Chalo Chatu:Article Creation and Editorial Guidelines Policy: Difference between revisions

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''This consolidated policy outlines how articles are written, reviewed, and approved for inclusion on Chalo Chatu — Zambia’s curated national encyclopedia.''
''This policy defines what types of sources are considered reliable for use on Chalo Chatu, especially in article references and citations.''


The '''Chalo Chatu Article Guidelines Project''' is a quality-control and content-improvement initiative. Our mission is to align Chalo Chatu’s output with international standards, while preserving Zambia’s voice and context.
At Chalo Chatu, reliability is defined by factual accuracy, editorial oversight, and the ability to be independently verified. Our aim is to document Zambia’s past and present using sources that can withstand both academic and community-based scrutiny.


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== Objectives ==
== General Criteria for Reliable Sources ==
* Establish clear editorial standards for article creation and improvement.
A reliable source must meet at least one of the following:
* Make Chalo Chatu usable as a source on Wikipedia and other platforms.
* Published by a reputable institution (e.g. universities, ministries, NGOs)
* Strengthen local knowledge through structured, verifiable documentation.
* Editorially controlled and fact-checked (e.g. legacy newspapers)
* Authored by subject-matter experts or official representatives
* Based on verifiable public records, law, or data
* Peer-reviewed (for academic sources)
* Endorsed by institutional authority (e.g. official government statements)


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→ All claims on Chalo Chatu is verified by one or more of these types of sources.
 
== Editorial Principles ==
Articles must reflect:
* '''Accuracy''' – factual, verifiable information only
* '''Neutrality''' – no bias or promotional tone
* '''Verifiability''' – backed by reliable sources
* '''Editorial transparency''' – registered accounts, edit summaries, no conflicts of interest
 
→ See also: [[Chalo Chatu:Editorial Policy]]


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== Scope and Inclusion ==
== Preferred Types of Sources ==
Chalo Chatu documents:
=== Academic and Institutional Sources ===
* Zambian people, places, history, politics, schools, sports, music, and more
* Academic journals and research papers
* Events of national/local impact, especially underreported ones
* Theses or dissertations hosted on university portals
* Oral history and living memory, with community verification
* Books published by scholarly or regional publishers


→ Full criteria: [[Chalo Chatu:Content Inclusion Guidelines]]
=== Government Publications ===
* Ministry reports (e.g. Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Local Government)
* National Assembly reports or Hansard records
* Census data, economic indicators, and official maps
* Statements from official '''Zambian Government social media pages''' (Facebook, X, WhatsApp)


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=== News Media ===
* Respected Zambian newspapers: ''Times of Zambia'', ''Zambia Daily Mail'', ''Daily Nation''
* International outlets reporting on Zambia: BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters
* Radio and TV transcripts from '''state broadcasters''' or '''regulated private stations'''


== Standard Article Structure ==
=== Institutional Reports ===
All articles must:
* Publications by credible NGOs (e.g. Transparency International, Amnesty International)
* Begin with a lead paragraph summarising key facts
* United Nations or AU-backed documents with Zambia relevance
* Use clear section headers: <code>==Early life==</code>, <code>==Career==</code>, etc.
* Court rulings, legal notices, and gazetted items
* Include an appropriate infobox (e.g. <nowiki>{{Infobox person}}</nowiki>, <nowiki>{{Infobox football club}}</nowiki>)
* Be categorised by place, theme, or domain
* Use internal links to other Chalo Chatu entries


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=== Community-Verified Oral History ===
* Documented through field interviews and editorial review
* Valid when corroborated by at least two independent oral sources
* Especially important for topics with little to no written record


== Sourcing Guidelines ==
→ See: [[Chalo Chatu:Oral History Protocol Pack]]
=== Preferred Sources ===
* Academic works, government records, reputable local or international news
* Verified oral testimony approved by editors
* Official social media posts from '''verified Zambian government institutions or public officials''', including ministries, agencies, and spokesperson accounts — when used in context and with clear attribution.
 
=== Avoid These ===
* Personal social media posts (unless officially verified)
* Blogs or non-verifiable websites
* Wikipedia articles themselves (use the original references)
 
→ For more: [[Chalo Chatu:Reliable sources]]


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== Citations and Templates ==
== Acceptable Social Media (With Conditions) ==
Use inline citations:
Chalo Chatu may use social media as a source '''only if''' it meets these strict conditions:
* <nowiki>{{cite web}}</nowiki>
* The post originates from an '''official, verified government account''', such as:
* <nowiki>{{cite news}}</nowiki>
:* Ministry of Information and Media
* <nowiki>{{cite tweet}}</nowiki> for verified institutional posts when needed
:* Zambia Police official Facebook page
 
:* President’s verified X (Twitter) account
Tag all articles with:
* The post relates to public interest: announcements, events, appointments, statements, or government actions
* <nowiki>{{Verified source}}</nowiki>, <nowiki>{{Oral history}}</nowiki>, or <nowiki>{{Developing article}}</nowiki>
* The post is dated and publicly available for cross-checking


→ Full toolkit: [[Chalo Chatu:Contributor Toolkit]]
→ Example:
<code>
{{cite web |title=President’s visit to Western Province |url=https://www.facebook.com/ZambiaStateHouse/posts/... |publisher=State House of Zambia |date=2025-07-15 |access-date=2025-08-01}}
</code>


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== Article Review System ==
== Sources to Avoid ==
All articles must:
* Personal blogs or websites without editorial control
* Be reviewed by a second editor
* YouTube or TikTok videos without official verification
* Go through approval by the RVB (Review & Verification Board)
* Wikipedia itself (you may use references found within Wikipedia articles, but not the articles directly)
* Be rated as:
* WhatsApp forwards or unverifiable social media threads
 
* Unnamed “sources” or gossip-based material
{| class="wikitable"
! Rating !! Description
|-
| Stub || Basic entry with minimal content
|-
| Start || Decent article but needs sources
|-
| Good || Well-sourced and complete
|-
| Featured || Fully developed
|}


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== Contributor Roles and Access ==
== Images and Media as Sources ==
Only registered, approved contributors can write and edit articles. Roles include:
Images from government websites or official social media accounts may be used if:
* Writers, editors, field researchers, historians
* Properly attributed with date, post source, and author (if available)
* Used under a public domain or CC license
* Related to the topic of the article (not decorative)


→ See onboarding: [[Chalo Chatu:Contributor Handbook]] <br>
→ See: [[Chalo Chatu:File Upload and Metadata Policy]]
→ Contributor policy: [[Chalo Chatu:Contributor Onboarding Policy]]


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== Oral History and Community Testimony ==
== Source Attribution ==
Chalo Chatu recognises oral history as a legitimate and culturally vital source of knowledge, especially in documenting Zambia’s untold or undocumented past.
Always cite your sources using citation templates:
 
* <nowiki>{{cite web}}</nowiki>
=== When to Use Oral History ===
* <nowiki>{{cite news}}</nowiki>
* When no written records exist, but there is strong community memory
* <nowiki>{{cite book}}</nowiki>
* When verified through interviews with elders, traditional leaders, or recognised custodians of culture
* <nowiki>{{cite tweet}}</nowiki> (used rarely, only for verified institutional accounts)
* For documenting language, customs, events, places, and biographies not covered by mainstream sources
 
=== Verification Standards ===
* Must be corroborated by at least two independent oral sources
* Verified by an editor or field contributor
* Tagged using <nowiki>{{Oral history}}</nowiki> and categorised under:
<nowiki>[[Category:Articles based on oral history]]</nowiki>
 
→ Full protocol: [[Chalo Chatu:Oral History Protocol Pack]]
 
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== Developing Articles and Live Events ==
Chalo Chatu documents events ''as they happen'', especially those:
* Underreported or overlooked by major media
* With long-term community or national impact
* Occurring in rural or decentralised areas
 
=== Guidelines for Developing Content ===
* Must be tagged with <nowiki>{{Developing article}}</nowiki>
* Updated regularly as new facts become available
* Includes verifiable on-ground reports, official government statements, and social media updates from **verified government accounts**
 
'''Note:''' These articles are provisional and reviewed regularly until stabilised.
 
→ Tagging instructions: [[Chalo Chatu:Article Tagging & Labelling Standards]] <br>  
→ Monitoring log: [[Chalo Chatu:Developing Events Tracker]]
 
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== Media Policy ==
Media files must comply with [[Chalo Chatu:File Upload and Metadata Policy]]. Approved uploads include:
* Original photography by contributors
* Government-released public media (e.g. social media photos from official ministry accounts)
* Creative Commons and Public Domain content


=== Licensing Criteria for Government Social Media Images ===
All quotes, facts, dates, and statistics must be accompanied by a reference, placed directly after the sentence or fact.
* The image must be shared by a '''verified official government account'''
* Used strictly for informational, educational, or archival purposes
* Must credit the institution (e.g. “Ministry of Information and Media – Facebook, 2025”)
* Screenshots should be avoided unless the post itself is the subject of coverage


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== Notability Guidelines ==
== Special Note on Developing Articles ==
Subjects must:
For breaking events or underreported developments:
* Have coverage in multiple reliable sources
* Use official social media posts from ministries or local authorities
* Be historically, culturally, or socially significant
* Supplement with field reports and oral updates
* Be documented by either secondary or reviewed oral sources
* Tag with <nowiki>{{Developing article}}</nowiki> and cite the source time and author


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== See Also ==
== See Also ==
* [[Chalo Chatu:Manual of Style]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Editorial Policy]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Community Portal]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Oral History Protocol Pack]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Oral History Protocol Pack]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Article Tagging & Labelling Standards]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:Article Creation and Editorial Guidelines]]
* [[Chalo Chatu:File Upload and Metadata Policy]]


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<div style="background:#ffffcc; border:1px solid #aaa; padding:1em;">
<div style="background:#e6f0ff; border:1px solid #ccc; padding:1em;">
'''Join the mission. Help build a Zambian encyclopedia that meets global standards while preserving our own story.'''
'''Reminder:''' If in doubt, seek peer review or tag the content with <code>{{source needed}}</code> until verification can be completed.
</div>
</div>


[[Category:Chalo Chatu policies]]
[[Category:Chalo Chatu policies]]
[[Category:Article creation]]
[[Category:Editorial policies]]
[[Category:Contributor training]]
[[Category:Source and citation standards]]

Revision as of 07:31, 1 August 2025

This policy defines what types of sources are considered reliable for use on Chalo Chatu, especially in article references and citations.

At Chalo Chatu, reliability is defined by factual accuracy, editorial oversight, and the ability to be independently verified. Our aim is to document Zambia’s past and present using sources that can withstand both academic and community-based scrutiny.

General Criteria for Reliable Sources

A reliable source must meet at least one of the following:

  • Published by a reputable institution (e.g. universities, ministries, NGOs)
  • Editorially controlled and fact-checked (e.g. legacy newspapers)
  • Authored by subject-matter experts or official representatives
  • Based on verifiable public records, law, or data
  • Peer-reviewed (for academic sources)
  • Endorsed by institutional authority (e.g. official government statements)

→ All claims on Chalo Chatu is verified by one or more of these types of sources.

Preferred Types of Sources

Academic and Institutional Sources

  • Academic journals and research papers
  • Theses or dissertations hosted on university portals
  • Books published by scholarly or regional publishers

Government Publications

  • Ministry reports (e.g. Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Local Government)
  • National Assembly reports or Hansard records
  • Census data, economic indicators, and official maps
  • Statements from official Zambian Government social media pages (Facebook, X, WhatsApp)

News Media

  • Respected Zambian newspapers: Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Daily Nation
  • International outlets reporting on Zambia: BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters
  • Radio and TV transcripts from state broadcasters or regulated private stations

Institutional Reports

  • Publications by credible NGOs (e.g. Transparency International, Amnesty International)
  • United Nations or AU-backed documents with Zambia relevance
  • Court rulings, legal notices, and gazetted items

Community-Verified Oral History

  • Documented through field interviews and editorial review
  • Valid when corroborated by at least two independent oral sources
  • Especially important for topics with little to no written record

→ See: Chalo Chatu:Oral History Protocol Pack

Acceptable Social Media (With Conditions)

Chalo Chatu may use social media as a source only if it meets these strict conditions:

  • The post originates from an official, verified government account, such as:
  • Ministry of Information and Media
  • Zambia Police official Facebook page
  • President’s verified X (Twitter) account
  • The post relates to public interest: announcements, events, appointments, statements, or government actions
  • The post is dated and publicly available for cross-checking

→ Example: Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).

Sources to Avoid

  • Personal blogs or websites without editorial control
  • YouTube or TikTok videos without official verification
  • Wikipedia itself (you may use references found within Wikipedia articles, but not the articles directly)
  • WhatsApp forwards or unverifiable social media threads
  • Unnamed “sources” or gossip-based material

Images and Media as Sources

Images from government websites or official social media accounts may be used if:

  • Properly attributed with date, post source, and author (if available)
  • Used under a public domain or CC license
  • Related to the topic of the article (not decorative)

→ See: Chalo Chatu:File Upload and Metadata Policy

Source Attribution

Always cite your sources using citation templates:

  • {{cite web}}
  • {{cite news}}
  • {{cite book}}
  • {{cite tweet}} (used rarely, only for verified institutional accounts)

All quotes, facts, dates, and statistics must be accompanied by a reference, placed directly after the sentence or fact.

Special Note on Developing Articles

For breaking events or underreported developments:

  • Use official social media posts from ministries or local authorities
  • Supplement with field reports and oral updates
  • Tag with {{Developing article}} and cite the source time and author

See Also

Reminder: If in doubt, seek peer review or tag the content with Template:Source needed until verification can be completed.

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