ICZNconventions

Editing conventions

ICZNwiki is initially structured so that each Article occupies one page, to be edited into the text that ultimately will be used in the fifth edition of the Code. The software provides several helpful tools:

• ● A brief reason for each change can be stated in the box labeled "Reason for edit" at the bottom of each edit screen. These reasons can be seen by pressing the info icon for a page (between the edit and print icons).
• ● Comments on a particular Article can be added in the box at the bottom of each page.

• ● Footnotes can be inserted at any point to give explanations and raise questions about particular sections without disrupting the flow of the text (syntax is [[Footnote(text)]]).

• ● Separate pages can be developed for consideration of complex or contentious issues.
• ● Two versions of a page can be compared using the "Diff" button (accessed through the info icon), although this function is not very sophisticated. Save often and edit in small batches to make this function more useful.

Formatting conventions

Wiki conventions make it difficult to entirely reflect the pattern of indenting and line spacing found in the printed or online versions of the Code. Instead, for legibility in the starting text, Examples and Recommendations are indented to the same level as the Article or section thereof that they relate to, and all Article numbers in headings are rendered in boldface. (See ICZNformatting for instructions.)

The Code does not entirely follow the conventions for use of italics that might be expected in technical writing in English. The use of italics in the ICZN Constitution is closer to the normal usage.

In the Code and the Constitution, italics are used for:

• ● names of genus-group and species-taxa in Latin,
• ● Latin suffixes and gender endings (e.g., Article 11.7.1.4, 31.1.2),

• ● titles of published works (e.g., Official List of Specific Names in Zoology).

The "Code" and Constitution are not consistent in use of italics for

• ● Latin phrases such as nomen oblitum (italicized in the Constitution and Article 23.9, but not in Article 55.3).

• ● Shortened titles of published works; for example, Official Lists is generally capitalized, but Code never is. ¹

The Code does not italicize

• ● Latin quoted from descriptions (e.g., Article 11.8.1, Example),
• ● stems of Latin and Latinized names (e.g., Article 29.3.1, Example),
• ● words in other languages, such as French (e.g., Article 11.7.2, Example) or Greek (e.g, Article 30.1.3, Example).

Consensus guidelines for use of italics in the fifth edition must be developed as part of the function of ICZNWiki.

Preamble | Articles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 | Glossary Appendices Constitution