Wikipedia:WikiProject Cornwall/Guideline
 | This is an essay on style. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more WikiProjects on how to format and present article content within their area of interest. This information is not a formal Wikipedia policy or guideline, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. |
WikiProject CornwallThe issue of whether or not Cornwall should be written about as a county of England is an ongoing one. There are numerous debates in the media, in print and on the Internet concerning the matter, and Wikipedia is no exception.
Wikipedia is open to a very large contributor base, with edits being made from all corners of the globe. This means it is difficult for any group to censor, or impose bias. Also, Wikipedia is written by open and transparent consensus, with views and opinions about the content of articles being discussed, and an end result of a balanced and neutral viewpoint being attained.
Cornwall's status within the UK is by no means a clear-cut one. Saying that Cornwall is definitely not part of England can be countered by the present situation of its administration: as a county of England. However the argument that it definitely is a county of England can be countered by the evidence seen from investigations of historical documents and its unique culture. While both arguments are valid, they lack a neutral viewpoint and strictly conforming to either would impose bias and opinion.
Consensus regarding the debate over describing Cornwall's status as a county or a country on Wikipedia was reached in 2006. The general agreement was:
- Cornwall may not be culturally part of England, however, administratively it is. Articles related to Cornwall should reflect the situation at this present time; they should only be adjusted if/when the situation changes.
The talk pages where consensus was reached can be found below:
- Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Cornwall#Cornwall, England, UK (discussion now archived at Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Cornwall/Archive_3#Cornwall.2C_England.2C_UK
- Wikipedia talk:WikiProject UK geography/UK or home nations in introductions
Naming consensus
Ever since the above consensus was published in 2007, the format "Cornwall, England, United Kingdom" or "Cornwall, England, UK" has been widely used in the lead of appropriate articles. As of 2013 the use of this wording remains generally unopposed, so it can be considered to also have consensus. Although no-one actively changes articles that don't comply with this format unless making other substantive edits to the article, members of the Cornwall Wikiproject do ensure that where it has been used, it remains in place.