Basic Entry Guidelines
WUPedia is intended to be scholarly (well-research and accurate) in nature, yet accessible and engaging for a broad public audience. Entries should be objective/neutral analyses that offer an introduction and guide to a topic rather than advocating a personal opinion. The following guidelines have been developed to assist in creating a reliable and user friendly resource.
Before starting, consult the WU Archives to ensure your topic hasn't already been covered. Entries should focus on a person, organization, department, college, place or event connected to Willamette University or the Salem area.
All entries must be your original work. Standard plagiarism policies apply.
Whenever possible Include primary sources in your research and writing. WU Archives values the accessibility of original materials and contributors are encouraged to include transcriptions or digital images of original source materials within their entry or as an addendum.
Research widely. Seek out a range of sources and perspectives for a well-rounded understanding of the topic. WU archivists are available for research consultations to help you locate and access resources from the Hatfield Library, WU Archives, and local historical collections.
At a minimum, each entry should be 750 words in length. The length of entries may vary depending on the topic and available sources.
Use language that is inclusive and respectful. Inclusive language is defined as: “language that avoids the use of certain expressions or words that might be considered to exclude particular groups of people, especially gender-specific words, such as "man", "mankind", and masculine pronouns, the use of which might be considered to exclude women.”note below
Language is always evolving and it can affect the reception and understanding of information. We reserve the right to update terminology that may be outdated, inaccurate, or offensive.
Avoid “editorial comments” (statement of opinion) or information that cannot be verified in your entry. Entries should adhere to high standards of factual evidence and maintain an impartial point of view.
Please identify at least one image to accompany the entry. This can include photographs or documents. Due to copyright restrictions, WU Archives cannot post images for which we cannot get written permission. Authors are encouraged to work with Archives staff for appropriate images from WU Archives collections. AI generated images are not allowed. All photos must be properly attributed to their original source, regardless of copyright status.
Include footnotes for specific references to facts and assertions using MLA or Chicago style. Additionally, a bibliography should be provided including image citations. If general resources were consulted but not directly cited, they should still be listed in the bibliography.
Submit a draft of the entry to designated shared Google folder. Be sure to include your name and graduation year (e.g. Class of 2025) at the top of the document. Please add images separately.
Note: Definition from Dictionary.com https://www.dictionary.com/browse/inclusive-language
