User:CC7567/The Official Guide to Article Reviewing

Welcome to the Official Guide to Article Reviewing, officially approved by the Inquisitorius review panel. This tutorial is intended to explain the basics of being a reviewer on the Featured article nominations ("FAN") page. There are also portions of this tutorial that are endorsed by the AgriCorps review panel, which manages the Good article nominations ("GAN") page.

So&hellip; what's a reviewer?
To understand what the job of a reviewer is, you first need to understand Wookieepedia's system of status articles, which represent the highest quality of articles that the site has to offer. All of these articles undergo similar review processes, which are conducted by both members of the Wookieepedia community and separate review boards.

The primary distinction between the three types of status articles is page length. The three types of status articles, along with their accompanying review boards, are listed below.

30px-FeaturedIcon.png Featured article
A Featured article is 1,000 words or more in length. The Featured article nominations ("FAN") page is managed by the Inquisitorius review panel. Refer to What is a featured article?

30px-GoodIcon.png Good article
A Good article is between 250 and 1,000 words in length. The Good article nominations ("GAN") page is overseen by the AgriCorps review panel.

30px-ComprehensiveArticle.png Comprehensive article
A Comprehensive article is up to 250 words in length. The Comprehensive article nominations ("CAN") page is handled by the EduCorps review panel.

The job
A status article reviewer is a Wookieepedia user who dedicates himself or herself to review articles on the aforementioned FAN, GAN, and/or CAN pages. While conducting reviews, they raise objections to a nominated article with the intention of improving it. This tutorial will explain the basics of reviewing and how to become a status article reviewer.

I'm new and want to review!
The best way to get a feel for the Featured article nominations page is to experience the review process yourself. Writing an article and then nominating it as a Featured article nomination is the most effective way to understand the process. Alternatively, users will first submit an article as a Good or Comprehensive article nomination, because the GAN and CAN processes are usually faster and easier to handle.

Why should I review?
Now you know the basics of reviewing. So why should you become a status article reviewer?

Reviewers are the backbone of the site.
Without users dedicating themselves to reviewing articles on the FAN, GAN, and CAN, none of these systems would exist. Status article reviewers are users who know what quality is and are committed to promoting it in the site's articles.

User votes count.
It might seem that for now, as a regular user&mdash;without (Inq),  (AC), or  (EC) in front of your signature&mdash;your vote doesn't count on the FAN, GAN, or CAN page.

But guess what? It does! Check out the following breakdown of each voting system (numbers set by community consensus):

It should be understandable why review panel votes are required for each respective nomination process, but in each process, user votes still count. Without user votes, all three nomination processes would rely entirely on review panel votes, which has proven to be as inefficient as it is ineffective. The votes of all reviewers count on each nomination page, so reviewing (and voting) will make your voice heard.

Reviewers pay it forward.
Reviewing others' articles can often seem like a thankless job. (After all, it is unpaid.) However, reviewing is the fundamental essence of the Wookieepedia community. It's not bragging when we say that Wookieepedia is the best online encyclopedia out there&mdash;it's the truth. You will never find a wiki like this, where members are dedicated to helping each other learn and grow. Reviewers represent the site's level of community, collaborating and working toward the common goal of promoting quality across the site.

To put it in simpler terms: if you want people to review your article, go review others'  articles as well. Receiving a review for your article is a privilege&mdash;not a right&mdash;and a favor to be paid forward.

The big secret
Well, it's not exactly a secret, but it shouldn't be a surprise: prominent and talented reviewers become members of the Inqusitorius and AgriCorps, as well as the EduCorps. However, that does not mean that just because you've read this page, you will automatically be asked to join a review board.

Reviewing is a learning process that will teach you what a quality Wookieepedia article is. Both the Inquisitorius and AgriCorps vote in new members via internal selection. When looking for potential candidates, they look for users who have shown time, commitment, and effort while reviewing Featured and Good article nominations.

If your goal is to become a member of the Inqusitorius and/or AgriCorps, this is where to start:
 * 1) Review, and review a lot. Show your commitment to regularly reviewing articles, which is expected from all review panel members.
 * 2) Seek advice. Working one-on-one with a current member of the Inquisitorius and/or AgriCorps is one of the most effective ways to learn what to look for. Members of both panels are happy to answer questions and guide users who are trying to find their way around the FAN and GAN. Seek out a member and see if there's something you can do to improve your reviewing.
 * 3) Regularly visit IRC. This might sound strange at first, but it's true: the fastest way to learn is on IRC in real-time, talking to current members of the Inquisitorius and AgriCorps. Additionally, monthly meetings for both panels are held in IRC, so maintaining a regular presence on IRC will be a vital part of your resumé.
 * 4) Show us, not tell us, your interest. Actions will often speak louder than words, and the best way to show us your interest is to display your willingness to learn. If you have a question, ask for help. Learning never stops, even after you join the review panel.