Chalo Chatu:Contributing to Chalo Chatu: Difference between revisions

'''''[[Chalo Chatu]]''''' is a free online collaborative encyclopedia by the [[Chalo Chatu Foundation]]. Launched on 1 June 2016, the website aims to be a knowledge hub that will preserve the History and Pride of [[Zambia]]. We are a non-profit organisation and content on this website is contributed by volunteers.

You can think of a topic to write about, or check through our '''[[:Special:WantedPages|list of wanted pages]]'''.

== Writing an article==

You have probably already edited blogs or social media sites. Maybe you have already made minor edits to our articles – but now you want to start your own article from scratch. Jump in!

#'''Gather references''' both to use as source(s) of the information you will include and to demonstrate the '''[[Notability in the Chalo Chatu|notability]]''' of your article's subject matter. Chalo Chatu  requires the use of  reliable published sources.  Sources, particularly internet sources, should also be stable, meaning they should be high enough quality that they will continue to exist for future generations. There are many places to find reliable sources, including your local library, but if internet-based sources are to be used, start with [http://books.google.com/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp books] and [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=a#hl=en&safe=off&gl=us&tbs=ar:1&tbm=nws&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22your+search+here%22&oq=%22your+search+here%22&gs_l=serp.3...13840.16191.2.16495.2.2.0.0.0.0.75.150.2.2.0...0.0...1c.gI5pLKtnlBw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=eaf35048cd590c78&biw=1550&bih=1201 news archive] searches rather than a simple web search. Extra care should be taken to make sure that articles on '''living persons''' have reliable sources – articles about living people without reliable sources may be deleted, especially if they include negative or controversial content. References to blogs, personal websites, Facebook and  YouTube are unsuitable and material obtained from them may be challenged and removed.

#'''Create the article first in Draft or User space''' unless you are very sure that you can create an acceptable article on your first attempt. Draft space has been a safe place to create articles that you want to work up towards being accepted into the encyclopedia. 'Live' articles are required to meet a number of Chalo Chatu rules from the start, or they risk being deleted; but in Draft space,  unless you do something seriously bad (like a copyright violation, or a personal attack on somebody) nobody is likely to touch your draft unless you ask them to.

==Search for an existing article==

; Non-notable topics : People frequently add pages to Chalo Chatu without considering [[Notability in the Chalo Chatu |whether the topic is really notable enough]] to go into the Zambian encyclopedia. Because Chalo Chatu does not have the space limitations of paper-based encyclopedias, our [[Notability in the Chalo Chatu|notability]] policies and guidelines allow a wide range of articles – however, they do not allow ''every'' topic to be included. A particularly common special case of this is pages about people, companies, or groups of people, that do not substantiate the notability or importance of their subject with reliable sources, so we have decided that such pages may be deleted. This can offend – so ''please'' consider whether your chosen topic is notable enough for Chalo Chatu, and then substantiate the notability or importance of your subject by citing those reliable sources in the process of creating your article. Chalo Chatu is not a directory of everything in Zambia.

; A single sentence or only a website link: Articles need to have real content of their own.

==Donations==

====Notes====

{{reflist|group="note"}}