Please read through the policy below to familiarize yourself with our common practices and rules.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or complaints, please post them on the talk page.
The goal of Memory Alpha is to be the "most definitive, accurate, and accessible encyclopedia and reference" for the Star Trek universe and its associated material. Towards this end, it was necessary to form a consensus about what material should be considered in-universe, and what material should be considered supplementary. Ultimately, this will ensure that Memory Alpha remains useful and authoritative for the widest possible range of fans.
This policy is not intended to mandate what your personal views should be, only what will be considered in-universe on the site.
What information is in-universe on Memory Alpha?
Basically, content from the most complete and recently released version of an episode or film shown on television or screened in a theater can be used as in-universe information.
This means...
- All released episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
- All released episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series (see FAQ)
- All released episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation
- All released episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- All released episodes of Star Trek: Voyager
- All released episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise
- All released Star Trek films
...are considered canon on Memory Alpha, with the remastered, special, or director's editions of those releases taking precedent. All other material is considered to be supplementary. For more thorough breakdowns of the material Memory Alpha uses, or doesn't use, for articles, please see the resource policy and the frequently asked questions.
Dealing with conflicting information
The preferred approach to dealing with conflicts is that to the greatest extent possible in-universe information should be construed so as not to be in conflict, as the presumption should be that a conflict does not exist unless no other explanation is reasonable under the circumstances.
In the event that two in-universe resources directly conflict with each other, either can be referenced as a valid resource, provided the other is also included in some manner in the article and the conflict noted. Explanations of the conflict and the reason for the selection of one resource over another should appear in a manner that is set off from the main text of the article (for example, in a background note).