Tardis:Prefixes

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T:PREFIX
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We decided many years ago to prefer in-line citation over a more formalised footnote style. In most cases — particularly with in-universe articles — we cite a statement by giving a prefix followed by the name of a story or publication. This page identifies what prefixes to use.

As a rule of thumb, stories are identified by a prefix related to the medium of the story, like TV, COMIC or AUDIO.

Non-narrative source prefixes are more about type, like DOC and ICOM.

Prefixes are used to preface a story name, given as the source for a statement of fact in an article. In the example,

The Tenth Doctor once ate a part of a chocolate Easter egg. (TV: Planet of the Dead)

the prefix is TV.

In-universe sources

Prefixes that are used on this site for the citation of stories are:

Prefix	When used
TV	stories originally broadcast on television
PROSE	short stories, novels, novellas, and novelisations
AUDIO	stories original to the aural media but also all ephemeral stories (like stage plays) which were first released to mass audiences on audio. Also used to distinguish between different versions of what only appears to be the same thing. For instance, AUDIO: The Stones of Blood, is not just an audiobook of Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood, but a wholly different telling of it.
COMIC	stories told via sequential art, regardless of length
HOMEVID	all stories told via direct-to-video releases
GAME	narratives contained within games that are valid sources, such as The Adventure Games

Out-of-universe sources

Confined mostly to reference sources, the following prefixes may be used in any "real world" article, or in the "behind the scenes" section of an in-universe article. While the in-universe prefixes are strictly by medium, the out-of-universe ones emphasise type of material.

Prefix	When used
REF	reference books seen as valid under T:OOU SRC
DOC	Any sort of documentary, regardless of medium. Doctor Who Confidential and Torchwood Declassified episodes, DVD documentaries, Big Finish extras, Myth Makers' releases — they're all DOC
NOTDWU	Use when citing an officially released story that is not considered a valid source. Such stories — like the obviously parodic The Curse of Fatal Death or the deliberately alternative Exile — can only be cited in the "behind the scenes" sections of articles.

Commentaries

Commentaries are especially tricky, thanks in large measure to the Tenth Doctor's era, where some episodes have multiple commentaries. It's important to use the correct prefix, because, for example, PCOM: Doomsday is a wholly different thing to ICOM: Doomsday.

Prefix	When used
DCOM	Short for "DVD commentary", this is for the vast majority of audio commentaries found on DVD/Blu-ray.
PCOM	Short for "podcast commentary", this is for commentaries that were part of the official BBC podcasts during the RTD era
ICOM	Short for "in-vision commentary".