GaryJJSpate (talk | contribs) Created page with "{{TheVaultHeader |name=Classification System |type=Archive Structure |status=Active |version=1.0 }} '''The Vault Classification System''' defines how subjects, cases, locations, entities and research materials are organised within The Vault. The classification system provides a consistent structure for the archive, allowing readers to navigate related subjects while maintaining a clear distinction between: * Documented events. * Reported phenomena. * Locations. *..." |
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'''The Vault Classification System''' defines how subjects, cases, locations, entities and research materials are organised within [[The Vault]]. | '''The Vault Classification System''' defines how subjects, cases, locations, entities, and research materials are organised within [[The Vault]]. | ||
The classification system provides a consistent structure for the archive, allowing readers to navigate related subjects while maintaining a clear distinction between: | The classification system provides a consistent structure for the archive, allowing readers to navigate related subjects while maintaining a clear distinction between: | ||
* Documented events | * Documented events | ||
* Reported phenomena | * Reported phenomena | ||
* Locations | * Locations | ||
* Entities | * Entities | ||
* Research subjects | * Research subjects | ||
* Historical records | * Historical records | ||
* Fiction and popular culture | |||
Classification identifies the subject being documented. It does not determine whether a claim is true or false. | Classification identifies the subject being documented. It does not determine whether a claim is true or false. | ||
| Line 21: | Line 22: | ||
== Classification principles == | == Classification principles == | ||
The Vault uses a layered classification system. | The Vault uses a layered classification system. Articles may appear in multiple categories where appropriate. | ||
Articles may appear in multiple categories where appropriate. | |||
For example, a reported haunted castle may belong to: | For example, a reported haunted castle may belong to: | ||
* [[Category:Haunted Locations]] | * [[:Category:Haunted Locations|Haunted Locations]] | ||
* [[Category:Haunted Castles]] | * [[:Category:Haunted Castles|Haunted Castles]] | ||
* [[Category:Castles]] | * [[:Category:Castles|Castles]] | ||
* [[Category:Historical Buildings]] | * [[:Category:Historical Buildings|Historical Buildings]] | ||
* [[Category:Ghosts and Hauntings]] | * [[:Category:Ghosts and Hauntings|Ghosts and Hauntings]] | ||
* A geographic category | * A geographic category | ||
A UFO report may belong to: | A UFO report may belong to: | ||
* [[Category:UFOs and Sightings]] | * [[:Category:UFOs and Sightings|UFOs and Sightings]] | ||
* [[Category:UAP Reports]] | * [[:Category:UAP Reports|UAP Reports]] | ||
* A geographic category | * A geographic category | ||
* A case classification category | * A case classification category | ||
A film inspired by a real haunted-hotel case may belong to: | |||
* [[:Category:Films|Films]] | |||
* [[:Category:Haunted Hotels|Haunted Hotels]] | |||
* [[:Category:Fiction Inspired by Real Events|Fiction Inspired by Real Events]] | |||
* A geographic category, if the real location is documented elsewhere in the archive | |||
Note the distinction: within a single primary classification's own sub-tree, an article should trace up through only one branch (e.g. one specific location type, not several competing ones). Across '''different''' primary classifications, an article is expected to carry multiple tags — that is the layering this system is built around, not an exception to it. | |||
== Primary classifications == | == Primary classifications == | ||
| Line 53: | Line 61: | ||
* Investigators | * Investigators | ||
* Historical Events | * Historical Events | ||
* Popular Culture | |||
== Cases == | == Cases == | ||
A '''case''' is a specific reported event, incident or investigation. | A '''case''' is a specific reported event, incident, or investigation. | ||
Examples include: | Examples include: | ||
* UFO sightings | * UFO sightings | ||
* Reported hauntings | * Reported hauntings | ||
* Cryptid encounters | * Cryptid encounters | ||
* Disappearances | * Disappearances | ||
* Paranormal investigations | * Paranormal investigations | ||
* Historical mysteries | * Historical mysteries | ||
Case pages should document: | Case pages should document: | ||
* Date | * Date | ||
* Location | * Location | ||
* Witnesses | * Witnesses | ||
* Reported events | * Reported events | ||
* Evidence | * Evidence | ||
* Investigations | * Investigations | ||
* Assessment | * Assessment | ||
Relevant templates: | Relevant templates: | ||
* | * {{tl|InfoboxCase}} | ||
* | * {{tl|VaultEvidence}} | ||
== Locations == | == Locations == | ||
A '''location''' is a place associated with reported phenomena, historical mysteries or investigations. | A '''location''' is a place associated with reported phenomena, historical mysteries, or investigations. | ||
Examples include: | Examples include: | ||
* Buildings | * Buildings | ||
* Castles | * Castles | ||
* Hotels | * Hotels | ||
* Roads | * Roads | ||
* Forests | * Forests | ||
* Lakes | * Lakes | ||
* Islands | * Islands | ||
* Geographical areas | * Geographical areas | ||
Location pages should document: | Location pages should document: | ||
* History | * History | ||
* Reported phenomena | * Reported phenomena | ||
* Investigations | * Investigations | ||
* Cultural significance | * Cultural significance | ||
* Current status | * Current status | ||
Relevant templates: | Relevant templates: | ||
* | * {{tl|InfoboxLocation}} | ||
* | * {{tl|VaultLocationBrief}} | ||
== Entities == | == Entities == | ||
An '''entity''' is a reported creature, being or presence. | An '''entity''' is a reported creature, being, or presence. | ||
Examples include: | Examples include: | ||
* Cryptids | * Cryptids | ||
* Apparitions | * Apparitions | ||
* Legendary creatures | * Legendary creatures | ||
* Reported non-human entities | * Reported non-human entities | ||
Entity classifications include: | Entity classifications include: | ||
* Cryptid | * Cryptid | ||
* Apparition | * Apparition | ||
* Folklore entity | * Folklore entity | ||
* Alleged extraterrestrial entity | * Alleged extraterrestrial entity | ||
Examples: | Examples: [[Bigfoot]], [[Ogopogo]], [[Mothman]] | ||
== Phenomena == | == Phenomena == | ||
A '''phenomenon''' is a type of reported occurrence, experience or event. | A '''phenomenon''' is a type of reported occurrence, experience, or event. | ||
Examples include: | Examples include: | ||
* Telepathy | * Telepathy | ||
* Psychokinesis | * Psychokinesis | ||
* Near-death experiences | * Near-death experiences | ||
* Apparitions | * Apparitions | ||
* Poltergeist activity | * Poltergeist activity | ||
* UFO sightings | * UFO sightings | ||
Phenomena pages should focus on: | Phenomena pages should focus on: | ||
* Definition | * Definition | ||
* History | * History | ||
* Research | * Research | ||
* Reported examples | * Reported examples | ||
* Evidence | * Evidence | ||
* Explanations | * Explanations | ||
== Research == | == Research == | ||
Research pages document studies, experiments and investigations. | Research pages document studies, experiments, and investigations. | ||
Examples include: | Examples include: | ||
* Parapsychology research | * Parapsychology research | ||
* UFO investigations | * UFO investigations | ||
* Cryptozoological research | * Cryptozoological research | ||
* Scientific studies | * Scientific studies | ||
Research pages should include: | Research pages should include: | ||
* Methodology | * Methodology | ||
* Findings | * Findings | ||
* Criticism | * Criticism | ||
* Current understanding | * Current understanding | ||
Related: | Related: [[TheVault:Scientific Method]], [[TheVault:Research Methodology]] | ||
== Organisations == | == Organisations == | ||
Organisation pages document groups involved in research, investigation or documentation. | Organisation pages document groups involved in research, investigation, or documentation. | ||
Examples: | Examples: paranormal societies, scientific organisations, investigation teams, historical organisations. | ||
Pages should include: | Pages should include: | ||
* History | * History | ||
* Activities | * Activities | ||
* Investigations | * Investigations | ||
* Publications | * Publications | ||
== Investigators == | == Investigators == | ||
| Line 201: | Line 198: | ||
Investigator pages document individuals involved in researching or documenting unusual phenomena. | Investigator pages document individuals involved in researching or documenting unusual phenomena. | ||
Examples: | Examples: paranormal researchers, scientists, historians, UFO investigators, cryptozoologists. | ||
Pages should focus on: | Pages should focus on: | ||
* Background | * Background | ||
* Research | * Research | ||
* Methods | * Methods | ||
* Contributions | * Contributions | ||
== Historical Events == | == Historical Events == | ||
| Line 220: | Line 211: | ||
Historical Event pages document real-world events connected with mysteries or investigations. | Historical Event pages document real-world events connected with mysteries or investigations. | ||
Examples: | Examples: disappearances, disasters, military incidents, unusual historical events. | ||
Historical fact should be separated from later interpretations or theories. | |||
== Popular Culture == | |||
'''Popular Culture''' pages document fiction and media — films, television, literature, and games — that engage with paranormal, supernatural, or unexplained themes, whether or not they claim any real-world basis. | |||
This classification differs from the other eight in one respect: it classifies the work itself, not a claim about reality. A film about a haunted hotel room belongs here regardless of whether the haunting it depicts is real. Where a work draws on a documented subject covered elsewhere in the archive (a Case, a Location, etc.), the article should link to that subject rather than duplicate its assessment. | |||
Examples include: | |||
* Horror and supernatural films | |||
* Supernatural television series | |||
* Paranormal-themed literature | |||
* Games with paranormal or Fortean subject matter | |||
Popular Culture pages should document: | |||
* Production background | |||
* Plot or premise | |||
* Reception | |||
* Any documented real-world basis, and how closely the work follows it | |||
Relevant templates: | |||
* {{tl|InfoboxMovie}} | |||
* {{tl|InfoboxShow}} | |||
* {{tl|VaultWorkBrief}} | |||
Sub-classifications: Films, Television, Literature, Games (by medium). | |||
Cross-cutting tags: [[:Category:Supernatural Fiction|Supernatural Fiction]] (genre), [[:Category:Fiction Inspired by Real Events|Fiction Inspired by Real Events]] (basis). Apply these alongside a medium category, not in place of it. | |||
== Location categories == | == Location categories == | ||
| Line 235: | Line 251: | ||
=== Haunted Locations === | === Haunted Locations === | ||
Examples: | Examples: [[:Category:Haunted Houses|Haunted Houses]], [[:Category:Haunted Hotels|Haunted Hotels]], [[:Category:Haunted Castles|Haunted Castles]], [[:Category:Haunted Hospitals|Haunted Hospitals]], [[:Category:Haunted Theatres|Haunted Theatres]], [[:Category:Haunted Prisons|Haunted Prisons]] | ||
=== UFO Locations === | === UFO Locations === | ||
Examples: | Examples: [[:Category:UFO Hotspots|UFO Hotspots]], [[:Category:UAP Reports|UAP Reports]], [[:Category:Abduction Cases|Abduction Cases]] | ||
=== Fortean Locations === | === Fortean Locations === | ||
Examples: | Examples: [[:Category:Mystery Locations|Mystery Locations]], [[:Category:Anomalous Areas|Anomalous Areas]], [[:Category:Folklore Locations|Folklore Locations]] | ||
== Phenomenon categories == | == Phenomenon categories == | ||
| Line 264: | Line 265: | ||
=== Ghosts and Hauntings === | === Ghosts and Hauntings === | ||
Reports involving | Reports involving apparitions, unexplained sounds, objects moving without explanation, and reported spirit activity. | ||
=== Cryptozoology === | === Cryptozoology === | ||
Reports involving | Reports involving unknown animals, legendary creatures, and alleged undiscovered species. | ||
=== UFO and UAP Phenomena === | === UFO and UAP Phenomena === | ||
Reports involving | Reports involving unidentified aerial objects, close encounters, and alleged extraterrestrial activity. | ||
=== Psychic Phenomena === | === Psychic Phenomena === | ||
Reports involving | Reports involving telepathy, precognition, remote viewing, and psychokinesis. | ||
== Geographic classification == | == Geographic classification == | ||
Articles should also be categorised geographically where possible. | Articles should also be categorised geographically where possible, e.g. by country, state or region, city, or specific location. Geographic categories allow readers to browse cases by area, and apply across all nine primary classifications rather than belonging to any one of them. | ||
Geographic categories allow readers to browse cases by area. | |||
== Classification and evidence == | == Classification and evidence == | ||
| Line 313: | Line 287: | ||
Classification does not represent an evidence judgement. | Classification does not represent an evidence judgement. | ||
For example | For example, a location listed in [[:Category:Haunted Locations|Haunted Locations]] has a documented association with reported paranormal claims. It does not mean that paranormal activity has been proven. | ||
[[Category:Haunted Locations]] | |||
has a documented association with reported paranormal claims. | |||
It does not mean that paranormal activity has been proven. | |||
Evidence assessment is handled separately through [[TheVault:Evidence Rating System]]. | |||
== Related documents == | == Related documents == | ||
Revision as of 19:52, 3 August 2026
THE VAULT DOCUMENT
Classification System
The Vault Classification System defines how subjects, cases, locations, entities, and research materials are organised within The Vault.
The classification system provides a consistent structure for the archive, allowing readers to navigate related subjects while maintaining a clear distinction between:
- Documented events
- Reported phenomena
- Locations
- Entities
- Research subjects
- Historical records
- Fiction and popular culture
Classification identifies the subject being documented. It does not determine whether a claim is true or false.
Classification principles
The Vault uses a layered classification system. Articles may appear in multiple categories where appropriate.
For example, a reported haunted castle may belong to:
- Haunted Locations
- Haunted Castles
- Castles
- Historical Buildings
- Ghosts and Hauntings
- A geographic category
A UFO report may belong to:
- UFOs and Sightings
- UAP Reports
- A geographic category
- A case classification category
A film inspired by a real haunted-hotel case may belong to:
- Films
- Haunted Hotels
- Fiction Inspired by Real Events
- A geographic category, if the real location is documented elsewhere in the archive
Note the distinction: within a single primary classification's own sub-tree, an article should trace up through only one branch (e.g. one specific location type, not several competing ones). Across different primary classifications, an article is expected to carry multiple tags — that is the layering this system is built around, not an exception to it.
Primary classifications
The main archive classifications are:
- Cases
- Locations
- Entities
- Phenomena
- Research
- Organisations
- Investigators
- Historical Events
- Popular Culture
Cases
A case is a specific reported event, incident, or investigation.
Examples include:
- UFO sightings
- Reported hauntings
- Cryptid encounters
- Disappearances
- Paranormal investigations
- Historical mysteries
Case pages should document:
- Date
- Location
- Witnesses
- Reported events
- Evidence
- Investigations
- Assessment
Relevant templates:
{{InfoboxCase}}{{VaultEvidence}}
Locations
A location is a place associated with reported phenomena, historical mysteries, or investigations.
Examples include:
- Buildings
- Castles
- Hotels
- Roads
- Forests
- Lakes
- Islands
- Geographical areas
Location pages should document:
- History
- Reported phenomena
- Investigations
- Cultural significance
- Current status
Relevant templates:
{{InfoboxLocation}}{{VaultLocationBrief}}
Entities
An entity is a reported creature, being, or presence.
Examples include:
- Cryptids
- Apparitions
- Legendary creatures
- Reported non-human entities
Entity classifications include:
- Cryptid
- Apparition
- Folklore entity
- Alleged extraterrestrial entity
Examples: Bigfoot, Ogopogo, Mothman
Phenomena
A phenomenon is a type of reported occurrence, experience, or event.
Examples include:
- Telepathy
- Psychokinesis
- Near-death experiences
- Apparitions
- Poltergeist activity
- UFO sightings
Phenomena pages should focus on:
- Definition
- History
- Research
- Reported examples
- Evidence
- Explanations
Research
Research pages document studies, experiments, and investigations.
Examples include:
- Parapsychology research
- UFO investigations
- Cryptozoological research
- Scientific studies
Research pages should include:
- Methodology
- Findings
- Criticism
- Current understanding
Related: TheVault:Scientific Method, TheVault:Research Methodology
Organisations
Organisation pages document groups involved in research, investigation, or documentation.
Examples: paranormal societies, scientific organisations, investigation teams, historical organisations.
Pages should include:
- History
- Activities
- Investigations
- Publications
Investigators
Investigator pages document individuals involved in researching or documenting unusual phenomena.
Examples: paranormal researchers, scientists, historians, UFO investigators, cryptozoologists.
Pages should focus on:
- Background
- Research
- Methods
- Contributions
Historical Events
Historical Event pages document real-world events connected with mysteries or investigations.
Examples: disappearances, disasters, military incidents, unusual historical events.
Historical fact should be separated from later interpretations or theories.
Popular Culture
Popular Culture pages document fiction and media — films, television, literature, and games — that engage with paranormal, supernatural, or unexplained themes, whether or not they claim any real-world basis.
This classification differs from the other eight in one respect: it classifies the work itself, not a claim about reality. A film about a haunted hotel room belongs here regardless of whether the haunting it depicts is real. Where a work draws on a documented subject covered elsewhere in the archive (a Case, a Location, etc.), the article should link to that subject rather than duplicate its assessment.
Examples include:
- Horror and supernatural films
- Supernatural television series
- Paranormal-themed literature
- Games with paranormal or Fortean subject matter
Popular Culture pages should document:
- Production background
- Plot or premise
- Reception
- Any documented real-world basis, and how closely the work follows it
Relevant templates:
{{InfoboxMovie}}{{InfoboxShow}}{{VaultWorkBrief}}
Sub-classifications: Films, Television, Literature, Games (by medium).
Cross-cutting tags: Supernatural Fiction (genre), Fiction Inspired by Real Events (basis). Apply these alongside a medium category, not in place of it.
Location categories
Locations may be divided into specific types.
Haunted Locations
Examples: Haunted Houses, Haunted Hotels, Haunted Castles, Haunted Hospitals, Haunted Theatres, Haunted Prisons
UFO Locations
Examples: UFO Hotspots, UAP Reports, Abduction Cases
Fortean Locations
Examples: Mystery Locations, Anomalous Areas, Folklore Locations
Phenomenon categories
Ghosts and Hauntings
Reports involving apparitions, unexplained sounds, objects moving without explanation, and reported spirit activity.
Cryptozoology
Reports involving unknown animals, legendary creatures, and alleged undiscovered species.
UFO and UAP Phenomena
Reports involving unidentified aerial objects, close encounters, and alleged extraterrestrial activity.
Psychic Phenomena
Reports involving telepathy, precognition, remote viewing, and psychokinesis.
Geographic classification
Articles should also be categorised geographically where possible, e.g. by country, state or region, city, or specific location. Geographic categories allow readers to browse cases by area, and apply across all nine primary classifications rather than belonging to any one of them.
Classification and evidence
Classification does not represent an evidence judgement.
For example, a location listed in Haunted Locations has a documented association with reported paranormal claims. It does not mean that paranormal activity has been proven.
Evidence assessment is handled separately through TheVault:Evidence Rating System.