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PAI:Manual of style

From PAI
This is a guideline. It describes the standards editors should follow in most cases. Use common sense; if a rule does not fit, discuss it on the PAI:Community noticeboard.

Article titles

  • Use Title Case for multi-word article titles, with short words in lowercase: Machine Identity, Zero Trust Security, History of Robotics, Human-Robot Interaction.
  • Use the most common name that is clear to readers. Spell out abbreviations unless the abbreviation is far better known (for example Edge AI).
  • Use the singular form unless the subject is normally plural (Digital Twins, Verifiable Credentials).
  • MediaWiki capitalizes only the first letter of a title, so create redirects for other forms and common names.
  • Do not put the category or "The" in the title, and avoid titles that sound promotional.

Article structure

Use this order, leaving out sections that do not apply:

  1. Short description: {{SHORTDESC:...}} (a one-line summary, ideally under 100 characters)
  2. Infobox, if one exists for the subject (see Help:PAI Article System)
  3. Lead section: starts the article, with no heading
  4. Body sections (History, concepts, applications, security and identity, challenges)
  5. == Further reading ==
  6. == See also ==
  7. == References == with {{PAI Reflist}}
  8. Navigation box, then categories

Lead section

  • The first sentence says what the subject is, with the title in bold the first time.
  • The lead summarizes the whole article in one to four paragraphs. Do not introduce facts that are not covered below.
  • Link important terms the first time they appear.
  • Cite claims that are likely to be challenged.

Headings

  • Use sentence case: "Robot identity and security", not "Robot Identity And Security".
  • Start at level 2 (== Heading ==) and do not skip levels.
  • Do not repeat the article title or use links inside headings.
  • Avoid very short sections of one sentence; merge them into a neighbour.

Tone and neutrality

  • Write in a neutral, encyclopedic voice. Describe; do not promote.
  • Avoid marketing words ("revolutionary", "cutting-edge", "world-class") and unsupported superlatives.
  • Attribute opinions to their source ("According to ..."). State facts plainly.
  • Present significant viewpoints fairly and in proportion to reliable sources.
  • Be careful with safety, security, and legal claims about robots and autonomous systems. Cite standards or authoritative sources.
  • Avoid first and second person ("I", "we", "you") and instructions that read like a tutorial.

Language, dates, and numbers

  • Use American English consistently within an article.
  • Spell out terms on first use, then give the abbreviation in brackets: public key infrastructure (PKI). Terms like AI and IoT may be used directly after being linked.
  • Dates in prose: October 12, 2026. Dates in citations: 2026-10-12.
  • Use digits for numbers above nine and for measurements. Use SI units; add other units in brackets if useful.
  • Write standards in full on first mention with their year, for example ISO 8373:2021.
  • Link the first mention of a term; do not link the same term again in the same section.
  • Do not link common words, dates, or the article's own title.
  • Use piped links only when the displayed text must differ: [[Public Key Infrastructure|X.509 certificates]].
  • Link to articles that exist or are clearly needed. Check Special:WantedPages before creating new ones.
  • Use external links only in citations, Further reading, or the infobox.

Images and media

  • Upload only files you made or that have a free licence, and state the source and licence on the file page.
  • Use frameless or thumb with a short caption and meaningful alt text.
  • Do not rely on an image alone to explain something; describe it in the text.

References and citations

  • Support facts with reliable sources; see PAI:Reliable sources.
  • Use {{PAI Cite web}} for web sources. It creates the footnote itself, so do not wrap it in <ref> tags.
  • Place citation markers after punctuation, with no space before them.
  • Fill in title, url, website, date, and access-date whenever possible.
  • Reuse a source by giving it a name and repeating it with <ref name="x" />.

Categories

  • Every article should be in at least one category, placed at the bottom: [[Category:Physical AI]].
  • Use the most specific categories that apply; do not also add their parent categories.
  • Do not create near-duplicate categories. Ask on the PAI:Community noticeboard if unsure.

AI-assisted writing

  • You are fully responsible for every word you save, whatever tool helped you write it.
  • Verify every fact and every source. Chatbot output is not a source and may invent references.
  • Remove promotional or generic filler language before saving.
  • Do not paste large machine-generated passages without checking and rewriting them.
  • Disclose substantial AI assistance in the edit summary if you can.

Formatting basics

  • Use bold only for the title in the lead and for key defined terms; use italics for titles of works and for emphasis, sparingly.
  • Do not use all capitals, underlining, or colored text for emphasis.
  • Use lists for items that are truly parallel; use prose for explanations.
  • Use a table only for data that is naturally tabular, with a header row.
  • Leave a blank line between paragraphs.

See also

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