Forum:CT:Graphic novels - full date vs year-only

Forums > Consensus track archive > CT:Graphic novels - full date vs year-only
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The result of the debate was no consensus. OOM 224 10:27, 31 May 2025 (UTC)

Discussion about this clause from WP:LG/IU came up in an EduCorps discussion recently:

"This means that films, novels, video games, reference books, card sets, and roleplaying or tabletop game products should only provide a publication year, while comic-book issues, television episodes, and magazine issues should provide a full date. The exception to this rule is when two sources are being discussed in tandem. In such a case, the month and/or full date may be provided as necessary, particularly if both sources were released in the same year."

It however, doesn't mention graphic novels. There is "A full date (example: January 1, 2020) should generally be provided for sources that are part of a series, while only the year should be provided for standalone sources and sources that are part of a longer-running series, such as a book trilogy or video-game series." but well, again, sort of a gray area. It hasn't really come up properly since we haven't many modern status articles need to document these.

So, in the interest of that we need to get it into policy either way since it being ambiguous/not defined helps nothing, proposing this as a split plurality vote, first section to agree to put it at least somewhere, and the second vote to decide where that gets put. Obviously the in-tandem bit about when stuff from the same year is discussed remains untouched, for when more than one media is discussed.

It's also sort of pass/fail, so I didn't really think it worth cooking on SH.—spookywillowwtalk 20:52, 4 May 2025 (UTC)

Follow plurality outcome of vote 2

Support

  1. —spookywillowwtalk 20:52, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  2. Ayrehead02 (talk) 21:00, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  3. Lewisr (talk) 21:03, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  4. Yasen Nestorov (talk) 21:11, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  5. OOM 224 21:16, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  6. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 02:19, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  7. Per Imp's support vote here. NBDani TeamFireballLogo-Collider(they/them)Yeager's Repairs 02:21, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  8. Imperators II(Talk) 06:34, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  9. Commander Code-8 Hello There! 08:18, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  10. Tommy-Macaroni (he/they) 11:22, 10 May 2025 (UTC)
  11. - Thannus (DFaceG) (he/him) (talk) 16:12, 10 May 2025 (UTC)
  12. Panther436 RedNihilEye (talk) 22:00, 10 May 2025 (UTC)
  13. ThePedantry (talk) 05:30, 13 May 2025 (UTC)
  14. Booply (talk) 03:26, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
  15. あざした (talk) 05:25, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Oppose

Vote 2: Where to put graphic novels

Publication year would result in the bolded to the clause: "This means that films, novels, video games, reference books, card sets, graphic novels, and roleplaying or tabletop game products should only provide a publication year"

Full date would result in the bolded added to the clause: "while comic-book issues, television episodes, graphic novels, and magazine issues should provide a full date"

Publication year only

  1. If I remember correctly, the original intention was just to have graphic novels fall under the single release part mentioned, but definitely better to clarify. Ayrehead02 (talk) 21:00, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  2. Yeah for graphic novels I would consider them closer to books than comic books, I'd prefer year-only listing. I'd be open to an exemption for OGNs in a series though. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 02:19, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  3. IMO full release dates create extra work and don't necessarily improve readability. The logic for the other types of sources that require a full date makes sense because they exist alongside works in the same series that were potentially published in the same year. Graphic novels can stand alone so requiring them to include the full date would be inconsistent with that logic. It'd be more consistent to require full release dates for every source rather than requiring graphic novels to have a full date. Commander Code-8 Hello There! 08:18, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  4. OOM 224 09:01, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  5. - Thannus (DFaceG) (he/him) (talk) 01:45, 9 May 2025 (UTC)
  6. As Ayrehead mentioned, I just think graphic novels fit more with the reasoning given for only year dates earlier in that section of the LG: "only the year should be provided for standalone sources and sources that are part of a longer-running series" Panther436 RedNihilEye (talk) 22:00, 10 May 2025 (UTC)
  7. ThePedantry (talk) 05:30, 13 May 2025 (UTC)
  8. JMAS Jolly Trooper Hey, it's me! 23:13, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Full date

  1. While I do fully expect publication to win since it's sort of not installment-based as much and that is the primary reason for full dates... I just kinda like the "vibes" of comics having full dates. Not really a good reason, I know.—spookywillowwtalk 20:52, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  2. Per Spooky, I just prefer to have it all be full dates Lewisr (talk) 21:03, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  3. Some graphic novels are part of series which also sometimes do multiple releases per year. Ideally this would distinguish between such cases, but if it doesn't, my preference is for full date always. Imperators II(Talk) 21:07, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  4. Yasen Nestorov (talk) 21:11, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
  5. NBDani TeamFireballLogo-Collider(they/them)Yeager's Repairs 02:21, 5 May 2025 (UTC)
  6. Per Imp, I really wouldn't mind getting a little more specific with this. In any case, I'd always rather default to full date. Tommy-Macaroni (he/they) 11:22, 10 May 2025 (UTC)
  7. Booply (talk) 03:26, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
  8. あざした (talk) 05:25, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Discuss

  • Does "graphic novels" also include "graphic novellas" lol? (worth noting in this instance those are part of a series.) Imperators II(Talk) 20:55, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
    • I don't know, as I've never read a novella. From looking at that page, it uses the {{Comic book}} template so to me that looks like a comic book due to that.—spookywillowwtalk 20:58, 4 May 2025 (UTC)