CZ:Disambiguation

A disambiguation page is a page designed to help readers find the correct page when two or more articles deal with subjects with the same or similar names, whether the subjects differ in meaning or not. To disambiguate a word or phrase is to clarify which sense of the word or phrase is meant, or to list out all the different possible meanings of the word or phrase, or different expressions of the meaning. Disambiguation pages should not be used either to give all the possible senses used in English, but only ones that designate Citizendium articles; and should list only articles that really could be confused with the word or phrase in the title of the disambiguation page. A good example is reel.

The {{disambig}} template should be added to the top of all disambiguation pages. This will automatically add the page to the Category:Disambiguation. Please do not assign any other category or workgroup to a disambiguation page. The disambiguation template automatically expunges all other categories.

In the page itself, please define each sense of the disambiguated term using the {{rpl}} template, eg {{rpl|Test}}. This template differs from the standard {{r}} found in the Related Articles section of each article, providing a definition of the term plus a status bar of article development, and is used specifically for disambiguation pages.

By using {{rpl}}, writing a definition on the disambiguation page itself is not necessary. If a definition is missing, it can be added by clicking on the "[e]" (edit) at the end of each definition link, or added via the article's Talk subpage link.

See also naming conventions, disambiguation mechanics and list of multi-use words.

Disambiguation pages

The function of a disambiguation page is strictly to list the various articles (including planned articles) that go under a title. Linux (disambiguation) is a good example. Typically, disambiguation pages are marked with "disambiguation" parentheses, but not always; again, FERA is an example.

Please do not list senses of a word for which there are no articles planned; a disambiguation page is merely a device to redirect people, not to enlighten them about all the different ways that a word or phrase is used. It is also unnecessary to list related articles; for example, it is not necessary to list Linux creator Linus Torvalds on the Linux (disambiguation) page, since Torvalds is not a sense of "Linux." Presumably, people will arrive at the disambiguation page looking specifically for a pointer to an article that goes under the title in question; anything else including references and footnotes, is an unnecessary distraction.

If you have a deep burning urge to list everything you can think of that is related to a topic, you don't want to make a disambiguation page. You want to make a Related Articles page (which see).

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