Help:Correcting an incomplete argument title

Help section:Correcting an incomplete argument title

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Intermediate Level

Has an "Incomplete Title" banner appeared for an argument you've entered? Read this page to find out why and how to correct this title.

What is an incomplete title?

On Wikidebates, each argument has a page containing the data relevant to this argument: summary, citations, references, etc.

In order to be found easily, an argument page must have a title that gives a clear and precise idea of the argument. It should also uniquely identify the argument on the wiki.

Imagine you are searching for an argument and come across the title "Lower wages than men". Does this title give a clear and precise idea of the argument? No, because:

1. This title is not explicit enough to be understandable: for whom are wages lower? What is the complete sentence?
2. This title is ambiguous: are we talking about lower wages in all countries? In France? In Turkey?

For each of these reasons, this argument title needs to be completed.

Recommendations for a complete title

1. Formulate the title with a sentence

To be understandable, the title of an argument should be formulated with a complete sentence (without a period at the end, because it is a title).

Examples:

Incomplete title	Problem	Complete title
Police violence	Incomprehensible	Numerous acts of police violence are committed in France
Against pornography	Incomprehensible	Freedom of expression must be limited to fight against pornography
Better living conditions	Incomprehensible	Basic income brings better living conditions

2. Be specific

To avoid confusion, be specific. The title should stand on its own.

Avoid personal pronouns

Examples:

Incomplete title	Problem	Complete title
He does not advocate the superiority of a race	Who?	Donald Trump does not advocate the superiority of a race
We are not in a democracy	Where?	France is not a democracy
Ukraine is not a member	What of?	Ukraine is not a member of the European Union

Avoid demonstrative pronouns and articles

Exemples :

Incomplete title	Problem	Complete title
This study is biased	Which one?	The 2003 study by the French Public Health Surveillance Institute on household incinerators in Reunion Island is biased
It is a failure	What is a failure?	The fight against cannabis trafficking in Spain is a failure
It contributes strongly to global warming	What contributes to global warming?	Intensive livestock farming global warming contributes strongly to global warming

Specify proper nouns

Exemples :

Incomplete title	Problem	Complete title
Voting against George Bush was a protest vote	George Bush senior or junior?	Voting against George W. Bush was a protest vote
The war was barbaric	Which war?	The First World War was a barbaric
The actions of the Resistance had no impact on the Allied victory	What Resistance?	The actions of the French Resistance had no impact on the Allied victory

Specify date and place, if applicable

Examples :

Incomplete title	Problem	Complete title
The U.S. military budget was only was only twice that of Russia	When?	In 1991, the U.S. military budget was only was only twice that of Russia
The number of foreigners has been stable for 20 years	Where?	The number of foreigners in France has been stable for 20 years
Tobacco consumption is no longer decreasing	In which country? Since when?	Tobacco consumption has not decreased in France since 2020

How to correct an incomplete title?

Naming the page of an argument with an incomplete title is problematic. On the other hand, when reading a debate, a short and punchy title may be more appropriate than the full page name.

You can use the full title as the page name and the incomplete title as the title to be displayed in the debate.

When an argument is used in a debate, it is always possible to display it under a different title. Use this feature to display the incomplete title instead of the page name.

Correcting an incomplete argument title is done in three steps:

1. Rename the argument page by writing a complete title

To rename the page, click on the "rename" button below the argument title.

1. Open this argument’s page. To do this, click on the "Detailed Page" link in the argument banner (if you are on a debate page), or enter the first few letters of the argument's title in the wiki search bar (at the top right of each page) and click on the argument's full name.
2. Click on the "rename" button under the page title (see attached screenshot).
3. Fill in the title and click on "Rename Page".

The argument page now has a clear and precise name. The "Incomplete Title" banner is no longer relevant.

2. Remove the "Incomplete Title" warning banner

1. Still on the argument page, click on the warning flag [ ] next to the "rename" button. A list of possible warnings appears.
2. Uncheck the "Incomplete title" box and click the “Save” button.

The warning banner has disappeared. All that is left to do is to use the incomplete title when displaying the argument in the debate.

3. Add a shorter or more appropriate title to be displayed

Example:

Let’s say you are on the debate page titled “Should we stop eating animals?” and want to display the argument “Eating animals is a major contributor to global warming” under the title "It is a major contributor to global warming" when this argument is used as a justification of “Eating animals leads to intensive farming that causes many environmental problems”? Follow these steps:

1. Locate the “Eating Animals argument as a major contributor to global warming” argument in the debate. It is in a list of sub-arguments entitled "Justifications".
2. Click on the "edit" button next to the "Justifications" heading. The list of justifications for “Eating Animals Leads to Intensive Livestock Farming that Causes Many Environmental Problems” appears in an edit form.
3. Enter the title "This is a major contributor to global warming" in the "Title to be displayed" field of the Eating animals is a major contributor to global warming argument, as in the screenshot above.
4. Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page.

The title that appears in the debate is now "This is a major contributor to global warming" (not "Eating animals is a major contributor to global warming").

The title of the argument page now has a clear and precise name, and the title displayed in the debate is more readable.

Congratulations, you have corrected an incomplete argument title!

What is the difference between the argument page name and the title to be displayed?

The argument page name should be as clear and precise as possible. It can be very long and not very readable.

On the other hand, the displayed title should be as conducive as possible to the reading of the debate. It can be short, yet understandable in the context of the debate page.