Tardis:Stub

Stand well clear, Jo!

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A stub is a short article, usually only a few sentences in length. It is not so short as to admit of no utility to The TARDIS Index File wiki, but it is so obviously missing information that even casual fans of Doctor Who would probably view it as incomplete.

It is important to note that a stub is not only a short article. Some longer articles may be classed as stubs if they're obviously lacking major points. And many articles on this wiki are about minor subjects, about which not more than a few sentences can be written.

Stubs are identified through the placement of stub templates on pages which lack enough information to be considered proper articles. Because these templates automatically add pages to various lists of articles needing improvement, editors must exercise sound judgment when deciding to use these templates. If stub templates are used indiscriminately, the lists will become overwhelming to those editors who choose to use the lists to prioritize their work on the wiki.

Types of stub

Character stub

Articles about characters are often the hardest to judge in terms of their "stubbiness". Beyond the major televised characters like the Doctor, his companions, and perhaps the main guest stars, most characters require special effort to notice. Characters who appear a medium other than television are particularly hard for most editors to assess.

Additionally, the bulk of characters on this wiki are in fact minor ones. For most character articles, two or three sentences is the maximum that can be written. A good example is the unseen character of H. P. Wilson from the televised episode Rose. While one could argue that the article could be stylistically tweaked, or that a word or two might be added or subtracted, there's never going to be any more information forthcoming on him.

A good rule of thumb is that you should assume that articles about characters are not stubs. Only when you are certain that major details are missing should you mark it as a stub.

The question then becomes what constitutes "major details". This where an editor's personal judgment comes into play. Imagine an article about a person who met the Doctor, had a romanic relationship with another character and was key to an effort to defeat an enemy. If the article didn't at least mention all three of these things, it's probably a stub. But if the article could merely use greater amplification about those points, it's probably not a stub.

Astronomical object stub

The overwhelming majority of articles about stars, planets, asteroids and other astronomical phenomena are going to be short. This is because, aside from planets on which the Doctor has an adventure, these objects are only incidentally mentioned in most stories. Even planets that the Doctor has visited generally are not described in any great detail. We don't know all that much about the planet of Frontios, for instance, despite the fact that the the Fifth Doctor had a significant adventure there. We know relatively more about the culture and people of Frontios than we do about any of its geologic or astronomic details.

However, it is precisely the articles about planets that have served as the backdrop for the Doctor's adventures which harbor the greatest potential for "stubiness". If such articles fail to even mention the known inhabitants of that world, it is immediately a stub. If it doesn't characterize any known geography vital to the progress of a story — such as major cities, land masses, bodies of water, geologic formations, forests, or the like — it's also a stub. But if it merely fails to give as much detail as is possible, it is likely not a stub.

See also

• The master listing of all stubs