Clicklaw Wikibooks Contributor Guide
This is a help page for contributors or users.
- This page contains no legal help information.
- See other Clicklaw Wikibooks Guides.
This is a guide for editors and contributors who have accounts with Clicklaw Wikibooks, and who are actively responsible for editing content. Read on to learn about:
- Getting your account set up
- Logging in
- Making edits to pages
The Clicklaw Wikibooks Contributor Guide will get editors and contributors started. If you are not a Wikibooks editor or contributor, but handle your organization's content on the main Clicklaw main Clicklaw website, see the Clicklaw Website Contributor Guide.
Getting started
Accounts and contributor bio pages
Account setup
Unless your organization chooses to use a single organization-wide account for making edits, each contributor will receive a username and bio page. Users set their own password once their receive their invitation to log in to Clicklaw Wikibooks. By default Clicklaw Wikibooks uses the editor's first and last name, capitalized accordingly and separated by a space, e.g. "Nate Russell", to form the username. Honorifics, e.g. "Judge" or "QC", are not included in the username, although honorifics can be mentioned elsewhere. If you are an editor but have not yet received an email invitation with your account, contact wikisupport@clicklaw.bc.ca. Editors set their own passwords and can change their email address using the "Preferences" tab.
Contributor bio pages
Editors and contributors with usernames receive a bio page. See bio page examples. The bio page will link to your content and include your name and a brief professional biography at a minimum. It may also include a link your firm's website, a profile picture, and contact information (phone, email, social media). Bio pages are intended to credit and introduce contributors, but Courthouse Libraries BC must avoid the impression that it promotes the services of certain lawyers over others. Avoid overtly promotional language such as self-laudatory claims and adjectives. To set up the bio page, we require:
- 100-250 word bio
- website URL, email, and social media accounts (optional)
- profile photo portrait at least 150 px wide (optional)
- any phone number, email or social media accounts you want to include
Those who do not supply a photo will have a generic profile graphic displayed. As a matter of style and for consistency of tone, lawyers are referred to in the third person and by their first name. The Clicklaw Wikibooks coordinator may edit bios for length and tone.
Authors, editors and reviewers
Clicklaw Wikibooks houses content for a number of organizations with publications. Each publication, or wikibook title, may have its own culture and arrangement with people tasked with updating it. An partner organization's work will be carried out by contributors, and these people might be staff of that organization with no wiki skills, freelance contractors who've done wiki work before, or volunteer lawyers, judges, advocates, etc. with a wide range of ability. Some wikibooks, such as those produced by Peoples Law School, are administered by a small team of editors only, while other wikibooks, such as JP Boyd on Family Law, involve numerous collaborators all of who are volunteers.
Before you edit
Know what you're responsible for
Have you been invited to edit a particular title? Are you certain the page you're about to edit is part of the right wikibook title, and does not belong to a different wikibook?
Be conscientious about which page you are editing. Please only edit pages from those titles (or chapters within titles) for which you are responsible. Generally, let your discretion guide you, or email wikisupport@clicklaw.bc.ca for help.
That said...
Relax, you can't screw up
Having asked you to be mindful of the pages you edit, take comfort in knowing that you literally can't damage a page so badly that it cannot be restored.
See Undoing Changes.
If we haven't taught you how to do it, ask us how (or leave it be)
A minimum knowledge of the tools is required. Other than knowing how to log in, navigate around, and where to find things like the "Edit" tab, you will need to know how to:
- create (or fix) links to cases, legislation, other web resources,
- make lists (like this numbered list),
- create emphasis for key words or documents using italics, or in rare cases bold,
- divide pages with section headings and subheadings,
- indent paragraphs or blocks of text,
- create text in a plain format (for legislation excerpts), and
- understand a few technical things that are happening and the limited things you need to know to:
- change what alert boxes are saying on pages,
- work with your contributor bio page,
- understand some of the weird coding and know what to leave alone,
- maybe change the contents of tables, and
- participate in Discussion pages (these are locked down so only editors can see Discussions about a page).
This page shows you how to do the above. You are not expected to do anything technically beyond what is explained here. If you have questions, email us at wikisupport@clicklaw.bc.ca
Logging in to your new account
Everyone who contributes to Clicklaw Wikibooks will be given an account. All of your work is linked to your account, so it’s important to use the same account every time.
- You will receive an email from "wikisupport@clicklaw.bc.ca" containing your username and password.
- Go to http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/.
- Use the "Log in" button at the top right to log in with the username and password supplied in the email.
- Change your password to something secure that you will remember (if you need to find the Change Password page, it’s http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php?title=Special:ChangePassword).
Setting up your Watchlist and alerts
There are thousands of pages on Clicklaw Wikibooks, but are you responsible for more than half a dozen?
Make sure to click the star icon on all pages assigned to you (include your contributor bio page). This ensures you are monitoring pages in case other editors make changes or visitors leave feedback. Do this once for all your pages at the account setup stage, and also ensure that your preferences are set to receive email alerts for changes
Steps for adding pages to your watchlist and setting up email alerts for changes to pages on your watchlist are discussed below.
Organizations with one username and account for editing might be responsible for dozens of pages, but organizations should still take this step.
The "Edit" screen
Are you at the page you want to edit? Are you logged in? If yes, you can start editing.
- Click on the "Edit" tab or click on the "edit" link beside a particular section (if you only want to edit the text for a certain section of a page).
- You can make changes to the text in the edit window, and click on the “Save page” button to save your changes.
Basic editing tools and formatting
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Tip: See the Clicklaw Wikibooks Cheatsheet for the most basic tips on editing. |
Clicklaw Wikibooks uses a simple markup language to control how content looks, but to start off, you don't need to know much about this markup language. Buttons along the top of the edit window frame do most of the formatting and wiki markup for you.
Bold
In the edit screen, selecting text then clicking the Bold button will apply the wiki markup to make the text appear bold. Bold text is rarely called for by the Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide. Italics are preferred for giving emphasis. That said, it is sometimes appropriate to bold the first word in a list item. You can create bold text manually by enclosing one or more words in sets of three apostrophes.
Typing:
I want to make '''this text''' bold.
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- I want to make this text bold.
Italics
In the edit screen, selecting text then clicking the Italic button will apply the wiki markup to make the text appear in italics. Use Italics sparingly to add emphasis to words that are unfamiliar or to disambiguate ones that the reader might mistake. Italics are used to cite cases, legislation or certain other sources. Consult the Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide for guidelines on when to use italics.
To create italic text manually, enclose one or more words in sets of two apostrophes. Typing:
An ''arquebus'' is an early muzzle-loaded firearm, while an ''aquabus'' is a motorized boat.
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- An arquebus is an early muzzle-loaded firearm, while an aquabus is a motorized boat.
Links
Link to another website
Examples of external links include any link to another website, or even a PDF or DOC file available somewhere online. Cases on CanLII, for instance, require external links. The simplest way to insert an external link is to just type the full URL, including the http:// prefix.
Typing:
For more information on the Court of Appeal process, visit http://www.courtofappealbc.ca
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- For more information on the Court of Appeal process, visit http://www.courtofappealbc.ca.
Much of the time, you won't want the link to appear so obvious. To have other words appear with links to online resources, select the text you want to contain the link, then click the Link button. You will be prompted to enter the URL (the link to the online resource). Make sure to select "To an external web page", then click "Insert link".
Typing:
For more information, visit the Court of Appeal BC's [http://www.courtofappealbc.ca Online Help Guide].
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- For more information, visit the Court of Appeal BC's Online Help Guide.
Link to another wiki page
One page in a wiki often naturally leads to another page on the same wiki. For example, here is a link to the Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide, which is a Clicklaw Wikibooks page. To make an internal link, click the Link button. You will be prompted to enter the target page, which must be the exact name of the page, and the text to display for the link. Make sure to select "To a wiki page" at the bottom, then click "Insert link".
Typing:
Editors are encouraged to read the [[Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide | Style Guide]].
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- Editors are encouraged to read the Style Guide.
Note: twin square brackets are used for internal links.
Link to a location on the same wiki page
Sometimes, you may need to make a reference to a section within the same page.
Typing:
To learn how to insert links, read [[{{PAGENAME}}#Links | Links]].
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- To learn how to insert links, read Links.
Link to a location on another wiki page
In some cases, you may need to direct readers to only a section on another wiki page. For example, when the section you are referring to is located in the middle of a lengthy wiki page. If you provided a link to the page, it would be confusing for the readers to land at the beginning of the page.
Typing:
To learn how to name a wiki page, read about [[Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide#Page titles | page naming convention]].
Will look like this when you save or preview the page:
- To learn how to name a wiki page, read about page naming convention.
Headings and subheadings
Clicklaw Wikibook pages rely heavily on in page headings and subheadings to break up content and to improve navigation. Select the words that you want to become a heading, then select the Heading level from the Advanced menu. The results, when saved, will give you a primary section heading in the text of an article.
Headings within a page can also be produced by typing multiple equal signs, and you are not restricted to a single, primary level of header. A primary section heading is achieved by typing:
==Words in primary heading==
A subsection below a primary heading is achieved by typing:
===Words in secondary heading===
A maximum of five heading levels is possible. Just keep adding more equal sign symbols. Spaces between the equal signs and the heading text are optional, and will not affect the way the heading is displayed. The heading must be typed on a separate line. Include one blank line above the heading, and optionally one blank line below it, for readability in the edit screen. (Only two or more consecutive paragraph breaks will add white space between paragraphs of text in the page once saved.)
The following points apply to in page headings:
- Use sentence case for section headings — that is, the initial letter of a title is capitalized; otherwise, capital letters are used only where they would be used in a normal sentence.
- Headings should not normally contain links, especially where only part of a heading is linked.
- Section and subsection headings should preferably be unique within a page; otherwise section links may lead to the wrong place.
Lists
The Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide calls for the use of bulleted lists to break up serial information where the order is not important, and numbered lists where steps or some other sequence is important to understand the information.
The edit toolbar has the buttons for making lists in the Advanced menu. They are also simple to create as you type. Authorities on plain language writing tend to agree that lists generally make information easier to absorb.
Making a list
Once you are logged in, and are in the Edit screen of the page you want to change:
- Numbered list: Place each list item on its own line, and start each line with a pound symbol "#". Click "Show preview" to see the list. Notice that the numbered list automatically ends at the last line that you started with a pound symbol. Alternatively, you can select the lines and click the Numbered List button.
- Bulleted list: To make a list with bullets, follow the same steps as for a numbered list, but replace the pound symbol with an asterix. You can also use the Bulleted List button.
List examples
| Description | This wiki code | Results in this display on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Numbered list | # One # Two |
|
| Bulleted list | * Red * Green |
|
More complicated lists with sublists are achieved by adding an extra pound or asterix symbol beside items you want to appear as indented subordinate list. Lists can include a subordinate list of another type, for example a numbered list can break off into a series of points in a bulleted list, or vice versa.
| Description | This wiki code | Results in this display on the page |
|---|---|---|
| A numbered list with a subordinate list that is also numbered. | # Item one # Leads to item two: |
|
| A mixed list. Numbered list with a subordinate bulleted list. | # Item one # Leads to item two: |
|
| A bulleted list with a subordinate list of numbers, and a further subordinate list of bullets. |
* This point is simple. * This point is complicated, and includes: |
|
Images and video
Uploading images
To upload an image that you will use in a wikibook, or a contributor profile, select the "Upload file" link from the sidebar navigation menu. It is located under the "Toolbox" header. Please use a descriptive name.
Please restrict your photos to .png or .jpg formats.
Embedding images
There are several ways to embed an image — however only a couple work well and support PDF, EPUB, and print-on-demand viewing. Consistency is important, so please use the following approach:
| Writing this: | ... should produce this: |
|
 |
Obviously, "DescriptiveImageName.jpg" should be replaced with the name of the image you uploaded.
The copyright information may take the form of "Copyright www.shutterstock.com", for example.
Videos
Clicklaw Wikibooks supports videos embedded from Youtube. You will need to be working with videos that you have already uploaded to Youtube directly. You cannot upload videos to the Clicklaw Wikibooks directly.
You have two options:
- left aligned videos
- right aligned videos
The following script might look complicated, but you are only going to be changing one thing. You will only be changing the unique identifier, e.g. ivsBIwncoiY. This is the unique alphanumeric string found at the end of a Youtube video's "Share" link.
To embed a video (left aligned) type:
{{Video || video = {{#ev:youtube|ivsBIwncoiY|350|right}} }}- Remember to replace "ivsBIwncoiY" with your own video's unique identifier.
This code should embed a left aligned video:
To embed a video (right aligned) type:
{{Videoright || video = {{#ev:youtube|ivsBIwncoiY|350|right}} }}- Again, remember to replace "ivsBIwncoiY" with your own video's unique identifier.
This code should embed a right aligned video:
Undoing changes
One of the best things about this wiki platform is that each page has a "History" of older versions, including the one you just saved over. You (or another person) can always undo an edit and restore the older version.
When viewing a page's history tab:
- Selecting Undo on the current version will show you the difference between it and the next most recent version, and you can then select "Save page" to restore the earlier of the two versions.
- Selecting Rollback on the current version of a page will undo all of the recent changes by the contributor who had saved that current version, with the effect of rewinding the page back to the most recent version saved by someone other than that contributor.
Advanced features
Watchlist
Account holders, including all editors and contributors, have the option of adding pages to a watchlist so they can follow content that they are responsible for and receive a notification when the pages are altered. You receive email notifications (see setting up email notificaiton) or be shown an overview of the changes from the Watchlist page.
Adding pages to watchlist
To add a page to your watchlist you must be logged in. From the page you wish to add, click the star icon beside the "History" tab. 
View your watchlist
Access the Watchlist from the top menu, or from the left menu. Once you are on the My Watchlist page, you should see a list of the recent changes from the last several days.
Edit your watchlist
Delete pages you no longer want to watch or receive notifications about. Check the box beside the name of the page you want to delete from the watchlist, then click "Remove titles". The pages will be deleted from the watchlist only, not from the wiki.
Email notifications for watchlist
To enable email notification, which will let you know as soon as an edit is made to a page you watch, select "Preferences" from the top menu, select the "User profile" tab, then at the bottom under "E-mail options" select "E-mail me when a page or a file on my watchlist is changed." You can also control notifications about changes to your user talk page through this menu.
Note: Email alerts will happen when pages are altered by another editor, however feedback left by visitors to the site will not generate an email alert. To see feedback from your watched pages while logged in, visit: http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php?title=Special:ArticleFeedbackv5Watchlist
Disabling Glossary/Terminology Popups
Terms that appear along with their definitions on the Terminology page will automatically be detected the first time they appear on any article in the Clicklaw Wiki. In general, this saves work, since no manual coding is required to ensure that a legal term will include a definition. The automatic nature of this process, however, will result in false-positives in cases where a defined term also has a common meaning in addition to a legal one (the terms "hearing", and "order" for example).
Disabling a single occurrence of a term
To exclude defined terms from appearing with their pop-up definition (and where it is the first time the term has been used on a page), you should bracket the term with the HTML element:
<span class="noglossary">term</span>
A <div> tag will also work but create a separate paragraph that may not be desired.
Disabling definitions for a whole page
To exclude an entire article from receiving glossary popups you need to place one line of text on the page. From the edit screen include the text:
__NOGLOSSARY__
It is common to place this at the end of the text of a page.
Additional resources
Wikibook goals and selection criteria
See the About page for policies around Clicklaw Wikibooks' governance, selection criteria for new titles, and goals.
Best practices for PLEI
Clicklaw Wikibooks follows Best Practice Guidelines for the development and maintenance of online Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI) in British Columbia.
Style guide
The Clicklaw Wikibooks Style Guide highlights key style and word usage for pages on Clicklaw Wikibooks.
MediaWiki manual
The MediaWiki website also includes excellent support material — for example, instructions on navigating a wiki, editing pages, and much more. (MediaWiki is free, open source software that powers Clicklaw Wikibooks, as well as the hugely popular Wikipedia.)
Plain language writing
A short definition of "Plain English"
Brian Garner, from Legal Writing in Plain English, 2001, pp xiv:
A word about "plain English." The phrase certainly shouldn't connote drab and dreary language. Actually, plain English is typically quite interesting to read. It's robust and direct—the opposite of gaudy, pretentious language. You achieve plain English when you use the simplest, most straightforward way of expressing an idea. You can still choose interesting words. But you'll avoid fancy ones that have everyday replacements meaning precisely the same thing.
Plain language tips
We are writing with the public reader in mind, not lawyers or other legal advocates. Depending on the wikibook, you may need to aim for a very low reading level. For example, Legal Help for British Columbians serves very basic information so people can take the first step towards finding help for their common legal problem. JP Boyd on Family Law, on the other hand, presumes a higher reading level, since it offers motivated self-represented individuals a slightly more detailed description of family law. Both groups of readers benefit from plain language writing methods. Some tips to consider when writing or reviewing legal information for the public:
- Think about your reader and question what they know or don't know.
- Think about questions your readers will have on the topic, and organize your thoughts accordingly.
- Summarize main points using headers.
- Organize steps or similar information with lists.
- Write brief sentences and keep paragraphs short.
- Use common phrases and words.
- Avoid unnecessary descriptive adverbs and words.
- Write in the active voice and keep verb and subject close together.
- Ask another reader to evaluate your writing.
More on plain language writing
- CBA PracticeLink: Plain language legal writing
- Before and After Comparisons from www.plainlanguage.gov
- Joe Kimble, The Elements of Plain Language in the Michigan Bar Journal, October 2002
Note about updating resources in Legal Help for British Columbians
For contributors updating resources for the guide Legal Help for British Columbians, please see the explanatory note on the Resource List for Legal Help for British Columbians. (Resources are managed as individual pages that are then automatically consolidated on a single Resource List.)
For further information
This Guide is maintained by the Clicklaw site editors. For more information or support, please contact wikisupport@clicklaw.bc.ca.
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