A crucial part of hobbyDB's mission is to be an accurate and reliable source of information on every collectible ever made. To achieve this mission, Database Item and Subject descriptions should be written from a neutral point of view (NPOV). This means representing facts neutrally, fairly, proportionately and without editorial bias.
This means, in particular, avoiding judgmental terms such as "amazing" or "the best" when writing descriptions. Here are some tips to help keep a neutral point of view in your writing:
- Avoid stating opinions as facts. We are all passionate about the items, brands, and franchises we collect and often have strong opinions about them. Be careful to keep your opinions from mingling with facts.
- Avoid stating facts as opinions. Don't phrase verifiable facts in a way that makes them sound like opinions.
- Avoid stating seriously contested assertions as facts. If different reliable sources make conflicting statements about something, don't state one side or the other as facts. It may be worthwhile to describe the conflict, but both sides should be presented as opinions and not facts.
- Use nonjudgmental language. As stated above, avoid using terms like "amazing," "horrible," "the best," "the worst," etc. Include only relevant facts and use neutral terminology.
Additionally, if you use product descriptions from the brand or other marketing/advertising language, be sure to mark it as such. It can be valuable and interesting to quote what the brand has stated about themselves or their products, but it needs to be clearly labeled.
Adapted from Wikipedia's NPOV policy, available under CC BY-SA 3.0.