Wikipedia:Mediation

Dispute resolution
Tips for dispute resolution
Use etiquette Assume good faith Be civilised in discussions Be open to compromise Ask for editor assistance
Negotiation
Discuss on talk pages Get a third opinion (⇒) Request comments (⇒) Dispute resolution noticeboard Wikiquette assistance (⇒) Request informal mediation
Formal Mediation
Request formal mediation Guide to formal mediation Mediation Committee Formal mediation policy
Arbitration
Request arbitration Arbitration Committee
Remedies
Administrator assistance Arbitration enforcement Editing restrictions General sanctions

Mediation is a component of the Wikipedia content-dispute resolution process. During mediation, a content dispute between two or more editors is subjected to the involvement of an uninvolved third party (who is the mediator). The role of the mediator is to guide discussion towards the formation of agreement over the disputed elements of content.

Definition

Mediation in any form will have the following features:

1. Editors enter into mediation voluntarily and may withdraw from mediation at any time
2. The role of the mediator is to facilitate consensus-building discussion, not to arbitrate or adjudicate disputes or issue binding decisions
3. The mediator is a neutral third-party in relation to both the dispute and all the involved parties
4. Mediation must relate exclusively to disputes over the content of a Wikipedia page: grievances relating to the conduct of another editor are not suitable for mediation
5. Where the position of one disputant is clearly unreasonable, the mediator will not subvert the integrity of the encyclopedia in order to reach a resolution

Parties may request mediation on Wikipedia from one of these three venues:

1. Any Wikipedia editor can act as a mediator to a dispute
2. The Mediation Cabal provides an informal variant of mediation for basic content disputes
3. The Mediation Committee provides formal mediation for advanced content disputes. MedCom's methods for mediation are governed by its mediation policy

The basic aim of mediation is to help Wikipedia editors to contribute happily together by helping to resolve their good-faith disagreements over article content. As above, the mediation process is unsuitable for complaints about the behaviour of other editors; these should be directed to a project administrator (e.g. at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard) for evaluation. Mediation equally is not suited to parties who are disagreeing "for the sake of disagreeing" or who have no intention of compromising or discussing the thinking behind their positions. It is not an aim of mediation to produce mutual amity between the disputants, but increased tolerance and respect is an important goal.

Forms of mediation

Editors can request non-formal mediation by filing a request with the Mediation Cabal at Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal#Submit a request. Where a dispute is more protracted or complicated, formal mediation from the Mediation Committee can be requested at Wikipedia:Requests for mediation#File.

The type of mediation offered by the Mediation Cabal can be provided by any experienced editor who is not involved in the content dispute in question. The cabal only exists as a designated venue for parties to use to solicit the assistance of a mediator. The Mediation Committee operates differently as its mediators must be appointed.

Mediators

Each mediator is granted the freedom to develop his or her own method of mediating a dispute they are called into. The role of a mediator is unlike the role of a Wikipedia arbitrator; mediators are facilitators of voluntary discussion, whilst arbitrators hear evidence and issue binding rulings (including the ability to issue sanctions against users).

Wikipedia mediators are permitted and encouraged to use their own best judgement to recommend a solution to the disputants, one that is in the best interests of the project. Critically, the parties to a case should note that where the position of one disputant is clearly unreasonable, the mediator is not required to subvert the integrity of the encyclopedia in order to reach a resolution.

The only requirement of an informal mediator is that they be Wikipedia editors with some clear ability to foster an agreement (clearly incompetent or seriously inexperienced users should not mediate) with no prejudice with respect to the dispute in question (users who are parties to the case or who have some provable prejudice regarding the parties or the subject matter also should not mediate). The Mediation Committee only permits approved members to mediate its cases, because the nature of the disputes it handles often requires careful handling or at least a proven ability to mediate effectively; and equally the co-ordinators of the Mediation Cabal can if necessary ask a mediator of one of its cases to hand the dispute over to another user if the mediator's services are unhelpful.