts to define what Wikibooks is, what it is not, and what distinguishes it from other Wikimedia projects. The descriptions on this page are relatively '''brief'''. Detailed discussion or debate should happen on the talk page.

== What is Wikibooks ==
Simply, '''Wikibooks''' is a collection of [[w:open content|open-content]] [[w:textbooks|textbooks]].

Because the word '''textbook''' is open to interpretation, this document exists to help clarify which types of content are acceptable for Wikibooks. For example, ''The Complete Works of Shakespeare'' might be considered a ''textbook'' in an English Literature course, but such a text would be inappropriate for this site.

=== What Wikibooks includes ===

Wikibooks is for textbooks, annotated texts, instructional guides, and manuals. These materials can be used in a traditional classroom, an accredited or respected institution, a home-school environment, as part of a [[v:Main Page|Wikiversity]] course or for self-learning. As a general rule only instructional books are suitable for inclusion. Most types of books, both fiction and non-fiction, are not allowed on Wikibooks, unless they are instructional. The use of literary elements, such as allegory or fables as instructional tools can be permitted in some situations.

Wikibooks includes [[Wikibooks:Incubator|both minor and major book-like projects]].

Materials which may not be appropriate for Wikibooks should only be removed in accordance with the [[WB:DP|deletion policy]].

=== Wikibooks includes annotated texts ===
{{Main|Wikibooks:Annotated texts}}

Although we do not permit verbatim copies of pre-existing works, we do permit [[Wikibooks:Annotated texts|annotated texts]], which are a kind of text that includes an original text within it and serves as a guide to reading or studying that text. Annotated editions of previously published source texts may only be written if the source text is compatible with the [[Wikibooks:Copyrights|project's license]].

As a point of overlap between the two projects, [[Wikisource:Main Page|Wikisource]] also allows the inclusion of annotated texts. If you would like to write an annotated text with sparse annotations, or a critical edition of a text, consider hosting your work on Wikisource instead.

== What Wikibooks is not ==
{{shortcut|WB:WIN|WB:NOT}}
Below is a list of things that '''Wikibooks is not'''.  Keeping this list in mind while editing will help us stay on task.

=== Wikibooks is not a free wiki host or webspace provider ===
{{shortcut|WB:HOST}}
You may not host your own website, blog, or wiki at Wikibooks. If you are interested in using the [[w:wiki|wiki technology]] for a collaborative effort on something else, even if it is just a single page, there are many sites that provide wiki hosting (free or for money).  You can also [http://wikipedia.sourceforge.net/ install wiki software] on your own server. (See the [[mw:Manual:Installation guide|MediaWiki installation guide]] for information on doing this.)

'''Wikibooks pages are not personal homepages.''' Wikibookians have their own personal pages, but they are used for information relevant to working on free textbooks and other content on Wikibooks. If you are looking to make a personal webpage unrelated to textbook work (e.g. posting your résumé), please make use of one of the many free homepage providers on the Internet.

=== Wikibooks is not a soapbox ===
{{shortcut|WB:SOAP|WB:BLOG}}
Wikibooks is not a soapbox, or a vehicle for propaganda and advertising. Therefore, Wikibooks modules are not:
#'''[[w:propaganda|propaganda]] or [[w:advocacy|advocacy]]''' of any kind.  Wikibooks modules must always adhere to the [[Wikibooks:Neutral point of view|neutral point of view]].  You might wish to go to [[w:Usenet|Usenet]] or start your own [[w:blog|blog]] if you want to convince people of the merits of your favourite views.
# '''personal essays''' that state your particular opinions about a topic.  Wikibooks is not a vehicle to make personal opinions become part of human knowledge. 
# '''[[w:advertising|advertising]] or self-promotion'''.  We don't need books or modules on items just because a contributor is associated with them.  Please note that Wikibooks does not endorse any business and it does not set up affiliate programs.

=== Wikibooks is not a mirror or a text repository{{anchor|NOR}}===
{{shortcut|WB:NOR|WB:OR|WB:SOURCE}}
{{Main|Wikibooks:Annotated texts}}

#'''Fiction or literature''' &mdash; Wikibooks does not allow original fiction or literature. One place to write original fiction is [[wikia:fiction|Fiction Wikia]].
#'''Primary research''' &mdash; Wikibooks is not a place to publish primary research.  Examples of things not allowed on Wikibooks include proposing new theories and solutions, presenting original ideas, defining new terms, and coining new words.  In short, primary research should be published elsewhere, such as a peer-reviewed journal, or our sister project [[v:Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity?#Wikiversity for researching|Wikiversity]].
#'''Published texts''' &mdash; Wikibooks is for collaboratively developing new open-context non-fiction texts. [[:wikisource:|Wikisource]] is for hosting static texts that have been previously published and are now either in the public domain or have been released under a compatible license. Exceptions are made for [[Wikibooks:Annotated texts|annotated texts]], which are a kind of '''educational material''' that ''includes'' an original text within it and serves as a guide to reading or studying that text.

=== Wikibooks is not paper ===
{{shortcut|WB:NOTPAPER}}
[[m:Wiki is not paper|Wikibooks is '''not paper''']]. Thus, Wikibooks has no size limits, can include links, etc. It also means that the style and length of writing appropriate for paper may not be appropriate here.  The authors of a Wikibook module don't worry about an event occurring tomorrow that makes all the large, expensive paper copies outdated, as the Wikibook will change as well.

=== Wikibooks is not an encyclopedia ===
{{shortcut|WB:NOTWP|WB:NOTWIKIPEDIA}}
'''Wikibooks is not an in-depth encyclopedia on a specific topic''' nor are pages '''encyclopedia-formatted articles'''. Books build knowledge from one page to the next with inter-dependency between pages. Books in progress are sometimes organized in an encyclopedic manner until developed into proper books. For an encyclopedia, see our sister project [[w:|Wikipedia]].

=== Wikibooks is not a news service ===
{{shortcut|WB:NEWS}}
Wikibooks is not the place to publish news articles.  That is covered by our sister project [[:Wikinews:|Wikinews]].

=== Wikibooks is not a dictionary ===
{{shortcut|WB:DICT}}
Although a [[wikt:dictionary|dictionary]] is a book, the needs of a general-purpose dictionary are better served at our sister project, [[wikt:Main Page|Wiktionary]]. Also:
#'''Wikibooks is not a [[wikt:thesaurus|thesaurus]].''' There is a thesaurus project at [[wikt:Wiktionary:Wikisaurus|Wiktionary:Wikisaurus]]. Books that only give lists of synonyms or slang should be deleted from Wikibooks.
#'''Exception:''' Wikibooks does allow and encourage projects that require supplemental dictionaries or thesauri, such as a [[wikt:glossary|glossary]]. For example, a mathematical textbook might need a glossary of math terms; a foreign language textbook might include an English-to-foreign and foreign-to-English dictionary. For these dictionaries and thesauri to remain, they must be [[wikt:secondary|secondary]] and [[wikt:auxiliary|auxiliary]] to a main text.

=== Wikibooks is not for developing new Wikimedia projects ===
{{shortcut|WB:NOTMETA}}
[[m:Proposals for new projects|New Wikimedia projects]] should be proposed at [[m:|Meta-Wiki]] and not developed at Wikibooks.

=== Wikibooks is not censored for the protection of minors ===
{{shortcut|WB:CENSOR}}
Wikibooks is '''not [[w:censorship|censored]] for the 'protection of minors'''' ([[w:MPAA film rating system|content-rated]]). First, anyone can edit a [[WB:MODULE|module]] and the results are displayed instantaneously, so we cannot guarantee that a child will see or read nothing their parents may find objectionable.  Second, Wikibooks has no organized system for the removal of material that might be thought likely to harm minors. However, modules can be, and are, censored by consensus.

It is important to note that content that would typically be considered offensive is usually a violation of one or more of the previously mentioned policies or contains copyrighted content which is removed from this project without regards to its social value.  Random defacement of pages and adding profanity is usually considered an act of vandalism and removed quickly without any formal community discussion taking place.  Unfortunately you might just be viewing some page on Wikibooks immediately after this offensive content was added, and although we try very hard to clean up stuff like this as quickly as we can, we do miss some stuff every once in a while.

Pages have "flagged revisions" which have been validated by users to be of at least minimal quality.  If set in [[Special:Preferences]] for a user, choosing to view only the stable version of pages will often provide a reading experience that is free of vandalism.

=== Wikibooks is not for video game strategy guides ===
{{shortcut|WB:GUIDE}}
Wikibooks is not for video game strategy guides and walk-throughs.  Walk-throughs and strategy guides for video games are not acceptable instructional materials for, and do not belong on Wikibooks.  However, other books about video games, such as scholarly analysis of video games or guides on the design of video games, are allowed here.  One place for writing strategy guides is [[Strategywiki:|StrategyWiki]].

== Further reading ==
* [[Wikibooks:What is Wikijunior|What is Wikijunior?]] &mdash; our policy on material that is part of [[Wikijunior]]
* [[Wikibooks:Copyrights]] &mdash; our policy on copyrighted material

=== Similar pages on other projects ===
* [[Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity?|What is Wikiversity?]]
* [[Wikiversity:What Wikiversity is not|What Wikiversity is not]]
* [[Wikinews:Wikinews:What Wikinews is|What Wikinews is]]
* [[Wikinews:Wikinews:What Wikinews is not|What Wikinews is not]]
* [[Wikisource:Wikisource:What is Wikisource?|What is Wikisource?]]
* [[Wiktionary:Wiktionary:What Wiktionary is not|What Wiktionary is not]]
* [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not|What Wikipedia is not]]


{{Wikibooks policies and guidelines}}