Checklist for Contributors
Please refer to this checklist each time you review your assigned pages, also available in an easier-to-read PDF format: File:Checklist for Contributors.pdf
- The purpose of reviewing pages is to ensure changes in law are reflected in content.
- Clicklaw Wikibooks provide reliable, up-to-date, plain language information to help British Columbians address legal problems or learn about the law.
- Some Wikibooks offer brief, punctual tips — other titles offer more comprehensive guidance.
- What is your Wikibook's editorial objective? Consider the purpose, tone and audience of the title as a whole when making edits.
1. REVIEW FOR ACCURACY
For each page you review, please go through the following steps:
Read each Page — read and take notes on pages assigned to you ....................................... □
Review the Law
- Read laws in context — start with existing citations in the article ................................... □
- Review statutory law — check statutory excerpts and compare to current legislation; check Proclamations (BC & Canada) for recent changes ............................... □
- Check caselaw — note up cases in CanLII; note up key sections of legislation to find new cases ............................................................................................. □
- Consult secondary resources — CLE articles, treatises, journals, etc. .............................. □
Verify Statements and Specifics
- Procedural steps — have rules or policies changed? ....................................................... □
- Forms— has a form changed name or been replaced? .................................................... □
- Deadlines — readers rely on these being correct ............................................................ □
- Monetary amounts, costs or limits — have these details changed? ................................ □
Resource Links
- Check existing links — make sure they work and ALSO make sure they still point to the intended content .......................................................................................... □
- Best external resources — have newer resources arrived and did old ones get stale? ........................................................................................................................... □
- Best internal links — are concepts discussed that could be cross linked to more Wikibooks and pages? ............................................................................................. □
Once you've reviewed your pages for legal accuracy, you may decide:
1. Edit not needed → Just update the “last reviewed for legal accuracy” date .................. □
2. Edit is needed → See step 2.
2. EDIT & DEVELOP CONTENT Cure Existing Legal Inaccuracies • Fix incorrect statements — top priority is to correct wrong information, or at least remove the incorrect information ....................................................................... □ •Update citations — add new legislation or caselaw (use CanLII's short URLs) ................................................................................................................................. □ •Fix broken links and resources .......................................................................................... □ Develop & Write — write new content when tweaking existing content won't do. Please consider: • Gaps — what is the gap in information and is filling it crucial? ....................................... □ • Plain language — keep writing simple (here are some tips) ............................................ □ • Brevity —edits should clarify meaning, not add length ................................................... □ •Organization — lists, subheadings and short paragraphs make reading easier and orient the reader ............................................................................................. □ •Legal references — would more citations benefit or just overwhelm the reader? .............................................................................................................................. □ Simple & Consistent • Clarify legal terms, include parenthetical definitions where needed .............................. □ •Be consistent in word choice (e.g. choose either “renter” or “tenant”) .......................... □ • Familiarize yourself with and apply Style Guide: o Correct word emphasis, acronyms, and case citation style ........................... □ o Apply bullets/numbered lists and punctuation .............................................. □ • Format neutral language — writing "See the chapter/page on…" is better than "Click here for information on…" since Wikibooks are also printed ........................ □
3. OPTIONAL CHECKLIST • Is there extraneous information that should be removed? ............................................. □ •Is the overall language clear and approachable? ............................................................. □ •Are there other Wikibooks pages that would be improved by linking to your content? Speak to that other editor ......................................................................... □