Editing Dossier

{{Policies}}
A [[Dossier]] is a collection of documents or data about a particular person, event, subject, or another topic. They are typically stored in electronic formats. However, in lower-tech systems, they may be retained on paper, stone tablets, or other media.

== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
While dossiers typically apply to personnel and events in a conventional sense, within the [[AAB]] [[Library Data]] files, they are typically used to describe history or background relating to [[sophont]]ic matters, which is to say the knowledge relating to technologically sophisticated species, rather than astronomical, physical, or other scientific data related to relatively unchanging facts. Hard data is filed under ''[[Specifications]].''{{Unpublished cite|citeName=ms|author=[[Maksim-Smelchak]]}} 
 
Dossiers often describe the physical possessions of an individual, the details and layout of a [[facility]], or the sophontilogical story of a [[world]] and its inhabitants. On [[vehicle]]s and [[ship]]s, the dossier describes the history and background of a design, its roles, its origin, who made it, why, and the like. <ref name=ms/>

=== Detailed Dossier Breakdown === 
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|+ '''[[AAB]] [[Library Data]] Article Type'''
|+ '''Dossier Sections'''
|-
! Article Type
! Remarks
|-
| [[Base]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* The history of a specific or general base type over [[technological epoch]]s to include a variety of details that would be of interest to someone with the [[Traveller Gene]].
|-
| [[Corporation]] or [[Megacorporation]]
| The specifications section of this kind of file details:
* A basic history of the company including founders, stories, related events, etc.
* It might include a listing of Trade Partners, Trade Competitors,  and possibly a Corporate Timeline.
|-
| [[Creature]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* The history and background of the creature being profiled: who discovered it, what it can be used for, what role it plays in its ecosystem, how dangerous it is, etc.
|-
| [[Facility]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* The history of a specific or general facility type over [[technological epoch]]s to include a variety of details that would be of interest to someone with the [[Traveller Gene]].
* It might also include a basic overview of what the facility does and who finds it of use. This would complement the [[specifications]] section. There can be an overlap between the two headings.
|-
| [[Good]]s
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* History and usage of the [[good]].
* Technological development of the good by [[Technological Epoch]].
|-
| [[Language]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* The historical linguistics of a language: Who uses it, where it is used, how it developed, what status or prestige is associated with it, etc.
|-
| [[Periodical]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* Primary source reference or sources.
* Links to external sites with reviews, commentary, data, or other kinds of related data.
* A [[Traveller:Referral Tree|referral tree]] to related articles.
* Background ''behind the scenes'' commentary from [[author]]s, fans, [[publisher]]s, or other sources that help to illustrate the product's development or are otherwise of interest.
|-
| [[Personage]] ([[VIP]])
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* History and background of the [[VIP]] and details of their recent actions and how they may be of interest.
* A rough timeline of the [[VIP]]'s life.
|-
| [[Polity]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* History and background of the polity with details about the polity's capabilities such as its commercial reach, military, technology, etc.
|-
| [[Publication]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* Primary source reference or sources.
* Links to external sites with reviews, commentary, data, or other kinds of related data.
* A [[Traveller:Referral Tree|referral tree]] to related articles.
* Background ''behind the scenes'' commentary from [[author]]s, fans, [[publisher]]s, or other sources that help to illustrate the product's development or are otherwise of interest.
|-
| [[Sector]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* History possibly with a [[timeline]]
* Native sophonts
* Polities
* Trade routes
* [[etc.]]
|-
| [[Ship]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* Details about the research and development of the ship, which polities use it, how it is operationally used, and related details.
|-
| [[Sophont]] 
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* A basic high-level overview of the species' history and how they came to be on the interstellar stage... Or why they are trapped within their gravity well with non-spacefaring technology.
* Cultural sophontology: belief system, values, psychology, religion, morality, motivation, traditions, aesthetics, architecture, art, language, calendar, timekeeping system/s, [[etc.]]
* Societal sophontology: Government, trade, military, research, technology, [[etc.]] 
|-
| [[Subsector]]
| The dossier section of this kind of file details:
* History possibly with a [[timeline]]
* Polities
* Native sophont / [[NIL]]s
* Resident sophonts / demography
* [[etc.]]
|-
|}

== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
The [[AAB]] adopted the dossier system early in the time of the [[Vilani Imperium]], and all of its succeeding [[empire]]s have kept the system. It has a relatively standard format although many administrators over the millennia have modified or otherwise edited the files and databases, leaving a not perfectly standard set of data. 

The [[Library Data]] used on [[Ship’s Computer]]s at and [[starport]] libraries may diverge from the data collections at [[AAB]] [[Data Repository]] installations. <ref name=ms/>

== References & Contributors ([[Sources]]) ==
{{Intermediate}}
{{Sources
|S1= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]]
|S2= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology [[Maksim-Smelchak]] of the [[Ministry of Science]] 
}}


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