Science Guide: Phenomenon Article Development
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How to Use This Guide
1. Purpose of This Guide
This guide explains how members should create and develop phenomenon articles on the Bravo Fleet Wiki.
Phenomenon articles provide in-universe reference material for unusual scientific, spatial, temporal, quantum, environmental, or otherwise anomalous subjects that may affect Bravo Fleet storytelling. They help members understand what a phenomenon is, where or how it occurs, how it behaves, what effects it has, and how it may be used in stories.
Phenomenon articles may represent:
- Wormholes, rifts, corridors, apertures, or other unusual passageways through space
- Nebula effects, ion storms, subspace disruptions, radiation fields, or other spatial hazards
- Stellar, planetary, or environmental phenomena
- Temporal anomalies, alternate timelines, quantum realities, parallel universes, or displacement events
- Unusual mineral deposits, resources, or scientific materials
- Anomalous energy fields, subspace events, or other phenomena that do not fit naturally within another article type
- Other story-relevant phenomena where a separate reference article is useful
This guide exists to:
- Set clear expectations for members creating and developing phenomenon articles
- Establish consistent standards for article structure and content
- Explain which elements are required, recommended, or optional
- Explain how to distinguish established information, scientific theory, and speculation
- Explain how phenomena may be used consistently in storytelling
- Help members keep the scale and significance of Member Canon phenomena proportionate to their established impact
- Provide a clear basis for Science Office review and support
- Provide practical guidance for developing phenomenon articles over time
This guide supplements, but does not replace, the general Submission & Involvement Guide. Members must also follow the required standards in that guide, including its broader requirements relating to canon, writing style, article perspective, links, images, generative artificial intelligence, and review.
Members are welcome to ask the Bravo Fleet Science Officer and their wonderful team for help at any point when creating or developing phenomenon articles.
2. Required Minimum Expectations for Phenomenon Articles
Required
- Clearly identify the phenomenon
- Explain what type of phenomenon it is, where this is known
- Explain where, when, or how it occurs or manifests where this is known
- Describe relevant effects on ships, stations, planets, individuals, populations, governments, or regions where applicable
- Clearly distinguish established information from theories, hypotheses, and unresolved speculation
- Use the appropriate infobox template where one exists
- Use the
{{Alternate Reality}}template where the subject is an alternate reality, alternate timeline, quantum reality, parallel universe, or similar non-Prime reality - Use appropriate existing categories and relevant links where applicable
- Remain compatible with established Star Trek canon, Bravo Fleet canon, and Intelligence Office guidance
- Not make unsupported claims about the phenomenon's wider scale, importance, threat, usefulness, or significance
- Follow the required standards in the Submission & Involvement Guide and comply with relevant Bravo Fleet policies
Phenomenon articles do not need to be long to be useful. A concise article that clearly explains what the phenomenon is, how it behaves, what is known about it, and how it affects storytelling is often more useful than a long article filled with excessive technical detail.
3. Article Style and Scope
Phenomenon articles are intended to function as in-universe reference material, not exhaustive scientific papers, mission logs, campaign articles, speculative essays, or unrestricted worldbuilding archives.
Recommended
- Write from an in-character, in-universe perspective
- Explain the phenomenon in clear and reusable terms
- Provide enough detail for other members to understand its relevant effects
- Distinguish confirmed observations from scientific theories and unresolved questions
- Leave room for future development
- Remain compatible with established Star Trek canon, Bravo Fleet canon, and Intelligence Office guidance
- Keep the phenomenon's scale and impact proportionate to its established role
- Keep the article useful to members beyond the stories in which the phenomenon originated
Phenomenon articles should balance scientific flavour with storytelling usefulness. Technical terminology may be appropriate, but the article should remain understandable to members who are not writing science-heavy stories.
Required
A phenomenon may be mysterious, poorly understood, or only partially explained. Where this is the case, the article must make the limits of current knowledge clear.
Members must not present theories, hypotheses, suspected causes, or unresolved explanations as established fact.
Required
Members must contact the Science Office before creating or substantially expanding a phenomenon that could affect established Fleet Canon, territorial boundaries, strategic travel, major governments, fleet-wide events, major resources, interstellar politics, widespread technology, or other elements of the shared setting.
The Science Office will involve the Intelligence Office where required.
4. Creating a Phenomenon Article
Members may create phenomenon articles for phenomena that appear in their own stories. A phenomenon does not need fleet-wide importance to justify an article.
Required
A separate phenomenon article may be useful where the phenomenon:
- Has enough distinct information to support a reference article
- Is likely to be referenced again
- Affects a ship, crew, location, species, population, or local region in a meaningful way
- Requires clear guidance for future use
- Has enough scientific, historical, or storytelling context that including it elsewhere would make another article unnecessarily long or difficult to use
Members should not create a separate phenomenon article where a concise summary within an existing location, ship, station, species, event, or other relevant article would be clearer and more useful.
Keep the scale clear: A phenomenon that affects only one ship, crew, story, or local area should be described at that scale. The existence of a separate wiki article does not give the phenomenon wider importance or make it Fleet Canon.
5. Required Opening, Infobox, and Article Notices
Every developed phenomenon article must clearly identify the phenomenon and orient the reader at the beginning of the page.
5.1 Infobox and Opening Paragraph
Required Where Applicable
Phenomenon articles must use the Phenomenon infobox where it is appropriate to the subject.
Basic Article Example
{{Phenomenon
| name =
| image =
| class =
| starsystem =
| sector =
| quadrant =
| satellites =
| natives =
}}
'''(Phenomenon name goes here)''' is a (type of phenomenon) located in/associated with (location goes here). It is known for (brief explanation of why it matters).
Infobox information must remain accurate and compatible with established canon and the information contained within the article.
Required
The opening paragraph must immediately orient the reader.
It should normally establish:
- What the phenomenon is
- What type of phenomenon it is where known
- Where, when, or how it is encountered or known to manifest
- Whether it is stable, unstable, temporary, recurring, artificial, natural, suspected to be artificial, or poorly understood where relevant
- The most important context needed to understand its effects or significance
Members should place the name of the phenomenon in bold on its first appearance in the opening paragraph.
Example
'''Example Wormhole''' is a stable artificial wormhole located in the Example System, connecting the Beta Quadrant to a region of unexplored space beyond Federation territory.
The opening paragraph should remain concise. Detailed scientific explanation, history, effects, or response information should be developed in the appropriate sections where needed.
5.2 Alternate Reality and Timeline Articles
Required Where Applicable
{{Alternate Reality}}
This template identifies the subject as belonging to, or describing, a reality other than the Prime reality in which Bravo Fleet normally operates.
For alternate realities, timelines, or similar subjects, the article may begin as follows:
Example
{{Alternate Reality}}
{{Phenomenon
| name = Example Timeline
| image =
| class = Quantum reality / alternate timeline
| starsystem = Encountered in the Example System
| sector = Encountered in the Example Sector
| quadrant = Encountered in the Beta Quadrant
| satellites =
| natives =
}}
'''Example Timeline''' was the provisional designation given to an alternate timeline encountered by Starfleet in 2403.
Members must not add or remove the {{Alternate Reality}} template in a way that misrepresents whether the subject belongs to the Prime reality.
6. Recommended Headers and Article Structure
Recommended
They are not required for every article, but should normally be included where enough information exists to support them.
Where one of these sections is included, it must meet the standards described below.
6.1 Overview
Recommended where enough information exists
Where included, the Overview section should expand on the opening paragraph without simply repeating it.
It may describe:
- General classification
- Location or area of manifestation
- Known behaviour
- Current status
- Relevant local or storytelling significance
- Whether it is natural, artificial, suspected to be artificial, or unknown
The section should provide enough context for readers to understand the phenomenon before moving into more specialised information.
6.2 History
Recommended where enough information exists
Where included, the History section must provide a concise, in-universe account of significant documented developments involving the phenomenon.
This may include:
- Initial discovery
- First recorded encounter
- Early scientific study
- Changes in behaviour or stability
- Significant incidents involving the phenomenon
- Starfleet or Fourth Fleet involvement
- Political, strategic, scientific, or humanitarian consequences
- Participation in relevant Bravo Fleet Canon events
History must be written in broad strokes and should record significant developments and outcomes rather than becoming a mission log or detailed story recap.
Required
Members must not use historical material to contradict or overwrite established events, substantially redefine another member's established stories, or invent significant actions or decisions for another member's characters.
Where the treatment of existing historical material is unclear, members should contact the Science Office before making substantial changes.
History may be written in either of the following formats.
Recap Paragraphs
Under a subheader identifying the relevant period, such as 2400 or 2401-2403, members may provide a concise summary of significant documented events, developments, and outcomes.
Chronological Bullet Summary
For each year, and where useful each month, members may provide one or two brief sentences summarising significant documented events and their outcomes.
Example
- 2400
- January: Starfleet detected the first confirmed manifestation of the phenomenon and issued regional hazard advisories.
- February: Fourth Fleet vessels began coordinated scientific surveys and evacuation support operations.
Members should use whichever format presents the phenomenon's history most clearly. The two formats may be combined where this improves readability.
6.3 Nature or Characteristics
Recommended where enough information exists
Where included, the Nature or Characteristics section should explain the phenomenon's known behaviour and scientific characteristics.
This may include:
- Physical, spatial, temporal, quantum, environmental, or subspace properties
- Known patterns or cycles
- Observable effects
- Confirmed or suspected triggers
- Stability or instability
- Limits of current scientific understanding
- Competing theories or hypotheses
- Known dangers or limitations
Required
Examples
- Starfleet Science has confirmed that the phenomenon emits elevated tachyon radiation.
- Starfleet Science has theorised that the phenomenon may be connected to subspace boundary degradation.
- The cause remains unknown.
The section should not include excessive technical detail unless it supports storytelling or helps members understand how the phenomenon behaves.
6.4 Effects and Hazards
Recommended where applicable
Where included, the Effects or Hazards section should explain how the phenomenon affects relevant ships, stations, planets, individuals, populations, governments, or regions.
This may include effects on:
- Sensors
- Communications
- Warp fields or propulsion
- Shields
- Transporters
- Navigation
- Planetary environments
- Spaceborne lifeforms
- Telepathic species
- Political stability
- Trade routes or travel
- Civilian populations
Required
Members should avoid describing effects as universally consistent unless that consistency is part of the phenomenon's established characteristics.
Example
The intensity of the phenomenon varies between manifestations. Some ships may experience only minor sensor disruption, while others may lose communications or suffer serious damage if they remain too close for an extended period.
6.5 Known Locations, Manifestations, or Apertures
Recommended where applicable
Some phenomena have multiple known locations, termini, affected regions, access points, or manifestations.
Where useful, these may be presented in prose, bullet points, or a table.
This section may be appropriate for:
- Wormhole termini or apertures
- Affected planets, systems, or sectors
- Known manifestation sites
- Stable or recurring access points
- Regions where the phenomenon is most intense
- Alternate-reality or temporal encounter points
Members should focus on known or useful locations rather than producing an exhaustive catalogue without storytelling value.
Where a location has enough distinct information to justify its own article, members should provide a concise summary and link to that page rather than duplicate substantial information.
Example
{| class="wikitable"
! Quadrant
! Region
! Location
! Notes
|-
| Delta
| Example Reach
| [[Example System]]
| Known recurring aperture
|-
| Gamma
| Example Expanse
| [[Sample System]]
| Intermittent manifestation
|}
6.6 Response
Recommended where applicable
Where included, the Response section should explain how Starfleet, the Fourth Fleet, local governments, civilian authorities, scientific organisations, or other relevant powers have responded to the phenomenon.
This may include:
- Scientific investigation
- Evacuation or humanitarian response
- Navigation advisories
- Quarantine or exclusion zones
- Defensive measures
- Stabilisation efforts
- Diplomatic negotiations
- Mining, exploitation, or resource disputes
- Emergency protocols
- Long-term monitoring
Where a response has established phases, protocols, or operational priorities, these may be included as subsections.
Example
=== Investigate === Starfleet vessels were tasked with gathering scientific data, identifying the phenomenon's origin, and determining whether it posed a wider threat to nearby systems. === Mitigate === Starfleet and local authorities coordinated humanitarian relief, evacuation support, and protective measures for affected settlements.
The section must remain focused on the response to the phenomenon. It should not become a campaign article, mission list, or detailed account of every participating command.
6.7 In Play
Required Where Applicable Recommended Otherwise
An In Play section is required where a phenomenon is intended to be visited, encountered, referenced, or used in stories by members beyond the stories or commands that originally introduced it.
For phenomena that remain specific to one member's stories, an In Play section is recommended where practical guidance would help preserve consistency.
The section should explain what members may safely assume, what remains flexible, and what should not be changed without appropriate approval.
This may include:
- What is established and can be relied upon
- What remains unknown or open to interpretation
- How severe or variable the phenomenon's effects may be
- How Starfleet or other powers normally respond
- What story opportunities the phenomenon supports
- What limitations or constraints members should observe
- Whether it is temporary, recurring, stable, unstable, contained, or resolved
- Whether members may solve, destroy, stabilise, relocate, reproduce, weaponise, exploit, or otherwise permanently change it
Example
== In Play == * The phenomenon may appear unpredictably within the affected region, allowing members to adjust its severity to suit their story. * Starfleet's priority is to protect civilian lives, gather scientific data, and avoid escalating local political tensions. * Members may propose theories about the phenomenon's origin, but must not present a final explanation as established fact unless this has been approved. * Members must not permanently close, destroy, stabilise, weaponise, or relocate the phenomenon without appropriate approval.
Required
6.8 Legacy
Optional Recommended Where Resolved
A Legacy section may be useful where a phenomenon has been resolved, contained, become inaccessible, or primarily exists as historical or temporal reference material.
This section may include:
- Lasting scientific consequences
- Political or humanitarian impact
- Changes to Starfleet procedures
- Effects on specific regions, governments, populations, or species
- Continuing investigations
- Historical significance
- Lessons learned by Starfleet or the Fourth Fleet
The section should focus on lasting consequences rather than repeating the phenomenon's full history.
6.9 Notable Individuals, Vessels, or Organisations
Optional where relevant
Some phenomenon articles may include a section identifying individuals, vessels, stations, governments, species, or organisations directly connected to the phenomenon.
This may be appropriate where:
- Specific Starfleet personnel discovered or studied the phenomenon
- A vessel or station played a significant role in an encounter or response
- A government, species, or organisation has a substantial connection to the phenomenon
- An alternate timeline or quantum reality includes relevant displaced individuals
- The article needs to identify important participants or affected parties
The section must remain focused and relevant. It must not become a complete character list, biography archive, ship roster, or catalogue of everyone who encountered the phenomenon.
Where many entries are useful, members should group them under clear subheadings.
7. Special Guidance by Phenomenon Type
Different types of phenomena may require different information. The following guidance helps members identify what is most useful to include.
7.1 Wormholes, Rifts, and Travel Phenomena
Articles about wormholes, rifts, corridors, apertures, or similar travel phenomena should normally explain:
- Whether the phenomenon is stable, unstable, artificial, natural, or unknown
- Where known termini or apertures are located
- Whether it is continuously open, periodically active, temporary, or unpredictable
- How long transit takes where known
- Who monitors, regulates, or controls access where applicable
- Whether ships require special equipment or conditions to use it
- Relevant scientific, strategic, diplomatic, or navigational implications
Required
Members must contact the Science Office before creating or substantially changing a stable travel route, major wormhole, permanent shortcut, transwarp corridor, or similar feature that could affect wider Bravo Fleet canon, strategic travel, territorial relationships, or the Bravo Fleet Map.
Members must not assume that creating a travel phenomenon within Member Canon gives other members unrestricted access to, or requires them to account for, that route.
7.2 Temporal, Quantum, and Alternate-Reality Phenomena
Articles about temporal anomalies, alternate timelines, quantum realities, parallel universes, or displacement events should normally explain:
- How the phenomenon or reality was encountered
- How it relates to the Prime Universe
- The known or suspected point of divergence where applicable
- Whether individuals, ships, or objects were displaced
- Whether the phenomenon still exists or remains accessible
- What Starfleet knows, suspects, or cannot confirm
- What lasting effect the encounter had on the Prime Universe where applicable
Required Where Applicable
{{Alternate Reality}} template at the top of the page where the subject is an alternate reality, alternate timeline, quantum reality, parallel universe, or similar non-Prime reality.Members must not write an alternate reality or timeline as though other members are required to account for it unless that reality has been established through Bravo Fleet Canon or otherwise approved for wider use.
Where a timeline or reality has an established point of divergence, this should be explained clearly and concisely.
Required
7.3 Stellar, Planetary, and Environmental Phenomena
Articles about stellar, planetary, or environmental phenomena should normally explain:
- Where the phenomenon occurs
- Whether it affects a star, planet, moon, nebula, atmosphere, ring system, or other environment
- Whether it is natural, artificial, engineered, suspected to be artificial, or unknown
- What effects it has on ships, technology, lifeforms, populations, or settlements
- Whether it is permanent, seasonal, recurring, temporary, or changing
- Whether local populations have adapted to it
- Whether Starfleet or other authorities have established advisories or restrictions
Members should focus on information useful to storytelling rather than attempting to create an exhaustive scientific catalogue.
7.4 Materials, Resources, and Mineral Phenomena
Articles about unusual materials, resources, or mineral deposits should normally explain:
- What the material or resource is
- Where it occurs
- How it behaves
- Whether it can be mined, refined, transported, used, or weaponised
- Relevant hazards or side effects
- Who is studying, exploiting, regulating, or contesting it where applicable
- Scientific, humanitarian, economic, political, or strategic consequences where relevant
Required
Members must contact the Science Office before creating or substantially expanding a material or resource that could significantly affect wider Starfleet technology, propulsion, weapons, medicine, energy production, trade, interstellar politics, or other elements of the shared setting.
Member Canon resources must not be presented as revolutionary technologies or setting-wide solutions simply because they are rare, powerful, or useful within an individual story.
7.5 Phenomena That Defy Existing Classifications
Some phenomena may not fit naturally within an established category. This is acceptable.
Where a phenomenon defies classification, the article should focus on:
- What has been observed
- What effects have been confirmed
- What remains unknown
- What Starfleet or others currently theorise
- What practical risks or opportunities it creates for storytelling
- What limits members should observe when using it
Uncertainty is allowed. The article should not force certainty where none exists. A phenomenon can remain mysterious while still being clearly documented and useful to storytelling.
8. Links, Categories, Tables, and Supporting Articles
Required Where Applicable
Phenomenon articles must use appropriate existing categories where applicable.
Required
Members must contact the Science Office before creating a new category or subcategory.
Members should use internal links to connect the phenomenon to relevant locations, governments, species, ships, stations, events, Command Units, or other related subjects.
Members may also use the {{For|article=...}} template at the start of a section where another article provides useful supporting information.
Examples
{{For|article=[[Barzan System]]}}
{{For|article=[[Gradin Belt]]}}
{{For|article=[[Devore Imperium]]}}
The template should direct readers to supporting information that would otherwise be unnecessarily repeated. It should not replace a concise explanation within the phenomenon article where that context is needed.
Tables may be useful for:
- Wormhole apertures
- Affected systems or regions
- Known manifestations
- Response protocols
- Hazard levels
- Notable vessels or organisations
- Alternate-reality divergence summaries
Tables should make information easier to understand. They should not be used where concise prose or a short bullet list would be clearer.
9. Status, Scale, and Significance
Members may create phenomena for their own stories, including phenomena that affect only one ship, crew, story, location, or local region.
Claims about a phenomenon's importance, danger, usefulness, strategic value, rarity, or wider influence must remain proportionate to its established effects and scale.
Required
Members must not give a Member Canon phenomenon fleet-wide, quadrant-wide, civilisation-wide, government-wide, or setting-defining significance unless that status has been established through Bravo Fleet Canon or approved by the Intelligence Office.
Examples of developments or claims that must not be established without appropriate approval include:
- Creating a major stable wormhole, travel network, transwarp route, or permanent strategic shortcut
- Creating a resource that substantially changes Starfleet technology, propulsion, weapons, medicine, trade, or energy production
- Creating a temporal anomaly that permits reliable, repeated, or controlled time travel
- Creating an alternate reality or timeline that other members are required to account for
- Creating a phenomenon that permanently changes a major canon government, homeworld, species, civilisation, or territorial boundary
- Claiming that a Member Canon phenomenon was the sole or primary cause of a major fleet-wide event or galactic development
- Creating a phenomenon whose effects would require other members to alter their own stories or understanding of the wider setting
- Permanently destroying, stabilising, relocating, reproducing, weaponising, exploiting, or resolving a significant established phenomenon without appropriate approval
This does not prevent members from creating dangerous, mysterious, unusual, powerful, or story-rich phenomena.
A phenomenon may reasonably be important to a crew, mission, Command Unit, local government, system, or regional story without becoming a defining feature of the wider Bravo Fleet setting.
Where a member is unsure whether a proposed phenomenon or development goes beyond the reasonable scale of Member Canon, they should contact the Science Office before creating or substantially expanding it.
10. Recommended Qualities of a Strong Phenomenon Article
A strong phenomenon article should help readers understand what the phenomenon is, how it behaves, what is known about it, what effects it has, and how it may be used in storytelling.
Recommended
- Clearly identify and describe the phenomenon
- Explain where, when, or how it manifests
- Distinguish established information from theories, hypotheses, and speculation
- Describe effects and hazards in practical storytelling terms
- Explain relevant Starfleet, Fourth Fleet, scientific, local, or political responses
- Provide clear In Play guidance where members may use the phenomenon
- Use links, tables, categories, and images where they improve clarity
- Keep scientific detail relevant and understandable
- Avoid overstating the phenomenon's scale, danger, usefulness, or significance
- Link to related articles rather than duplicating substantial information already covered elsewhere
- Leave room for future stories and development
- Remain compatible with established canon and wider Bravo Fleet continuity
Well-developed sections should be informative, focused, and reusable. They should provide enough information for members to understand and use the phenomenon without attempting to explain every possible scientific detail or story outcome.
11. Quick Reference
At a glance: This section summarises the main requirements and recommendations in this guide. Members should refer to the relevant section above for full guidance.
11.1 Required
Required
- Search the Bravo Fleet Wiki before creating or substantially expanding a phenomenon article
- Write the article as an in-universe reference rather than a mission log, campaign article, or speculative essay
- Clearly identify the phenomenon
- Explain what type of phenomenon it is where known
- Explain where, when, or how it occurs or manifests where this is known
- Describe relevant effects where applicable
- Distinguish established information from theories, hypotheses, and speculation
- Use the appropriate infobox template where one exists
- Use the
{{Alternate Reality}}template at the top of the article where the subject is an alternate reality, alternate timeline, quantum reality, parallel universe, or similar non-Prime reality - Use appropriate existing categories where applicable
- Not add Fleet Canon icons, labels, or categories to articles
- Contact the Science Office before creating a new category or subcategory
- Keep historical material compatible with established canon and existing documented continuity
- Keep claims about the phenomenon's importance, danger, usefulness, scale, and significance proportionate to its established impact
- Contact the Science Office before creating or substantially expanding a phenomenon that could affect established Fleet Canon, territorial boundaries, strategic travel, major governments, fleet-wide events, major resources, interstellar politics, widespread technology, or other elements of the shared setting
- Include an In Play section where the phenomenon is intended to be used by members beyond the stories or commands that originally introduced it
- Follow the required standards in the Submission & Involvement Guide and comply with relevant Bravo Fleet policies
11.2 Recommended
Recommended
- Use the recommended sections that fit the phenomenon
- Explain the phenomenon's nature, characteristics, effects, hazards, and known limitations where relevant
- Summarise documented history in broad, in-universe terms
- Explain what is known, what is theorised, and what remains unknown
- Include practical In Play guidance even where the phenomenon remains primarily connected to one member's stories
- Link to related locations, governments, species, ships, stations, events, Command Units, or other useful articles
- Use the
{{For|article=...}}template where another article provides useful supporting context - Use tables where they make repeated or complex information easier to understand
- Keep scientific detail relevant to storytelling
- Update the article following significant discoveries, changes in behaviour or access, major responses, or approved canon developments
- Ask the Bravo Fleet Science Officer and their wonderful team for help when needed
11.3 Optional
Optional
- A Legacy section for phenomena that have been resolved, contained, become inaccessible, or have lasting consequences
- A Notable Individuals, Vessels, or Organisations section where specific people, commands, governments, species, or organisations are central to the phenomenon
- Tables for wormhole apertures, affected systems, known manifestations, hazard levels, response protocols, or alternate-reality divergence summaries
- Images, diagrams, maps, or other media, provided they follow the image, credit, source-link, and generative artificial intelligence requirements in the Submission & Involvement Guide
- Additional subheadings where these make the article easier to understand or navigate
Optional content should make the article more useful, distinctive, or easier to understand. It should not be added simply to make the article longer.
11.4 Do Not
Required
- Create a separate phenomenon article where a concise summary within an existing article would be clearer and more useful
- Treat the article as a mission log, campaign article, exhaustive scientific paper, speculative essay, or unrestricted worldbuilding archive
- Present theories, hypotheses, suspected causes, or unresolved explanations as confirmed fact
- Overload the article with technical detail that does not support storytelling
- Duplicate substantial information already covered by related location, ship, station, species, event, or other wiki articles
- Add Fleet Canon icons, labels, or categories to articles
- Create new categories or subcategories without contacting the Science Office first
- Use historical material to contradict or overwrite established events, substantially redefine another member's established stories, or invent significant actions or decisions for another member's characters
- Create a major stable wormhole, travel network, transwarp route, permanent shortcut, or similar strategic travel feature without appropriate approval
- Create a resource that substantially changes Starfleet technology, trade, weapons, propulsion, medicine, energy production, or interstellar politics without appropriate approval
- Create a temporal phenomenon that permits reliable, repeated, or controlled time travel without appropriate approval
- Create an alternate reality or timeline that other members must account for without appropriate approval
- Create a phenomenon that permanently changes a major canon government, homeworld, species, civilisation, or territorial boundary without appropriate approval
- Claim that a Member Canon phenomenon was the sole or primary cause of a major fleet-wide event or galactic development
- Give a phenomenon an effect, capability, strategic value, or influence that would require other members to alter their stories or account for it in the wider setting without appropriate approval
- Permanently destroy, stabilise, relocate, reproduce, weaponise, exploit, or resolve a significant established phenomenon without appropriate approval
12. Review and Ongoing Development
Phenomenon articles are living documents. Members are encouraged to update them following significant developments, particularly major discoveries, changes in behaviour or accessibility, scientific developments, significant Starfleet responses, or approved canon developments.
Updates should preserve the article's usefulness as an in-universe reference rather than recording every mission, story, or minor scientific observation.
Science Office Review
During review, the Science Office will usually consider the following:
| Area Reviewed | Requirement Level | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Required structure | Required | The article clearly identifies the phenomenon, uses the appropriate infobox where one exists, uses appropriate existing categories, and includes any other required structural elements. |
| Alternate-reality notice | Required Where Applicable | Articles about alternate realities, alternate timelines, quantum realities, parallel universes, or similar non-Prime realities use the {{Alternate Reality}} template at the top of the page.
|
| Canon and continuity | Required | The article remains compatible with established Star Trek canon, Bravo Fleet canon, Intelligence Office guidance, known history, and existing documented continuity. |
| Article focus | Required | The article functions as an in-universe reference rather than a mission log, campaign article, exhaustive scientific paper, speculative essay, or unrestricted worldbuilding archive. |
| Scientific clarity | Required | The article distinguishes confirmed observations and established information from theories, hypotheses, speculation, and unresolved questions. |
| Effects and use | Required Where Applicable | The article explains the phenomenon's relevant effects clearly enough for members to understand how it may affect ships, locations, populations, technology, or storytelling. |
| Scale and significance | Required | Claims about the phenomenon's importance, danger, usefulness, strategic value, or influence remain proportionate to its established impact and do not create unsupported setting-wide consequences. |
| In Play guidance | Required Where Applicable | Where the phenomenon is intended for use beyond the stories or commands that introduced it, the article clearly explains what is established, what is flexible, and what must not be changed without appropriate approval. |
| Formatting and presentation | Required Where Applicable | Infoboxes, links, categories, images, references, tables, alternate-reality notices, and other formatting elements follow the relevant standards in this guide and the Submission & Involvement Guide. |
| Story usefulness | Recommended | The article provides enough scientific, historical, practical, or contextual information to support storytelling and future use without excessive detail. |
Recommended
- Keeping scientific detail relevant to storytelling
- Presenting theories, hypotheses, and unresolved explanations as uncertain rather than established fact
- Avoiding speculative or future developments presented as established history
- Checking existing canon before creating new wormholes, temporal phenomena, alternate realities, major resources, or other potentially setting-wide concepts
- Keeping In Play guidance clear and practical where other members may use the phenomenon
- Linking to related articles rather than repeating substantial information already covered elsewhere
- Avoiding unsupported claims about strategic importance, travel access, powerful resources, technological consequences, or reality-changing effects
- Contacting the Science Office before developing material that may affect wider canon, territorial boundaries, strategic travel, major governments, major resources, interstellar politics, widespread technology, or the Bravo Fleet Map
- Asking the Bravo Fleet Science Officer and their wonderful team for guidance where the appropriate scale or treatment of a phenomenon is unclear
Articles requiring further development may be identified in accordance with the Submission & Involvement Guide.
Explore the Unknown with Confidence
This guide is intended to make expectations clear and help members create and develop phenomenon articles that are consistent, reusable, and useful to the shared Bravo Fleet setting. If something is unclear, ask the Bravo Fleet Science Officer and their wonderful team.