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guide:reviewing_submissions [2021/01/09 18:48] – wesguide:reviewing_submissions [2023/11/12 12:19] – ↷ Links adapted because of a move operation wes
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 ====== Reviewing Submissions ====== ====== Reviewing Submissions ======
-Star Army encourages members to submit ideas to be included into the setting's [[guide:canon]]. This guide provides instructions for staff members who are assigned to review member-submitted content.+This is the Guide for Reviewing Submissions to add to canon in the [[sarp:sarpiverse|]]. It was implemented in [[calendar:2021|]]. It works in tandem with the [[guide:submission_rules]]. ((https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/now-that-we-have-a-new-submissions-guide-up-proposed-guide-for-reviewing-submissions.66859/))
  
-The Setting Submission Forum has been identified as a key source of friction in the Star Army community. To ensure our success, we all must be //extremely mindful// of ensuring **all members who submit their content to our site have a positive experience** in the Setting Submissions Forum.+It serves as a guide to the moderators of the [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/forums/setting-submissions.17/|Setting Submissions Forum]] and also helps Creators understand what those moderators are looking for.
  
-===== Role of the Reviewer ===== +=====A Good Reviewer=====
-Reviewing submissions is vital to Star Army. Since all Star Army members share a common universe, the universe must be expanded on in ways that are helpful instead of disruptive. As a reviewer, your role is to ensure that member-submitted wiki articles fit in the universe and also to ensure that they meet the community's standards.+
  
-Non-staffers can also post questions and help with reviews, or raise concerns. If you choose to participate in a submission review thread, you are expected to follow the same rules as the staff in terms of being helpful (see the section below).+A Good Reviewer is:
  
-**To prevent members feeling "ganged up on" only one setting submissions reviewer/moderator should conduct the review at a time. Reviewers must post the checklist at the time the review is started. If a reviewer "claims" a submission they must immediately begin the review in the same post.** The reviewer should follow through promptly and finish the review within a week, posting at least every day or two until the submission is approved or rejected unless the submitter has specifically asked for extra time to work on the submission (in that case, change the thread prefix to "On Hold"). If the reviewer doesn't keep up with the review, it should be promptly assigned by the first available staff member to another active reviewer.+  * Unbiased - They approach the article for its value to the [[sarp:sarpiverse|]] as a whole. 
 +  * Constructive - While a reviewer can reject an article, it should be the last resort. It is the reviewer's job to identify the areas the article can be fixed or improved upon to make it acceptable to be entered into the canon. 
 +  * Positive - The reviewer should have a positive attitude and serve as an encouraging and productive member of the community. 
 +  * Knowledgable - The reviewer should have an understanding of the [[guide:submission_rules]] and the setting of the [[sarp:sarpiverse|]].
  
-===== How To Review Submissions ===== +=====What Are Reviewers Looking For?===== 
-In general, the submission review should lean on the side of being a helper rather than a gatekeeper. Star Army members will produce submissions of various quality. Some will be almost instantly ready-to-approve, and some will require major work. As staff members, we should try to assist the submitter to make their ideas work for everyone and to bring their submission up to a very high level of quality.+Reviewers need to be thorough and have good attention to detail.
  
-There are three core principles of how to review submissions constructively, which can be remembered by the acronym **ASK**:+  - Has the Creator utilized the correct [[:templates|template]]? - Details need to be filled out to completion, the information must be accurate. 
 +    - If there are no [[:templates|template]] for the article type reviews should make sure that the article is detailed and presentable. (Side thought - should a template be made if there is none?) 
 +    - All the information to fill out the appropriate [[wiki:struct|stuct]] should be included. 
 +    - Creators can go above and beyond. It is good if an article has more information or deploys information in a constructive manner. 
 +  - Does the article Follow the [[guide:style]] and use the correct [[wiki:syntax]]? The article should be corrected to have the right spelling and grammar. 
 +  - Is the article in line with the [[guide:rules|]] and [[guide:terms_of_service]]? Do the illustrations or art follow the site's [[:art|Art Policies]]? 
 +    - If you are unsure of a piece of art, you can check it using [[http://tineye.com|TinEye]]. 
 +  - If the creator has made a new species, did they follow the [[guide:creating_a_species]] guide? 
 +  - Does the article follow and apply the [[guide:submission_rules#fit_the_sarpiverse|Standards of the SARPiverse]]? It should fit into the setting. 
 +  - Is the article free of the [[guide:submission_rules#what_not_to_do|Things we don't want]]? 
 +  - Has the appropriate [[:faction|Faction Manager]] approved the submission? 
 +  - Has the subject of the submission appeared in the RP? (added in [[calendar:2021]])
  
-  * Avoid Bias +=====Tags In the Submissions Forum=====
-  * Suggest Solutions +
-  * Keep It Positive+
  
-==== Avoid Bias ==== +The Tags in the [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/forums/setting-submissions.17/|Setting Submissions Forum]].
-Identify the creation for what it is. Leave your preconceptions about the person's previous submissions behind; try to view each submission independently. If you have an opinion or bias towards the person submitting, the nation the submission is for, or that type of submission in general-keep it to yourself and off of the Setting Submissions forum.+
  
-Submission reviewers should also avoid being a reviewer on their stuff or reviewing things where their impartiality is likely to be called into question.+  - Use the "Reviewer Assigned" Tag when you have selected an article to review. A reviewer who takes an assigned creator should work on that creation within 24 to 48 hours. If the review is major and will take a bit longer than that, the reviewer should post to notify the creator of their progress. 
 +  - The "Waiting on Submitter" Tag should be used when the Reviewer is waiting on action from the creator. Generally, changes should be made in a reasonable amount of time. If more than 3 days is required, the submission should be moved to [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/forums/rejected-or-abandoned-submissions.74/|Rejected and Abandoned]] with a note that the creator can re-submit when they are ready. 
 +  - The "3-Day Approval Timer" should be used on submissions that are major submissions post review, just in case any additional issues come up. If no further issues are presented the article can be approved. Straight forwards, Simple articles should just be approved. 
 +  - The "Needs Faction Manager Approval" tag should be used when a submission needs approval from the appropriate [[:faction|Faction Manager]]. 
 +  - The "Approved Submission" is used when a reviewer Approves a submission. The thread should be moved to the [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/forums/approved-submissions.20/|Approved Submissions Forum]]. 
 +  - The "Rejected or Abandoned Submission" Tag should be reviewed if the creator abandons their submission for more than 3 days when action is required or the article has been officially rejected.
  
-==== Suggest Solutions ==== +=====Priority=====
-Identify any problems, if any, in a respectful manner. Give specifics, identify what areas of the submission require improvement, expansion or another type of edit. Don't point out flaws without offering some kind of suggestion of how the person can either fix the flaw or rework the submission to make it fit more into the setting. If you're willing to critique something, be prepared to step up and help the creator of the submission.+
  
-==== Keep It Positive ==== +Reviewers should give priority to reviewing articles that [[guide:submission_rules#help_the_star_army_community|Help the Star Army Community]].
-Try to find something positive to say, encourage the submitter. Avoid discouraging player creativity. If the submission has flaws, they surely should be mentioned-but try to start with something positive about the submission, such as what is cool or unique about it, or how much effort and time they put into it.+
  
-Positive feedback brings validity to the points you will make later and helps balance critique. If there are flaws, and you point them out-try to encourage the person to go back to the drawing board-rather than leaving them feeling rejected. Avoid insulting, providing nonconstructive critique; it makes the person submitting the creation feel bad and takes away from the validity of your suggestions.+=====Rejection===== 
 +If an article is rejected: 
 +  - The thread should be moved to the [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/forums/rejected-or-abandoned-submissions.74/|Rejected and Abandoned]]. 
 +  - The creator is permitted to follow the [[guide:submission_rules#permission_restrictions_consequences_for_not_following_submission_rules|Appeal Process]]. 
 +  - In some cases if there has been misconduct involved in the submission, the thread should be locked when it is moved. See the [[guide:submission_rules#permission_restrictions_consequences_for_not_following_submission_rules|Restrictions and Consequences for Not Following Submission Rules]].
  
-===== Expectations and Rules ===== +=====Approval=====
-Submissions should not be approved until they meet the [[guide:submission_rules|Submission Rules]]. Reviewers should look at those and also use the instructions and checklist provided in this guide. It is strongly preferred that reviewers post the checklist in the actual approval thread where everyone can see it.+
  
-**We ask that all setting submissions mods try to avoid "evaluating" and in-depth discussion of current submissions outside of the setting submissions forum**. Official business needs to be conducted on the official forums where staff can see it, not on various private Discord servers, etc. This protects both the reviewer and the submitter.+When a submission is approved there are post-approval responsibilities for the reviewer and the creator.
  
-**As a submitter:** if your reviewer doesn't use the checklist, you should ask for them to do that because the canon status of submissions that are approved without the checklist posted in the thread can be easily pulled for up to 3 months after approval.+When your submission is approved, our team will: 
 +  * Move your article out of the WIP namespace. 
 +  * Add Approval Information to the article. 
 +  * Fill out the struct. (See: [[wiki:struct|]])
  
-==== Artwork And Illustrations ==== +After your submission is approved, you are responsible for: 
-The artwork is no longer required for any submission, including species, weapons, and uniforms, which previously required art. For these types of submissions where art would help immensely, attempt to coordinate a way for them to get artwork, even if it's just begging [[user:Wes]] to commission someone. +  * Updating the article as standards and [[:templates|]] change. 
- +  * Updating history and relevant roleplay information. 
-Articles should only contain artwork that is hosted on Star Army's wiki. Hotlinking to images on image hosts (e.g. Imgur) or other third-party websites is not allowed due to reasons of copyright, originality, and technical reasons like making sure pages are fully encrypted. +  * Ensuring it is listed correctly on other pages. 
- +  * Resubmitting it if any major changes are made.
-Artworks should have information about them in notes at the bottom of each wiki page they are used on. The notes should include the author of the image and how the image was sourced. For example: "Artwork commissioned by Wes from Marugo-Chi on DeviantArt." +
- +
-See also: +
- +
-  * [[art:using_adoptables]] +
-  * [[art:using_copyrighted_images]] +
-  * [[art:using_creative_commons_images]] +
-  * [[art:using_public_domain_images]] +
-  * [[art:using_stock_images]] +
- +
-==== Article Content ==== +
-The content of articles should be original. +
- +
-Here are some details that each article should have: +
- +
-  * A good description of what the item or place looks and feels like. Could an artist draw it based on the text description alone? +
-  * Historical information including the [[faction:yamatai:calendar]] years of things like when the item was created, if applicable +
-  * If it is a product, include a price and where to buy it, and who can or cannot buy it. Where was it made and what company makes it? +
-  * How characters can interact with the item/ship/organization (e.g. how to put it on, use, repair it, etc.) +
-  * A nomenclature (such as the [[international:standard_product_nomenclature_system]]) if it makes sense to have one +
-  * A realistic lifespan time for products (even unused things don't last forever) +
- +
-We ask that you keep articles free of: +
- +
-  * Copyrighted content and trademarks that aren't ours to use, and the names of real people +
-  * Content copy-pasted from other articles on Star Army or other RP sites +
-  * Excessive profanity or any obscenity (outside of the NSFW: namespace) +
- +
-==== Article Templates ==== +
-Since at least 2011, using the common [[:templates|template]] for your submission is in the rules. It's okay to slightly modify the template to add more details but the outline of the page should be generally recognized as the standard template for the ship/character/gun/etc. +
- +
-Articles should follow the [[guide:style|Style Guide]]. The most common thing we see that goes against the style guide is that each header, especially the title header, should be followed by some sort of regular prose (text that is not in a table or a list). Other common issues are the unnecessary use of forced [[wiki:syntax#basic_text_formatting|line breaks]]. +
- +
-==== Limitations ==== +
-In order to maintain the technology level and status quo of the established setting, there are some limitations on what technologies can be introduced into the setting: +
- +
-  * [[guide:starship_speed_standard]] +
-  * [[guide:weapon_limitations]] +
- +
-Star Army will politely turn down articles about: +
- +
-  * Stuff that threatens the setting in general, like anything that would easily allow someone to wipe out the major factions in the RP +
-  * Stuff that's better than everyone else's stuff, particularly when it can't be justified //why// it would be better +
-  * Technologies designed to circumvent, min-max, or ignore current SARP rules and systems +
- +
-==== Links to Other Articles ==== +
-Links should go to working pages only. Links to non-existent pages ("red links") or 404s should not be present. In general, approved canonical articles should try to avoid linking to WIP pages. Nothing in SARP should exist in a vacuum and each page should have several //outgoing// links as well as several //incoming// links (backlinks) once it is approved. Pages without any links to them are considered "orphan pages" and may be pruned by the staff. +
- +
-Wiki articles should be "wikified" by linking to other articles as appropriate. For example, the first time a named character is mentioned their character biography article should be linked. All articles should link "upward" to their "parent" article if one exists. For example: +
- +
-  * Planet articles should always link to their star system's article. +
-  * Faction equipment should always link to the faction(s) that use it. +
-  * Ammunition articles should link to the weapons that use that ammunition. +
- +
-For instructions on making wiki links, see [[wiki:syntax#internal|Formatting Syntax]]. +
-==== OOC Notes Section ==== +
-The OOC notes should contain information about: +
- +
-  * Art credits (see the section on artwork) +
-  * When the article was created and who created it +
-  * Approval status, with a link to the approval thread if applicable +
- +
-==== Space Opera Theme ==== +
-Articles should fit with Star Army's universe and theme. They should be useful and relevant to the setting in some way. They should connect to the rest of the setting instead of being inaccessible to other players. +
- +
-==== Spelling and Grammar ==== +
-Reviewers should correct any spelling and grammar mistakes they find instead of pointing them out. This is the job of the submitter //and// the reviewer and whoever finds a problem first should fix it then and there. It is okay for the reviewer to say they fixed some mistakes of a certain type but they should avoid listing all those mistakes like they're an English teacher grading an assignment (it's embarrassing to the submitter). +
- +
-Articles should use "it is" instead it the contraction "it's" because contractions are not encyclopedic in tone. The possessive word "its" is fine to use and they should not be confused. See [[guide:its|]]. +
- +
-==== WIP Namespace ==== +
-Submissions should stay in the WIP: namespace until they are approved. However, if a submission is not in the WIP namespace at the time of submission, it is not necessary to move it into the WIP as long as the submission is expected to be approved promptly (no need for extra work). +
- +
-In general, only the article author may edit WIP articles until the article is submitted, except for technical fixes like spelling, grammar, and fixing broken links. This is to protect authors from unwanted interference, as some authors are sensitive to other people touching their unfinished articles. Please don't alter other people's works-in-progress unless you get their permission first. +
- +
-=== Images in the WIP Namespace === +
-**If the submission contains images that are in the WIP namespace, the reviewer and/or the submitter need to send a PM to [[user:Wes]] to move the images into their permanent location after the article is approved**. Guests are unable to see images in the WIP: namespace. Also, the WIP namespace is occasionally cleaned out which could result in loss of images for articles with images still in the WIP namespace. +
- +
-===== Approvals ===== +
-When a submission meets the standards, the submission reviewer should post "Approved" in the thread. +
- +
-It is customary to give the members of Star Army at least 3 full days to post their comments on a submission thread. If the submission seems ready for approval before then, the submission reviewer can post a "3-day approval timer" as a pre-approval. After the 3 days have passed without objections, the submission should be marked as approved. +
- +
-===== Checklists for Reviewers ===== +
-This section contains checklists for reviewers to help them remember to look for the following:+
  
 ==== Approval Checklist ==== ==== Approval Checklist ====
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 [ ✅ ] 1. The destination URL should be a page in the appropriate namespace and titled lower_case_with_underscores [ ✅ ] 1. The destination URL should be a page in the appropriate namespace and titled lower_case_with_underscores
-[ ❌ ] 2. The article is in the appropriate format and article template+[ ❌ ] 2. The article is in the appropriate format and the article template. Is all the information for struct present?
 [ ❌ ] 3. The article follows our wiki-style guidelines, including No forced line breaks, text after each section header, etc. [ ❌ ] 3. The article follows our wiki-style guidelines, including No forced line breaks, text after each section header, etc.
 [ ✅ ] 4. The article is easily read and free of errors in spelling and grammar [ ✅ ] 4. The article is easily read and free of errors in spelling and grammar
 [ ✅ ] 5. Links to other wiki articles are present as appropriate and are not broken [ ✅ ] 5. Links to other wiki articles are present as appropriate and are not broken
-[ ✅ ] 6. The article fits into the Star Army universe's space opera theme and technology levels +[ ✅ ] 6. The article fits into the Star Army universe's space opera theme and technology levels. 
-[ ✅ ] 7. Images in the article are hosted on Star Army's wiki and credited in the OOC section+[ ✅ ] 7. Images in the article are hosted on Star Army's wiki and credited in the OOC section.
 [ ✅ ] 8. The article is original and doesn't contain copy-pasted content from other articles. [ ✅ ] 8. The article is original and doesn't contain copy-pasted content from other articles.
 [ ✅ ] 9. The article complies with Star Army's rules in terms of damage ratings, speed limits, etc. [ ✅ ] 9. The article complies with Star Army's rules in terms of damage ratings, speed limits, etc.
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 </code> </code>
  
-==== Post-Approval ==== 
-This checklist contains the necessary steps for just-approved articles. 
  
-<code> +===== OOC Notes ===== 
-Thanks again for submitting an article to the wiki! Time for some final steps for the reviewer... +[[user:andrew]] created this article on 2021/01/19 13:16. Revised an original which was by [[members:wes]]. 
- +  * This was implemented on 1/21/2021 from this [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/now-that-we-have-a-new-submissions-guide-up-proposed-guide-for-reviewing-submissions.66859/#post-417083|thread]].
-[  ] 1. State clearly that the article is approved in the submission thread +
-[  ] 2. Move the wiki article to its permanent (destination) location on the wiki +
-[  ] 3. Move the submission thread to the Approved Submissions subforum or get a moderator to +
-[  ] 4. Edit the article to add a link to the approval thread in the OOC Notes section +
-[  ] 5. Remind the submitter to link to the newly-approved page wherever it makes sense to do so. +
-</code>+

guide/reviewing_submissions.txt · Last modified: 2023/12/20 18:20 (external edit)

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