Help:Step-by-step guide

The steps below are intended to guide you through the process of creating an article. The page Basic setup, rules and guidelines provides a more detailed explanation how things work at the Coastal Wiki. More information on editing an article is provided in Help:How to edit an article.

Basic setup

Step	Instructions
a) Register.	To edit at the Coastal Wiki, you need an account with an editing authorization, this way other users can see who made the edits. If you already have an account, just click log in/create an account at the right-hand side of this page, just below the main toolbar. If you are already known to the VLIZ Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) you can create an account by filling out the form behind the create account button in the top right corner. If you are unknown to IMIS and which to create an account, please contact info@coastalwiki.org.
b) Start new article	Before starting an article, check if an article on the same of a very similar topic exists already (by using the search window). Also, try to identify in which theme (see the ten themes at the Main Page) your article fits the best and contact the coordinator of that theme. For more information about writing an article, click here.
c) Edit other articles	You can just edit every (part of an) article, by clicking either the edit link at the top of the page or use the edit button at the beginning of each section. However, we recommend to contact the author first if you want to make major adjustments. For more information click here.
d) Editing and saving	You can edit an article as you go or prepare an article in a word-document. Make use of basic Wiki-formatting to format your article, to create links and insert images, references and tables. For more information click here.

Editing

The table below provides an overview of how-to-edit topics. The links refer to the article Help:How to edit an article

Step	Instructions
1. Basic Wiki-formatting	Try to use appropriate headings and subheadings, add references an links. Add bullets and numbering where appropriate. Use italics and bold for emphasis. Click here for more information.
2. Images	Add illustrations, boxes and tables to your article, if they are appropriate to the subject, with succinct captions and acceptable copyright status. Try to insert 1 image for every 500 words. Click here for more information about inserting images and tables.
3. Definitions	Define terms and refer to the definitions from separate, individual definition pages. Click here for more information on the creation of definitions.
4. Formulas	You can use html-format or Wiki Math-format to edit formulas or to insert special symbols, Greek or mathematical characteristics. Click here for more information.
5. Links and references	Create internal links to other articles at the Coastal Wiki and create Web links. Provide references with citations from cited and reputable sources and create a list of cited references. Click here to see how to insert references, notes and links.
6. Credit the author	Add an author-ID at the end of the article, so that users know who is the main author of the article. Click here for information how to credit an author.
7. Categorization	Add at least three appropriate categories to your article, in order to make it easier to be found by different types of users. Click here for more information.