Guide to using MetaBase
From MetaBase
Because the MetaBase documentation is still being developed, this Guide to using MetaBase has been created to give a quick overview of the MetaBase system for new users. More information can be found in the links at the bottom of this page and in the MetaBase FAQ, which is linked at the bottom of every documentation page.
Contents |
[edit] In the beginning
The initial data for the MetaBase was taken from the Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) 2007 Database Issue. Specifically, each database page was 'seeded' with text from the 'Database Summaries' cite kindly provided by Oxford University Press.
Although the NAR Open Access policy allows us to use this text, the following two important stipulations apply;
- The text for each database must be reproduced verbatim and in its entirety.
- The use of the text is to be strictly non-commercial.
Because of the first stipulation, a database page must include all or none of the NAR database summary. The NAR database summary may not be freely edited (even if it contains mistakes and/or omissions). MetaBase supports this restriction by putting the NAR database summary into a protected 'template page', and then including that template page into the database page 'all or nothing'.
[edit] Where to begin?
If you want to add a new database to MetaBase (one that is not listed in the NAR Database Issue Database Summaries) see How to add a new database. The following text deals with editing an existing database page that is derived from a NAR database summary.
If you look at a database page which has not yet been edited you will see the following text once you click 'edit';
{{NARDatabase transclusion}}
<!-- Add your text below -->
<!-- Add your text above -->
{{Template:Database page data}}
This is the default form of the 'seed' text for a database page. The first line 'calls' the NAR database summary template, and the last line adds a generic template containing some automatically generated 'external links'.
If you wish to contribute to a database page, you should add your text between the indicated tags. Once you are done adding text, click 'save' and you should see your text appended to the database page (after the NAR database summary). Eventually, once the user added text becomes adequate, you can remove the call to the NAR database summary template (the {{NARDatabase transclusion}} line).
To keep track of 'user edited' database pages, add the following line to any page that you edit (within the tags);
{{User contributed database}}
This template helps organise the user contributed / edited databases and ensures that every page with that tag is listed here; Category: User contributed database.
[edit] In time
Ultimately it would be nice to have user contributed text for every database in from the NAR Database Issue Database Summaries text, and many more databases as well.
