There are two ways to add categories to articles:
- Clicking the "add category" button in the category box at the bottom of an article.
- Writing [[Category:]] at the bottom of the article in source editor.
Please note that this page is still in progress.
Ages
- Infants = For individuals younger than 2 years old.
- Toddlers = For individuals between 2 - 3 years old.
- Children = For individuals between 4 - 8 years old.
- Preteens = For individuals between 9 - 12 years old.
- Teenagers = For individuals between 13 - 17 years old.
- Young adults = For individuals between 18 - 39 years old.
- Middle age = For individuals between 40 - 59 years old.
- Elderly = For individuals 60+ years old.
Birth spans
Missing people's birthdates are sorted by decades instead of individual years (Example: 1950s births). More than one category can be added to a page if the person's exact birth year is unknown or unclear.
Dates
Disappearance dates are sorted by individual years (Example: 1998 disappearances). Multiple categories can be added if the individual's disappearance date is unknown or unclear.
Resolved disappearances are also sorted by individual years (Example: 2010 Resolutions).
Ages of case
Categorized by decade level. If the current year is 2015, for example, a case where an individual went missing was 1973, the category used would be "cases over 40 years old." The category "Recent disappearances" should be used for cases that are less than five years old. This category is not necessary for resolved cases.
Locations
Missing people's last known locations are categorized by the country/province/state/territory they disappeared from (Examples: Disappeared from Germany, Disappeared from Arkansas). This applies to formerly missing people as well.
For formerly missing people, categorize where they were found (Example: Recovered from Washington).
Please make note if the individual is associated with other locations (Example: Ties to Alaska).
Race
These templates are put in the "race" section on missing persons infoboxes and automatically add articles to categories. Put a forward slash (/) between templates if a missing person is mixed race.
- {{Aboriginal}} = Aboriginal (Indigenous Australians).
- {{Asian}} = Asian.
- {{Black}} = Black.
- {{FN}} = First Nations (Indigenous Canadians).
- {{Hisp}} = Hispanic.
- {{Inuk}} = Inuk (Indigenous northern Canadians).
- {{ME}} = Middle Eastern.
- {{Native}} = Native American.
- {{PI}} = Pacific Islander.
- {{White}} = White.
Use {{RaceUnk}} if the individual's race is unknown or unclear.
Sex
These templates are put in the "sex" section on the missing persons infoboxes and the categories are automatically added to articles. If a missing person is transgender, please use the gender they identify with.
- {{M}} = Male
- {{F}} = Female
Classifications
These templates are put in the "classification" section on missing persons infoboxes and the categories are automatically added to the article.
- {{EM}} = Endangered missing.
- {{ER}} = Endangered runaway.
- {{MIA}} = Missing in action; Military members who disappeared during a war.
- {{PH}} = Presumed homicide; Somebody has been sentenced or arrested for the missing person's murder but their body has not been found.
- {{PA}} = Presumed accident; A court or coroner has determined an individual has died from an accident, but their body hasn't been found.
- {{SA}} = Suspected accident.
- {{SH}} = Suspected homicide. Cases with foul play involved are to be listed as suspected homicide.
- {{SS}} = Suspected suicide.
- {{SE}} = Suspected exposure.
- {{Abductor}} = Abductors; People who have abducted someone and remain at large. This classification is usually used with family abductions.
- {{ID}} - Involuntary disappearances. This can apply to political disappearances or forced disappearances.
- {{Fugitive}} - Fugitive. People who are fleeing from custody.
Resolutions
This section will be expanded once more resolved disappearance articles are available.
Physical information
- Disabled (if the subject had a cognitive or physical impairment, such as Down syndrome or a condition that may have affected their physical appearance.
- Mentally ill (only if the individual was diagnosed or strongly suspected to suffer from any form of mental illness.)
- Left-handed (no "right-handed" category is needed, as this occurs far more often).
- Amputees (if the individual underwent the removal of a limb or digits).
- Smokers (If the individual is known to smoke cigarettes or similar products).
Miscellaneous
- Victims of serial killers = for confirmed victims of serial killers.
- Suspected victims of serial killers = for people who are suspected to be victims of serial killers.
- No image available = if there is no image of the decedent available.
- Age progressed = for individuals who have been age progressed.
- No age progression = for individuals under the age of 18 who do not have an age progression.
- Transients = if it is confirmed the person may have been homeless or moving between areas.
- Possible transients = if there is a possibility the person may have been homeless or moving between areas.