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A set index article (SIA) is a list article about a set of items of a specific type that also share the same (or similar) name. For example, Dodge Charger describes a set of cars, List of peaks named Signal describes a set of mountain peaks, and List of ships of the United States Navy named Enterprise describes a set of ships.

Being a set of a specific type means that the members of the set have some characteristic in common, in addition to their similarity of name. A list is an SIA only if both criteria for inclusion of an item in the list are met. For example, every entry in a list of earthquakes might include the word "earthquake," but that alone does not mean that the list is an SIA. If earthquakes were assigned names similar to how tropical storms are named, then List of earthquakes named X could be a set index (assuming of course that there are multiple earthquakes with the same name).

Fundamentally, a set index article is a type of list article. The criteria for creating, adding to, or deleting a set index article should be the same as for a stand-alone list. The style of a set index article should follow the style guidelines at Wikipedia:Stand-alone lists. A set index article can be tagged with Set index article.

Set indexes and disambiguation[edit]

A set index article is not a disambiguation page:

• A disambiguation page is a list of things, possibly of different types, that share the same (or similar) name. It is formatted for best navigating the reader to the sought topic.


• A set index article (or SIA) lists things of only one type and is meant to provide information as well as navigation. Just like a normal list article, it can have metadata and extra information about each entry.

An SIA need not follow the formatting rules for disambiguation pages, although many SIAs do. Unlike disambiguation page guidelines, an SIA is allowed to contain red links to help editors create articles on notable entries.

Sometimes there will be a disambiguation page and a set index article for the same term. If the disambiguation page carries the name of the term (as with Signal Mountain), then the set index article can be named "List of XXXs named YYY" (as in List of peaks named Signal).

Normally, if there is a choice between pointing the term at the set index page or the disambiguation page, the term should point to the disambiguation page (the broader category). In the rare case where the set index article is considered the primary topic, it may be named with just the term itself, the disambiguation page being called "YYY (disambiguation)".

Tagging and categorizing an article as an SIA[edit]

Place one of the following templates at the bottom of the page, using the most specific template available. If there is no specific template, you can, as Set index article explains, use the most generic template with certain sort keys to more specifically categorize articles; the template's page also explains that you can use it to place pages into child categories of Category:Set indices.

Generic[edit]

• Set index article for any set index article – Category:Set indices
  

Geographic features[edit]

• Lake index for lakes - Category:Set indices on lakes
  


• Mountain index for mountain names – Category:Set indices on mountains
  


• River index for rivers – Category:Set indices on rivers
  


• Road index for roads, streets, or highways – Category:Lists of roads sharing the same title
  

Vehicles[edit]

• Locomotive index for locomotives – Category:Set indices on locomotives
  


• Ship index for ship names – Category:Set indices on ships
  

For more information about set index articles for ships, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Ships/Guidelines § Index pages.

Other types of SIAs[edit]

• Sport index for sport names – Category:Set indices on sports
  


• Storm index for named storms - Category:Set indices on storms
  


• Surname for people's surnames – Category:Surnames
  


• Given name for people's given names – Category:Given names
  


• Animal common name – Category:Set indices on animal common names
  


• Plant common name – Category:Set indices on plant common names
  


• Chemistry index for chemical species – Category:Chemistry set index pages
  

See also[edit]

This page is referenced in the Wikipedia Glossary.

• Wikipedia:History of SIAs


• Wikipedia:Lists


• Wikipedia:Stand-alone lists