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User:Resident Mario/FA

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Resident Mario (talk | contribs) at 02:44, 23 September 2010 (→‎What are the processes?). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Readers of Wikipedia you may occasionally notice the green "+" circle or small bronze star above the article they are reading. These and other symbols are used to detonate articles of particularly stellar quality, the tough-in-cheek "best" that Wikipedia has to offer. This page is intended to introduce new users to Wikipedia's Featured processes, particularly Featured articles.

What are the processes?

There are several quality article processes on Wikipedia of varying degrees of proficiency. The green circle is used to show that the article is a Good article. Good articles are articles that, although not the best on Wikipedia, can stand for themselves in term of quality. See the Good article criteria (WP:WIAGA for short) for a detailed description, and Good article nominations (WP:GAN) for nominations. Good article reviews are run by editors experienced with the process; it is a one-on-one critique on article improvement from one editor to the other.

The A-class review is a non-standardized classification used by a select few project, most prominently by the Military History Project. A-class articles are considered of higher proof them Good articles. For the A-class process, see Featured articles directly below.

At the top of the quality pyramid are Featured articles (WP:FA) and Featured lists (WP:FL). These are the best Wikipedia has to offer, and as such they are thoroughly checked by Wikipedians just like you to make sure they are accurate, consist, of sufficient length and prose quality, etc. Recognized Featured articles and lists have a small bronze star on the top right, clearly indicating their high-quality status.

Other processes

Process details

Featured article candidates is the place to go to nominate Featured articles. After following the instruction of the page, it will be listed there and editors will start to leave comments about the article. Comments generally take the form of:

{Support, Oppose, Comments by}

  • Issue
  • Issue
  • Recommendation

One should answer the comments in a timely manner to keep ahead. You need to get a certain number of support !votes for the article to pass. "Converted" support votes (ae. were originally long opposes, all issues handled and now a support) are the most important ones. On the other hand, multiple opposes will get the nomination shut down fairly quickly if you do not handle them. Keeping the engine running is the task of SandyGeorgia and Karanacs (with Raul654 as emeritus), dedicated FAC runners (thanks guys!). Whether or not you succeed is a function of how prepared you are for the process! For a nice overall history of the project, see Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-07-21/Dispatches (although it is a tad bit outdated).

Tips for new users

Look at other articles
Before you set off on such a monumental task it is critically important to understand the criteria first. Go to What is a Featured article? and read up on the criteria. Then, go to Featured articles and find one similar to the topic on which you want to write. For example, if you want to make Leeds United A.F.C. a Featured article, you would want to review the related Manchester United and Arsenal F.C first, both already Featured articles. This will give you a hands-on idea of what it truly takes.
Leapfrog the processes
As a new user looking to take an article through FA, it is especially important that you take "pit stops" to work your article up to FA gradually. A good pattern is to first write the article up (an imaginably good thing to do!), then ask other editors to critique it for you (in particular, covering holes in coverage). A peer review may be a good idea, followed by a Good article nomination. Once you are absolutely sure your article is up to specks, list it at Featured article candidates.
Things to look for
  • A big pothole are reliable sources. Refer to Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-07-28/Dispatches and Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-06-26/Dispatches for instructions regarding critiquing sources.
  • Another fixable but early problem are dashes and hard spaces, as most people do not know how to use — versus – and when to use & nbsp;.
  • Perhaps the largest issue is prose. FA required "brilliant prose" which is understandably hard to put together. Luckily, our good friend Tony1 has put together a collection of exercises and explanations that help assess and correct writing skills. The best thing to do is to get a copyeditor to fix the article up for you–in fact, you will most likely need several goes by different users!
  • Please understand that FAs must follow all Manuel of Style dictations to the letter. Good old Tony has got you covered again: a condensed, actually readable version of the MoS is available here. It's important to understand that common sense and basic editor convictions make up half of the material in the MoS.
Use WikiProjects
WikiProjects were organized to help editors help one another achieve success in a certain topic area. They keep banners on the talk page; go to their main page and check out what they have. Often a project will have specific instructions or tips for editors interested in the topic area. Looking at WikiProject Volcanoes for example, we see a well developed project offering bibliography and images, and Categorization. Some projects, for example WikiProject Hawaii, even have their own guidelines.
Make friends
Preferably ones with skills that they can lend you (for example, expertise in a particular area or copyediting skills). Leaving notes on WikiProject talk pages and contacting involved editors is a good way to find an end to your means.
FAC is a rough process
You'll not always get the best treatment at Featured article candidates. Sometimes, comments may not come till the very end of its lifespan, and you will be unable to handle everything in time. What is extremely important is to not give up. Any and all issues can be brought to pass by working hard on the article. No one ever said FA was an easy process; in fact, is one of the hardest on Wikipedia (although the award probably goes to RfA and RfB). You don't have a time limit: it is extremely important to take your time!

Other pages for reference

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