View source for American Girl Wiki:Community guidelines

American Girl Wiki is a shared reference resource for fans, collectors, and readers. These guidelines help us build accurate articles and a welcoming community.

Contributors are responsible for what they publish, including material created or edited with assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

== Treat others respectfully ==

* Be courteous and assume good faith when reasonable. A mistake or disagreement does not automatically mean someone is acting maliciously.
* Discuss contributions and sources rather than attacking the person who posted them.
* Harassment, threats, discriminatory abuse, and targeted insults are not acceptable.
* Respect different levels of knowledge and experience. New contributors should be helped, not mocked or excluded.
* Do not pressure anyone to disclose their age, identity, location, contact information, or other personal details.
* Keep disagreements about the wiki focused on the relevant content. Do not bring personal disputes into articles or discussion pages.

== Write accurate, useful articles ==

Articles should describe their subjects clearly and factually.

* Support factual claims with appropriate sources, especially dates, prices, product specifications, publication details, quotations, and disputed information.
* Distinguish facts from interpretation, speculation, and personal opinion.
* Separate fictional events and character descriptions from real-world history and product information.
* Identify rumors and unconfirmed information as such, with an appropriate source. Do not present them as established facts.
* Use a neutral, descriptive tone rather than promotional language or personal reviews.
* Preserve useful information and attribution when improving an existing article.
* Correct errors when you find them, and explain substantial changes in an edit summary or on the article's discussion page.

When discussing historical events, cultures, identities, or sensitive subjects, use careful language and appropriate sources. Distinguish the depiction in a fictional story from independently supported historical information.

== Sources and citations ==

Use sources that are appropriate for the claim being made.

Official product listings, catalogs, books, packaging, and company announcements can support information about American Girl's products and published stories. Independent historical, journalistic, or scholarly sources may be needed for broader real-world claims.

Provide enough information for another contributor to locate and check a source. Depending on the source, include a URL, title, author, publication date, edition, or page number.

* Cite the source you actually checked.
* Check that the source supports the specific claim, not merely a related topic.
* Reproduce quotations accurately and identify where they came from.
* Do not invent references, quotations, page numbers, or links.
* If a source cannot be checked, describe the uncertainty rather than claiming it has been verified.
* A claim appearing on another wiki, social-media post, search snippet, or AI-generated response is not automatically reliable.

Clearly identify first-hand observations and avoid treating an individual collector's experience as proof of a general claim.

== Artificial intelligence tools ==

=== AI-assisted writing and editing ===

Contributors may use AI tools to assist with drafting, organization, translation, summarization, or copyediting. Human review and fact-checking are required before publishing.

Before saving AI-assisted text:

* Validate the factual statements against reliable sources. Do not rely on the AI tool's assurances that its output is accurate.
* Open and check each suggested reference. Confirm that it exists and supports the claim attributed to it.
* Verify names, dates, prices, product details, book titles, quotations, and page numbers.
* Remove unsupported claims and misleading wording.
* Check that the result accurately represents the sources and does not introduce speculation or fabricated details.
* Ensure the text complies with the wiki's copyright and attribution requirements.
* Read the final version yourself and take responsibility for it.

For grammar-only or formatting assistance, check that the tool has not changed the meaning, names, numbers, quotations, or other factual details.

An AI-generated answer is not itself evidence for a claim about American Girl. Repeating the same question to another AI tool is not a substitute for checking sources.

Do not paste unchecked AI output into articles or use AI to produce large volumes of unreviewed edits. Uncertainty should be acknowledged or discussed rather than filled with plausible-sounding information.

Briefly noting substantial AI assistance in an edit summary is encouraged. Disclosure does not replace verification.

=== AI-generated and AI-altered images ===

We strongly discourage AI-generated artwork and substantially AI-altered images as article illustrations. Authentic photographs, documented source images, and original human-created illustrations are preferred, subject to [[Project:Image use policy|our image use policy]].

Generated images are not reliable evidence of a doll, outfit, accessory, book cover, packaging design, or historical item. Do not use generative editing to invent product details or make an altered image appear to document an authentic item.

If an AI-generated or substantially AI-altered image is used, it must:

* Serve a clear, relevant purpose.
* Be clearly identified as generated or altered on its file description page and in its article caption.
* Document the original source, relevant alterations, and tool used where known.
* Avoid implying that it is an authentic photograph, official American Girl artwork, or the work of a human artist when it is not.
* Meet the same source, rights, and use-justification requirements as other images.

Using an AI tool does not remove the responsibility to assess copyright, attribution, or other rights in the material being used.

== Copyright and image use ==

Follow [[Project:Copyrights|our copyright and licensing policy]] and [[Project:Image use policy|our image use policy]].

Do not copy text or upload images merely because they are available online. Preserve required attribution, identify the applicable license or permission, and document any reliance on fair use.

Do not remove source-credit notices or misrepresent authorship.

Copyright and trademark complaints should follow [[Project:Copyright and takedown requests]]. Send private legal correspondence to the designated contact rather than posting it publicly.

== Editing and disagreements ==

* Use informative edit summaries.
* Use article discussion pages to explain disputed changes and compare sources.
* Pause repeated reversals of the same edit. Discuss the issue instead of continuing an edit war.
* Ask an administrator for help if discussion does not resolve the disagreement.
* Respect page protection and administrator instructions. Do not use another account to evade a restriction.
* Use [[Project:Sandbox|the sandbox]] to practice editing.

Contributors may propose changes to these guidelines on this page's discussion page.

== Spam, promotion, and misuse ==

Do not use articles or discussions for spam, unrelated advertising, impersonation, scams, or personal attacks.

External links should support the article or discussion rather than primarily promote a business, account, or service.

Do not turn reference articles into personal sales listings or solicit purchases from other contributors.

== Personal information and account eligibility ==

Do not publish another person's private information without authorization. If you encounter exposed personal information, contact an administrator rather than repeating it.

Remember that articles, discussions, edit summaries, and page histories are public. Avoid publishing information you do not want to remain accessible.

Account creation requires users to be at least 13 years old, or to meet a higher minimum age where applicable.

See [[Project:Privacy policy|our privacy policy]] for information about accounts, contributions, and data handling.

== Moderation and enforcement ==

Administrators may correct or remove problematic content, request sources or clarification, protect pages, or restrict accounts when needed.

Ordinary mistakes should generally be addressed with explanation and an opportunity to improve. Serious abuse or repeated violations may result in immediate or longer-term restrictions.

Repeated copyright infringement is handled under [[Project:Copyright and takedown requests#Repeat infringement|our repeat-infringer policy]].

If you disagree with an administrative action, explain the issue calmly and provide relevant context. You may request review through an appropriate discussion page or by contacting support.

== Getting help ==

For general questions, moderation concerns, or requests for administrative review, contact [mailto:support@americangirl.wiki support@americangirl.wiki].

For copyright, trademark, or privacy concerns, contact [mailto:legal@americangirl.wiki legal@americangirl.wiki].

Do not post passwords, confirmation links, recovery credentials, or private correspondence on public wiki pages.

== Related policies ==

* [[Project:About|About American Girl Wiki]]
* [[Project:Copyrights|Copyright and licensing]]
* [[Project:Image use policy|Image use policy]]
* [[Project:Copyright and takedown requests|Copyright and trademark complaints]]
* [[Project:Privacy policy|Privacy policy]]
* [[Project:General disclaimer|General disclaimer]]