Serial Killer Database Wiki:FAQ

This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is to address common questions and provide clarity regarding the purpose, scope, and content of the Serial Killer Database (SKdb).

Contact Admin for other questions not featured below:

Which types of killers are excluded from the Serial Killer Database?

Killers listed below are generally excluded from the Serial Killer Database (SKdb). However, they may still be considered if their psychological profiles, motivations, or behavioral patterns suggest they exhibit the compulsive, repetitive behavior typical of serial killers. In such cases, their psychological makeup may reveal deeper motivations, such as control, sadism, or a pathological desire to kill, aligning them with serial killer traits.

These types of killers are typically not accepted and rarely meet the criteria for inclusion in SKdb but exceptions may be made based on specific circumstances (See links and/or exceptions below).

Here's a list of killers that should not be included on SKdb:

• Spree Killers: Killers who commit multiple murders in a short time frame, across different locations, without a "cooling-off" period.
• Mass Murderers: Individuals who kill several victims at once or in a single event, typically in one location.
• Mobsters/Organized Crime Figures: Members of criminal organizations who kill for financial or power-related motives.
• Hitmen: Contract killers who murder for payment, with a business transaction motive rather than the psychological patterns typical of serial killers, except for special cases like Richard Kuklinski.
• Terrorists: Individuals who kill for political, ideological, or religious reasons (e.g., bombers, extremists), except for special cases like Ted Kaczynski.
• Dictators: Leaders responsible for mass killings, genocides, or politically motivated murders, often through state-sanctioned violence. Their actions fall under war crimes or terrorism, not serial killing.
• War Criminals: Killers who commit murders in the context of war, genocide, or other state-driven conflicts.
• Individuals with Isolated Psychotic Episodes: Those who commit one or more murders due to temporary mental illness without a repetitive pattern of behavior.
• Vigilantes: Individuals who kill perceived wrongdoers in acts of personal justice or revenge, lacking serial killer motives.
• Gang Members: Individuals involved in gang violence who kill as part of gang conflicts or retaliations, except for special cases like "King Von".
• Cult Leaders: Leaders of cults who order or orchestrate murders committed by their followers, except for special cases like Charles Manson.
• Cult Followers: Those who murder under the influence or orders of a cult leader (unless case-by-case, like Charles Manson).
• Domestic Killers: Killers who commit murders within a family or intimate relationship context, usually driven by personal motives rather than serial patterns.

Why does the Serial Killer Database focus on the perpetrators instead of the victims?

The Serial Killer Database was established to offer students and researchers accurate and detailed information about serial killers for informational, educational, and research purposes. Our goal is to present a complete and balanced database, encompassing all relevant facts. While the primary focus is on providing comprehensive data about the perpetrators, we also include detailed victim profiles. This inclusion serves to honor and remember the victims, ensuring they are not forgotten. We are committed to compiling profiles of all victims, and this is an ongoing effort. If our intention were solely to focus on the perpetrators, victim profiles would not be a part of this database.

How to Get Involved and Add Content to SKdb

There are many ways to contribute to SKdb, whether you want to make small edits or take on larger projects. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Update Information: Keep profiles current by adding new information, such as recent deaths or convictions of serial killers.
• Fill in Missing Details: Add any missing information to existing serial killer profiles.
• Create New Profiles: Generate new serial killer profiles using the preloaded template available on desktop (see Profile Boxes below, and view missing serial killer profiles here).
• Add Victim Profiles: Create profiles for missing victims with the preloaded template on desktop (see Profile Boxes below).
• Calendar Entries: Populate the calendar with significant events on specific Dates.
• Expand Stub Pages: Contribute biographies or timelines to Stub pages for serial killers or victims.
• Recommend Resources: Add recommended books or documentaries to relevant profile pages.

Maintenance Tasks

See if you can assist with the following maintenance tasks:

• Images Needed: Add Profile images to pages in the Image Needed category.
• Galleries Needed: Add image galleries to pages in the Gallery Needed category.
• Victim Lists: Complete or add victim lists to pages in the Victim List Needed and Victim List Incomplete categories.
• Rewriting: Improve the quality of content by rewriting sections in the Articles to be Rewritten category.
• Expanding: Add more information to sections in the Articles to be Expanded category.
• Wanted Pages: Create pages that are currently Wanted.
• Citations Needed: Provide sources for information in the Citation Needed category.

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps improve the quality and accuracy of SKdb.

Profile Boxes

You can create profiles with the relevant preloaded templates by entering the name according to SKdb's naming customs and clicking 'Create Page'. The naming customs refer to the format: "KEMPER Edmund Emil III".

This will automatically generate a new page with the templates already included, so you only need to add the information and images.

These boxes also exist on the front page, to the top right.

Add a Serial Killer (LAST First Middle Suffix)	Add a Victim (LAST First Middle Suffix)

How do I properly cite sources in SKdb articles?

Main articles: Help:When to Cite, Help:Citing sources, Help:Verifiability, Help:Source Reliability

Proper citation is essential for maintaining the credibility and accuracy of the information on SKdb. Follow these steps to cite sources correctly:

• Use Reliable Sources: Ensure that your sources are credible and verifiable. Academic publications, news articles from reputable media outlets, and books by established authors are good examples.
• Inline Citations: Place inline citations immediately after the information you are referencing. Use the <ref>{{Cite web|url=|title=|author=|date=|year=|publisher=|language=|quote=|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref> or <ref>{{cite book|first=|last=|title=|date=|publisher=|isbn=|pages=|coauthors=|location=|language=|work=|quote=|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref> tags to create footnotes.
• Formatting References: Format your references consistently. Include the author's name, publication date, title of the work, and publication details.
• Reference List: At the bottom of the article, create a References section using <references/>. This will automatically list all the inline citations.

Example: The serial killer was known for his distinctive modus operandi.<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Smith|title=The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers|date=1993|publisher=Example Press|isbn=123-4-567-89012-3|pages=55-56||location=New York}}</ref>

This will show up in the References section as: Smith, John (1993). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, pp. 55-56. New York: Example Press. ISBN 123-4-567-89012-3

Ensuring proper citation practices not only strengthens the content but also provides readers with sources to further explore the topic.

Why Use the {{Death}} Template Instead of Direct Date Entries?

Why is using {{Death|birthYear=XXXX|deathYear=XXXX|deathMonth=XX|deathDay=XX}} better than "Died = [[Month Day]], [[Year]] (aged Age)"? Using the {{Death}} template offers several advantages over manually entering death dates and ages. Here are the key points:

• Community Standards and Edit Warring:
  • Template Usage: While you may prefer a specific format, the use of templates helps standardize entries across the site. This reduces the likelihood of edit warring, as changes to templates are typically discussed and agreed upon by the community.
  • Direct Entry: If someone else changes your manually entered format to a different one, reverting it might be seen as edit warring, which is discouraged. Using templates helps avoid these conflicts.

• Consistency with Birth Templates:
  • Template Usage: If you are already using the {{Birth}} template ({{Birth|year=XXXX|month=XX|day=XX|deathYear=XXXX}}) in the article, it makes sense to use the {{Death}} template as well. They are designed to work in tandem, ensuring consistency and reducing the need for rewriting both birth and death details.
  • Direct Entry: Mixing templates and manual entries can lead to inconsistencies in how dates are displayed and interpreted.

• Edit History and Accountability:
  • Template Usage: Using templates helps track and manage edits more effectively. If a template is changed, the history of changes is centralized, making it easier to review and revert if necessary.
  • Direct Entry: Multiple individual edits can clutter the edit history and make it harder to track changes related to date formatting.

• Ease of Bulk Updates:
  • Template Usage: If at any point you need to update the format or structure of how death information is displayed across the site, using templates makes it significantly easier to change all instances at once. Simply update the template, and the changes will reflect site-wide.
  • Direct Entry: Manually entered dates require individual updates on each page, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.

• Future-proofing:
  • Template Usage: Templates can be easily modified or enhanced in the future. For example, if new parameters or functionalities are added to the {{Death}} template, all instances will benefit without additional work.
  • Direct Entry: Static entries do not benefit from future template improvements, requiring manual updates to adopt new features.

• Additional Benefits:
  • Template Usage: Templates can include additional logic and functionality, such as automatically calculating the age at death or linking to related information, providing more dynamic and informative entries.
  • Direct Entry: Manual entries lack these dynamic capabilities, limiting the potential for automated enhancements.

How do I nominate a page for Deletion?

Deletions are only allowed to be performed by an administrator but any editor can mark them for deletion as long as they don't remove content of the page to make its review easier. To suggest the deletion of an offending profile add {{Delete|Reason for deletion|date=}}

Example:

{{Delete|this profile is a duplicate|date=October 7, 2024}} produces:

This page has been nominated for removal from the database

This page is a candidate for deletion because this profile is a duplicate. If you disagree with its deletion, please explain why at this talk page or improve the page and remove the {{Delete|this profile is a duplicate}} tag. (Learn how and when to remove this template message) (October 7, 2024)
Remember to check what links here and the the page history before deleting this box.

Important: After adding the {{Delete}} template to a page, you must initiate a discussion on the Talk page. Clearly explain the reasons for proposing the deletion. This allows other editors to understand the context and provide their input.

To start the discussion, edit the Talk page and add {{Talk|talk}} and save, then go to the create a new section with a relevant title, such as "Proposed Deletion: [Page Name]", and outline your reasoning.

How do I nominate a page for a Name Change?

See also: Help:Name Changes

Name changes should only be performed by an administrator. To suggest a name change of an offending profile add {{Namechange|Reason for name change|date=}}

Example:

{{Namechange|John Doe was convicted|date=October 7, 2024}} produces:

This page has been nominated for change of the page name

This page is a candidate for a page name change because John Doe was convicted. If you disagree with the page changing name, please explain why at this talk page. Once the issue is resolved, an admin will rename the page and remove the {{Namechange|John Doe was convicted}} tag. (Learn how and when to remove this template message) (October 7, 2024)
Remember to check what links here and the the page history before deleting this box.

Important: After adding the {{Namechange}} template to a page, you must initiate a discussion on the Talk page. Clearly explain the reasons for proposing the name change. This allows other editors to understand the context and provide their input.

To start the discussion, edit the Talk page and add {{Talk|talk}} and save, then go to the Talk page and create a new section with a relevant title, such as "Proposed Name Change: [Page Name]", and outline your reasoning.

How do I use the Talk pages?

Enter your message in the editor window. As with article talk pages, type four tildes (~~~~) at the end of your message to generate a signature with your username when you hit Publish. In Source editor, the signature button () above the edit box can also be clicked to leave four tildes automatically.

This will show up by default as:

Editor 21:31, 7 October 2024 (UTC)

This example indicates that a user named "Editor" left the signature at the time indicated.

You can use three tildes (~~~) to leave your name without a timestamp, or five (~~~~~) to leave a timestamp but no name.

To respond to a talk page message, simply edit that section of the talk page, and indent your reply. You can indent by putting a colon (":") at the front of each line. The next person who replies use two colons ("::"), the next use 3 and so on. And don't forget to use (~~~~) to sign your response!