This is the reference version of the working proposed guideline for the use of the term " British Isles". The full name of the guideline is as yet undecided. The main proposal page is at WP:BITASK - the British Isles terminology task force.
Please make any edits/comments on the 'draft 1' version ( here) - not on this reference version, as it is here for clarity only.
When consensus is found for any changes, this 'draft 2' page can be amended. This page was initially created with the guideline as it stood, and no part of it was intended to represent a finalised state.
"These guidelines cover the use of the term British Isles on Wikipedia. Although 'British Isles' is widely and most typically used as a geographical term (in the sense of physical geography), it must be recognised that many editors on Wikipedia consider it to be a politicised term too. British Isles is the term used to describe the two large island groups of Great Britain and Ireland as a wider archipelago. However, the term can cause confusion in relation to the island of 'Ireland', which is occupied by two countries, the sovereign state country of Republic of Ireland which is not British, and the smaller British constituent country of Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom. Although the Republic of Ireland (often known as just ‘Ireland’) is technically part of the British Isles, many on Wikipedia do not wish for it to be misidentified as being 'British'. Alongside general use of the term British Isles, this guideline specifically focuses on the accepted use of the term regarding the Republic of Ireland.
Reliable sources can be found where the Channel Islands are said to be part of the British Isles (and this can be seen as a 'tradition' by some), however Wikipedia keeps to the strict geographical meaning of the archipelago in this guideline, and does not include those British islands off the coast of Europe in its definition.
In the wider world the term "British Isles" is often used in a colloquial and sometimes exaggerated sense, however a strict guideline-based use is recommended for the term on Wikipedia.
Geographical components of the term 'British Isles':
Political components of the term 'British Isles':
This guideline often refers to the 'technical' use of the term British Isles. Generally, the term 'technical' here covers the sciences and disciplines of physical geography, geology, natural history (including fauna but excluding flora) and archaeology. When used in a 'pure' technical sense the term is always acceptable.
Unless the term 'British Isles' is being used in a purely technical context (such as geology, archaeology or natural history), reliable sources should be found to support its use. If a reliable source exists that uses term 'British Isles' contrary to Wikipedia's guidelines, and is needed for the text of an article, the term should be re-phrased according to the intended meaning of the term, and not appropriated into the text as "British Isles". If the term is part of a wider quote, a disclaimer per accepted convention needs to be applied.
The amount of reliable sources needed to support the use of "British Isles" would be article-relevant.
Comparisons must pass notability, as well as being verifiable. It is not usually notable to say that something is greater than the third largest in the "British Isles" for any important geographical feature. If it is less significant, then second largest, or often just largest, would suffice. In articles about geographical subjects where comparisons hold a particular significance, wider comparisons can be made. Where there is specific relevancy to making the wider comparison in the text, this rule of thumb can also be broken.
There is currently no one fixed way on Wikipedia to denote the word 'Ireland', either as the island or as the country. However, it is often the custom on Wikipedia to use a piped linked " Ireland" for the country (pipe-linked to Republic of Ireland). Ireland-as-the-island also contains the country Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. For the sake of clarity in matters where the United Kingdom is relevant, it recommended to take a disambiguating approach regarding the word 'Ireland' wherever possible. Alternatives to the piped link, such as Ireland (island), are shown in the examples below.
Five separate guidelines (A-E) have been structured around the 'nationality weight' that can occur when the term 'British Isles' is in question. The term 'heavy' is used denote an over-riding importance of a specific factor (such as the UK) within the article/subject.
The following table is an aid to choosing one of the five guidelines. To best decide which is the most suitable guideline to follow, it is recommended that the table is followed sequentially. If in any doubt over which guideline to use, referring to the actual examples in each individual guidelines should help.
Step | Issue (per weight) | Refer to... |
---|---|---|
1 | UK and Republic of Ireland-heavy issue | Guideline A |
2 | UK-heavy issue | Guideline B |
3 | Republic of Ireland-heavy issue | Guideline C |
4 | Regional-specific issue | Guideline D |
5 | Secondary usage (or none of the above) | Guideline E |
In certain situations (especially regarding the Republic of Ireland), the term 'British Isles' can also be used for less than the entirety of the isles. As a rule of thumb, it is acceptable to use the term here when the subject covers three or more countries or islands within the British Isles - including the Republic of Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and any smaller islands or areas. If only two places are concerned, just their two names should be used, and never "British Isles". Remember that the term 'British Isles' is always an optional expression, and there are always other ways to describe the situation.
Do not mislead!
The island of Ireland and its surrounding isles is a principle part of the British Isles. If the reader would reasonably expect all or part of the island of Ireland to be included in the term, but the specific matter does not include the island of Ireland, the term should not be used.
To avoid the word 'British' being mistakenly connected with Ireland in a political sense, various forms of phrasing can be used to help disambiguate. The use of 'United Kingdom' on some of these examples may acceptably be changed to 'British Isles' and vice versa, when neither is technically wrong.
The term should only be used in Ireland-heavy subjects when clearly relating to the whole of the British Isles. However, the meaning of the term in its fullest sense can sometimes be implicit, rather than explicit. Remember that the term 'British Isles' is always an optional expression, and there are always other ways to describe the situation. It is strongly recommended that either the "Republic of Ireland" or the island of "Ireland" is mentioned alongside the term "British Isles" in all Ireland-heavy cases that are not technical (ie not geology or archeology etc), or when the technical relevance is shared - perhaps with a human geography, or a non-scientific matter.
Examples of correct use:
Examples of alternative use:
Example of incorrect use:
Please also refer to #Note on comparative terms in the introduction.
Examples of correct use:
Example of incorrect use:
Further examples of comparative use:
Please also refer to #Note on disambiguating the island of 'Ireland' in the introduction.
For UK-heavy issues, when the term clearly relates to both the main islands of Ireland and Great Britain to some degree (per WP:BIDONOTMISLEAD), the term can generally be used. Please note that there may often be a better alternative to the term, and to use discussion and follow consensus if the term is contested.
Examples of correct phrases:
Please also refer to #Note on comparative terms in the introduction.
Example of correct phrases
Example of incorrect use
If the UK itself has little weight, it is recommended that the term ‘British Isles’ is not used for subjects that are specifically related to the Republic of Ireland. But bear in mind that many technical subjects have an intrinsic connection to the archipelagos itself, and so the term is often relevant for them (see Guideline B in these cases). Also remember that comparative terms should be restricted in amount according to weight and notability (see #Note on comparative terms).
Example of incorrect use
Examples of correct phrases
Example of correct use
Example of possibly correct use:
Example of incorrect use:
For possible examples of use, see "Further examples of comparative use:" in Guideline A.
When the significance of something is mainly regional, or country-specific, then there is no need to draw a wider comparison through using the term 'British Isles'
Example of a correct phrase
Example of incorrect use
The term 'British Isles' can be used in articles not specifically related to the UK or the Republic of Ireland, when its sense is a purely technical one.
Example of correct use
Example of incorrect use: