CZ:Editor Application Review Procedure

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Revision as of 14:06, 11 January 2008 by imported>Larry Sanger
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Template:Editor Pages This is a help page for the editors who review other editor applications, i.e., Editorial Personnel Administrators.

The editor application procedure

When we approve a new editor application (by pressing a button!), we automatically create the editor's user account and add to that editor's user page the Category:CZ Editors tag, which adds the person to our list of editors. Only Editorial Personnel Administrators possess the authority to add such a tag. It is possible that someone begins as an author in our system, and then asks to be made an editor; then it's just a matter of one of us adding the tag to the user page.

Editor applicants use the same form that authors do; the review procedure is also similar to the procedure for authors, except that editor candidates should also send to personnel@citizendium.org two additional items: a CV or resume attached (or linked), as well as some links to Web material that tends to support the claims made in the CV, such as conference proceedings, or a departmental home page. Both additional requirements may be fulfilled by a CV that is hosted on an official work Web page.

The editor application review rules

The application review procedure is very similar to that for authors; see Application Review Procedure. Here are the differences, and additional notes:

  • Only duly designated editorial personnel administrators can make decisions on editor applications.
  • If there is some significant question about a particular application, consult the editorial administrator list.
  • We check for (and, if necessary, request) more pieces of information (see above). We must be quite sure that the person has the main credentials he or she claims. This requires a link to a credible Web site where the person's e-mail address can be found, or some equally credible means of establishing bona fides.
  • We use {{ewelcome}} (the "editor welcome" template) rather than {{awelcome}}.
  • We add both [[Category:CZ Editors]] and the category of the most appropriate workgroup, such as [[Category:Philosophy Editors]].
  • In the welcome message, it would be a good idea to include a link to the discipline editor category page (e.g., Category:Philosophy Editors) and perhaps a few other pages such as the workgroup home page (e.g., CZ:Biology Workgroup).
  • Finished applications are filed in the "Editors - Yes - Done" folder. Denied applications are placed in "Editors - No - Done". E-mails that do not contain complete applications, i.e., which need more information, are placed in "Need more info" until the additional information is received.
  • The general rules for "traditionally academic fields" and "traditionally professional fields" are found in this section of the Policy Outline.
  • Note that in cases where a degree comes from a little-known university, investigation of the accreditation of the university may be appropriate.
  • Decisions are to be made solely based on the stated objective criteria. In particular, no decision will be made based on political, religious, or other ideological considerations. Political progressives should admit conservatives, and political conservatives should admit progressives; atheists should admit Christians, Christians Muslims, Muslims Jews; feminists should admit reactionaries and reactionaries should admit feminists; and so forth. Any person who feels his application has been denied on grounds of ideology may have it re-reviewed by another editorial personnel administrator, and/or the editor-in-chief.
  • Persons who are denied admission should receive a respectful and objective explanation.
  • In cases that are easy to decide, any editorial admininistrator may make a decision; in more difficult cases, for an applicant in an area about which one of the editorial administrators has some special knowledge, that administrator should make the decision.

The step-by-step review procedure

  1. Read application materials; try to decide what workgroups, if any, the person will be editor of. Then,
    • if the application needs more info, send for it and file;
    • if the person is not qualified, send a mail to that effect; and
    • otherwise, copy the editor categories for the welcome mail, and go on to the next step.
  2. Investigate whether person already has an account.
  3. If the person has an author account already, then:
    • add the editor tags to the user page; and
    • add an editor welcome message to the user talk page.
  4. If the person does not have an author account already, then:
    • write down username and password for the welcome mail,
    • create new account,
    • paste in bio on user page,
    • add editor tags,
    • add an editor welcome message to the user talk page, and
    • copy URLs for user pages and workgroup pages for welcome mail.
  5. Generate welcome mail.
  6. Send welcome mail.
  7. File application materials (see above).
  8. Move on to the next item.

Editorial Personnel Administrators as a group

As a group, Editorial Personnel Administrators are not considered a governance body. We are, essentially, project bureaucrats, handing out editorships to new editors. We don't make the policy according to which we make these decisions.

We do not (yet) have a mailing list. If you have a "tough one," you can poll the group or ask the editor-in-chief.