Checklist for Contributors

From Clicklaw Wikibooks
Revision as of 22:39, 18 November 2016 by Admin (talk | contribs)

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 (Nov 2016).pdf

  1. The purpose of reviewing pages is to ensure changes in law are reflected in content.
  2. Clicklaw Wikibooks provide reliable, up-to-date, plain language information to help British Columbians address legal problems or learn about the law.
  3. Some Wikibooks offer brief, punctual tips — other titles offer more comprehensive guidance.
  4. 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:
    • Correct word emphasis, acronyms, and case citation style ...........................
    • 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 .........................................................................