diff --git a/source/faq/fundamentals.txt b/source/faq/fundamentals.txt
index bbede4711b1..b8004da1932 100644
--- a/source/faq/fundamentals.txt
+++ b/source/faq/fundamentals.txt
@@ -44,35 +44,51 @@ the columns in a relational database table.
 How do I create a database and a collection?
 --------------------------------------------
 
+.. note:: 
+
+   You can enter the commands referenced in this FAQ by using 
+   the :binary:`mongo <~bin.mongo>` shell. The mongo shell is an 
+   interactive JavaScript interface to MongoDB. You can use the mongo 
+   shell to query and update data as well as perform administrative 
+   operations.
+
 If a database does not exist, MongoDB creates the database when you
 first store data for that database.
 
 If a collection does not exist, MongoDB creates the collection when you
-first store data for that collection. [#explicit-creation]_
+first store data for that collection.
 
 As such, you can switch to a non-existent database (``use <dbname>``)
 and perform the following operation:
 
 .. code-block:: javascript
 
-   use myNewDB
+   use myNewDB;
+
+   db.myNewCollection1.insertOne( { x: 1 } );
+   db.myNewCollection2.createIndex( { a: 1 } );
 
-   db.myNewCollection1.insertOne( { x: 1 } )
-   db.myNewCollection2.createIndex( { a: 1 } )
+- The :method:`db.collection.insertOne()` method creates 
+  the collection ``myNewCollection1`` if it does not already exist.
 
-The ``insert`` operation creates both the database ``myNewDB`` and the
-collection ``myNewCollection1`` if they do not already exist.
+- The :method:`db.collection.createIndex()` method creates the index and 
+  the collection ``myNewCollection2`` if it does not already exist. 
 
-The ``createIndex`` operation, which occurs after the ``myNewDB`` has
-been created, creates the index and the collection ``myNewCollection2``
-if the collection does not exist. If ``myNewDb`` did not exist, the
-``createIndex`` operation would have also created the ``myNewDB``.
+- If the ``myNewDb`` database did not exist, either the
+  :method:`db.collection.createIndex()` method or 
+  :method:`db.collection.insertOne()` method would have created
+  the ``myNewDb`` database automatically.
+
+You can also create a collection explicitly using
+:method:`db.createCollection` method if you want to specify specific
+:ref:`options<create_collection_parameters>`, such as maximum size
+or document validation rules:
+
+.. code-block:: javascript
 
-.. [#explicit-creation]
+   use myNewDB;
 
-   You can also create a collection explicitly using
-   :method:`db.createCollection` if you want to specify specific
-   options, such as maximum size or document validation rules.
+   db.createCollection("myNewCollection1");
 
 .. _faq-schema-free:
 
diff --git a/source/reference/method/db.createCollection.txt b/source/reference/method/db.createCollection.txt
index 2887f02ab01..b0e7879424e 100644
--- a/source/reference/method/db.createCollection.txt
+++ b/source/reference/method/db.createCollection.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ Definition
          }
       )
 
+
+   .. _create_collection_parameters:
+
    The :method:`db.createCollection()` method has the following parameters: