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Difference between revisions of "Help:Writing Assignments"

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(Additional Terms)
(Show Your Interest)
 
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This is a WIP DRAFT.
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''This is a WIP DRAFT.''
  
You can receive monetary rewards for writing for the ''JFA Wiki'' at justiceforanimals.org. Our current rate of eight cents per-word USD is at least competitive, if not high, for non-profit assignments. As an example of what you can earn, our 6,568-word article on [[Chickens]] would pay $525, while a short article like the one on [[Honey, Bees, and Pollination|Honey]]  would pay $123. These numbers assume you have contributed all the words to the article.
+
This article covers the process of getting an invitation to write an article, taking the assignment, and following through to completion, whether the work is paid or unpaid. Before reading this article, you should be familiar with [[Help:Writing and Editing for the JFA Wiki]], which explains the background and reasons we are offering paid assignments, the qualifications desired and some general expectations.
  
== General Information ==
+
For paid articles, our current rate of eight cents per-word USD is at least competitive, if not high, for non-profit assignments. As an example of what you can earn, our 6,568-word article on [[Chickens]] would pay $525, while a short article like the one on [[Honey, Bees, and Pollination|Honey]]  would pay $123. These numbers assume you have contributed all the words to the article.
  
=== Background ===
+
The process is the same for unpaid articles except that the rate per word is zero cents, and of course, you will not be paid (at least monetarily).
  
''Justice For Animals''' recent [[Wiki Go-Live Announcement (2019-08-19)|conversion to a wiki]] expanded the mission of the site to include being an encyclopedic and collaborative resource for animal rights and vegan advocacy, not just a resource to aid in answering objections. This calls for [[Help:Articles Needed | new foundational articles]] on a variety of topics—one for each species of farmed animal; one for each kind of product made from animals; one for each of the ways we exploit animals; one for each of the health problems that are mitigated by a plant-based diet, etc.
+
== How It Works ==
  
To kickstart our goal of meeting this expanded mission, we are offering paid assignments. We expect these paid assignments to continue until at least the foundational[[Help:Articles Needed | articles needed]] are completed. These paid assignments will in no way stop writers from contributing their time to the wiki without remuneration.
+
The following steps in getting an assignment and following through to completion are explained in detail in the following sections. The steps are:
  
=== Qualifications ===
+
* Show your interest
 +
* Receive and accept an invitation
 +
* Write the article
 +
* Get a pre-publication review
 +
* Get paid
 +
* Stay involved with the article
  
Our ideal writer:
+
Be sure to read the [[#Additional Terms | additional terms]] at the end of this article.
  
* cares about animal rights and veganism
+
=== Show Your Interest ===
* can write with a friendly voice
 
* holds a college degree or equivalent work experience
 
* has experience authoring and/or editing online content
 
* possesses a willingness and an ability to perform academic research
 
* is committed to providing high-quality, accurate information
 
* can take direction from editors and work in a collaborative environment.
 
  
=== Expectations ===
+
If you feel you meet the  [[Help:Writing and Editing for the JFA Wiki#Qualifications | qualifications]]  and wish to write for the JFA Wiki, please email justiceforanimals.org@gmail.com and include:
  
Before you consider writing for us, you need to understand the kind of writing that will be expected and accepted. This is explained in the[[Help:Content Guidelines | Content Guidelines]]. But the best way to get a feel for what is expected is to familiarize yourself with existing articles. As the[[Help:Content Guidelines | Content Guidelines]] explain, the articles on this site are written in an informal academic tone with an objective point of view, and substantively differ from articles on other wiki sites such as Wikipedia.
+
* Your connection with animal rights and [[veganism]]
 +
* Why you are interested in writing for the JFA Wiki
 +
* Examples of (or links to) your writing.  Writing of an academic nature involving research gets higher consideration.
 +
* The topics you would be interested in writing about
 +
* The articles you would be interested in contributing to. See [[Help:Future Home Page | Future Home Page]].
  
Because providing credible citations for factual statements is a requirement, much of the time spend on an article will be spent in research. If you are a new contributor to the site, we will more closely monitor your progress on an article to help ensure you stay on track and that you don't waste time on content that will not be accepted.
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=== Receive and Accept an Assignment ===
  
== How It Works ==
+
If you are eligible to receive an assignment, you will get an email stating our interest. You should then create an account, set your preferences, and create your personal user pages as explained in [[Help:Your Account and Personalization]].
  
The following steps in writing an article with an invitation are explained in detail in the following sections. The steps are:
+
Then, if you are selected for a writing assignment, an invitation will be posted on the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Talk_pages talk/discussion page] associated with your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:User_page user page]. Make sure you are [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Watching_pages watching the page], as this will ensure that you will receive a notification if an invitation is posted.
  
* Show your interest
+
You must be offered and accept an invitation in order to receive a monetary reward for your writing. You can still contribute to an article without an invitation, but you will not receive remuneration. The invitation will specify:
* Receive and accept an invitation
 
* Write the article
 
* Ask for a review and payment
 
* Get paid
 
  
=== Show Your Interest ===
+
* the number of words to be in the article (as a range)
 +
* the payment rate per word
 +
* the expected completion date
 +
* your editor for the article
 +
* a link to the pre-draft article with a suggested structure, editorial notes, and some article text.
  
If you feel you meet the above qualifications and wish to write for the JFA Wiki, [[Help:Writing and Editing for the JFA Wiki#Creating_an_Account_and_Your_User_Page | create an account and your user page]] if you haven't already done so. Include on your user page the following:
+
The pre-draft article might contain substantial beginning article text, and numerous editorial comments, or it could more open-ended. In the first case, providing beginning article text and more specific instructions in the form of editorial comments serve to:
  
* your connection with animal rights and veganism
+
* Promote structural and tonal unity across articles
* why you are interested in writing for the JFA Wiki
+
* Better satisfy a common vision for the entire site
* examples of (or links to) your writing.  Writing of an academic nature involving research gets higher consideration.
+
* Take into account the level of detail needed in consideration of current and future articles that may link to the article
* the topics you would be interested in writing about
+
* Offer suggestions for cross-linking
* the articles you would be interested in contributing to. See [[Help:Articles Needed|Articles Needed]].
 
  
Finally, go to ''Preferences -> User Profile,'' scroll down to ''Email Options'' and make sure ''Allow other users to email me'' is checked. This will show your interest in writing for us and also allow us to contact you for further information, or with an invitation to write a specific article.
+
Indicate acceptance of the assignment by stating "I accept" below the invitation followed by your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Signatures signature plus timestamp]. If you accept the assignment, the pre-draft article will be moved from the assignment namespace to the draft namespace, and you can begin work. By accepting the assignment, you agree to and accept the terms presented herein as they were at the time the assignment is accepted.
  
If you need help with this process, contact your.friends@justiceforanimals.org.
+
If you do not wish to accept the assignment, please indicate by stating "I decline" below the invitation, followed by your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Signatures signature plus timestamp]. If you do not accept the assignment within 48 hours, the invitation may be rescinded without notice so that we can invite another writer.
  
=== Receive and Accept an Invitation ===
+
=== Write the Article ===
  
If you have been selected for a writing assignment, an invitation will be posted on the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Talk_pages talk/discussion page] associated with your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:User_page user page]. You should create an empty user talk/discussion page after you create your user page, and then make sure you are [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Watching_pages watching the page]. This will ensure that you will receive a notification if an invitation is posted.
+
You should begin composing the article directly on the JFA Wiki soon after accepting the assignment. Composing directly on the wiki will allow us to monitor the progress of the article. As you write, guidance and instructions may be provided by an editor via direct edits to the article or by editorial comments in the article. This will potentially avoid your spending time on sections of the article that might not be accepted.
  
You must be offered and accept an invitation in order to receive a monetary reward for your writing. You can still contribute to an article without an invitation, but you will not receive remuneration. The invitation will specify the number of words (as a range), the payment rate per word, and the expected completion date.
+
Your starting initial draft will likely contain headings that suggest a structure for the article. When you see this, you may have a better idea for a structure and propose it to your editor. Or the editor may ask you to suggest a structure by supplying the headings. You and the editor should agree on the structure before you continue with substantive content. If you are collecting substantive content before the structure is decided, you can put that under a temporary heading and move it later. And of course, the structure can be changed during the course of authoring if better ideas regarding structure surface in the process.
  
If you do not accept the assignment within 48 hours, the invitation may be rescinded without notice so that we can invite another writer. You will be instructed in the assignment how to accept the assignment.
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When you have completed the article, please indicate this by editing your talk page, and under the assignment heading for the article write "Assignment Completed" followed by your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Signatures signature plus timestamp].
  
If you accept the assignment, a beginning draft article will be created for you to begin work.
+
=== Get a Pre-publication Review ===
  
=== Write the Article ===
+
An editor may have made some edits and provided editorial comments as you were writing the article, but after you indicate the article is finished a more thorough review will be done. During this review, an editor will likely make some changes directly to the article, and may also annotate the article with editorial comments regarding potential edits to be made after a discussion.
  
You should begin composing the article directly on the JFA Wiki soon after accepting the assignment. Composing directly on the wiki will allow us to monitor the progress of the article. As you write, guidance and instructions may be provided by topic editors, copy editors, or the managing editor via direct edits or by comments on the discussion page for the article. This will potentially avoid your spending time on sections of the article that might not be accepted.
+
Then a zoom.us session might be scheduled at an agreed-upon time to go over the edits that have been made as well as the proposed edits.
  
When you have completed the article, please this indicating this by editing your talk page, and under the assignment heading for the article write "Assignment Completed" followed by your [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Signatures signature plus timestamp].
+
The review could involve more than one iteration of this process, and additional communications using other messaging channels may take place.
  
=== Respond to the Pre-publication Review ===
+
During this process, you will become more familiar with the expectations of the editors, particularly if this is your first article for the JFA Wiki. This should result in the review process being quicker for subsequent articles.
  
An editor may have made some edits as you were writing the article, but after you indicate the article is finished a more thorough review will be done. During this time, there will likely be some direct communication and back-and-forth with your editor. Once that is done, and the requested changes have been made, the article will be moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, and your payment will be initiated.
+
Once the pre-publication review is done and the requested changes have been made, the article will be moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, and your payment will be initiated.
  
 
=== Get Paid ===
 
=== Get Paid ===
  
You will be paid the per-word rate for the number of accepted words in the article written by you at the time the article is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace. You may continue to edit the article without remuneration after that time. The word count used for remuneration is based on the count shown by the Mediawiki software when the article is listed in a search result.
+
You will be paid the per-word rate for the number of accepted words in the article written by you at the time the article is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace. You may continue to edit the article without remuneration after that time. The word count used for remuneration is the word count shown by [https://docs.google.com Google Docs] when the article is pasted into an empty document and footnotes are deleted.
 
 
{{jfa-note}}
 
A word count is shown for each article in a search results page. But because articles in the draft namespace do not by default show up in a search results page, you will have to click on the ''Everything'' link at the top of the search results page to entice the system to show draft articles.  
 
{{jfa-note-end}}
 
  
 
The word count may be adjusted downward for boilerplate text used or for contributions to the article that you did not make. Also, edits by a topic editor, copy editor, or managing editor during the process of writing the article while is article is in the draft namespace may result in words being removed from the article, lowering the word count.
 
The word count may be adjusted downward for boilerplate text used or for contributions to the article that you did not make. Also, edits by a topic editor, copy editor, or managing editor during the process of writing the article while is article is in the draft namespace may result in words being removed from the article, lowering the word count.
 
  
 
When a paid article you authored is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, we will send a payment via PayPal using the email address you have provided. If you do not have a PayPal account, you will receive an email informing you how to create one. You must already have a PayPal account or create one before we can pay you.
 
When a paid article you authored is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, we will send a payment via PayPal using the email address you have provided. If you do not have a PayPal account, you will receive an email informing you how to create one. You must already have a PayPal account or create one before we can pay you.
  
Please realize that payments to recipients outside the United States are subject to exchange rates. Paypal operates in over 200 countries and 25 currencies. If you do not live in one of [https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide these countries], we cannot pay you and it's up to you not to accept a paid assignment.
+
Any payments made to you are subject to [https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/paypal-fees PayPal Fees]. In addition, recipients outside the United States are subject to exchange rates. Paypal operates in over 200 countries and 25 currencies. If you do not live in one of [https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide these countries], we cannot pay you and it's up to you not to accept a paid assignment.
  
 
Here's the procedure: When it's time for you to receive a payment, we will send you an email through the [[Special:EmailUser | wiki email facility]], asking what email address you want to use for the payment. If you have a PayPal account, reply giving the email associated with the PayPal account in the text of the reply. If you don't have a PayPal account, we still need an email address so that you can receive an email from PayPal informing you that you have a payment available, and that you need to set up a PayPal account.
 
Here's the procedure: When it's time for you to receive a payment, we will send you an email through the [[Special:EmailUser | wiki email facility]], asking what email address you want to use for the payment. If you have a PayPal account, reply giving the email associated with the PayPal account in the text of the reply. If you don't have a PayPal account, we still need an email address so that you can receive an email from PayPal informing you that you have a payment available, and that you need to set up a PayPal account.
 +
 +
=== Stay Involved with the Article ===
 +
 +
You can receive notifications about edits to an article by making sure the article is on your watchlist. If you have edited the article, it should already be on your watchlist.
 +
 +
You have no obligation to stay involved with the article, and there is no payment for doing so, but it's good if you do. After the article is published, you may think of additional information that needs to be in the article, improvements to existing content, better arguments or sources. Feel free to improve the article.
 +
 +
Also, others may edit the article, and you may be interested in these changes.
  
 
== Additional Terms ==
 
== Additional Terms ==
 +
 +
=== Accepted Words ===
 +
 +
''Accepted words'' are the words written by you that are in the article at the time the article is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace. The "number of words to be in the article" is meant to include the total number of words (without footnotes), not just the words written by you.
  
 
=== Early Termination ===
 
=== Early Termination ===
Line 98: Line 107:
 
=== Going Over the Assigned Due Date ===
 
=== Going Over the Assigned Due Date ===
  
=== Going Over the Assigned Work Count ===
+
It's likely the due date will have been discussed with you before an invitation is posted. If you have not yet accepted the assignment and you feel you can't make the due date, please contact your editor to see if the due date can be changed.
 +
 
 +
If you have already accepted the assignment, it's likely you can still get an extension, but it's at the discretion of the editor. Even if you don't get an extension, you will still be paid for the accepted words you contributed up until the due date. Such a payment will occur only by request after the article is moved from draft to the main namespace.
 +
 
 +
=== Going Over the Assigned Word Count ===
 +
 
 +
If you go over the word count in writing the article, or you see that you will go over the word count, you can ask for an amendment to the assignment, which may be granted at the discretion of the editor. Even if you don't get an amendment, you will still be paid for the number of accepted words you contributed to the article up to the assigned word count.  Such a payment will occur only by request after the article is moved from draft to the main namespace.
 +
 
 +
=== Indemnification ===
 +
 
 +
Except for gross negligence or willful misconduct, authors shall indemnify, protect, defend and hold harmless the editors, directors, and owners of the ''JFA Wiki'' and ''justice for animals org'' from and against any and all claims arising out of using the site or writing for the site.  If any action or proceeding is brought against editors, directors, or owners by reason of any of the foregoing matters,.
  
 
=== Arbitration ===
 
=== Arbitration ===

Latest revision as of 20:57, 21 October 2020

This is a WIP DRAFT.

This article covers the process of getting an invitation to write an article, taking the assignment, and following through to completion, whether the work is paid or unpaid. Before reading this article, you should be familiar with Help:Writing and Editing for the JFA Wiki, which explains the background and reasons we are offering paid assignments, the qualifications desired and some general expectations.

For paid articles, our current rate of eight cents per-word USD is at least competitive, if not high, for non-profit assignments. As an example of what you can earn, our 6,568-word article on Chickens would pay $525, while a short article like the one on Honey would pay $123. These numbers assume you have contributed all the words to the article.

The process is the same for unpaid articles except that the rate per word is zero cents, and of course, you will not be paid (at least monetarily).

How It Works

The following steps in getting an assignment and following through to completion are explained in detail in the following sections. The steps are:

  • Show your interest
  • Receive and accept an invitation
  • Write the article
  • Get a pre-publication review
  • Get paid
  • Stay involved with the article

Be sure to read the additional terms at the end of this article.

Show Your Interest

If you feel you meet the qualifications and wish to write for the JFA Wiki, please email justiceforanimals.org@gmail.com and include:

  • Your connection with animal rights and veganism
  • Why you are interested in writing for the JFA Wiki
  • Examples of (or links to) your writing. Writing of an academic nature involving research gets higher consideration.
  • The topics you would be interested in writing about
  • The articles you would be interested in contributing to. See Future Home Page.

Receive and Accept an Assignment

If you are eligible to receive an assignment, you will get an email stating our interest. You should then create an account, set your preferences, and create your personal user pages as explained in Help:Your Account and Personalization.

Then, if you are selected for a writing assignment, an invitation will be posted on the talk/discussion page associated with your user page. Make sure you are watching the page, as this will ensure that you will receive a notification if an invitation is posted.

You must be offered and accept an invitation in order to receive a monetary reward for your writing. You can still contribute to an article without an invitation, but you will not receive remuneration. The invitation will specify:

  • the number of words to be in the article (as a range)
  • the payment rate per word
  • the expected completion date
  • your editor for the article
  • a link to the pre-draft article with a suggested structure, editorial notes, and some article text.

The pre-draft article might contain substantial beginning article text, and numerous editorial comments, or it could more open-ended. In the first case, providing beginning article text and more specific instructions in the form of editorial comments serve to:

  • Promote structural and tonal unity across articles
  • Better satisfy a common vision for the entire site
  • Take into account the level of detail needed in consideration of current and future articles that may link to the article
  • Offer suggestions for cross-linking

Indicate acceptance of the assignment by stating "I accept" below the invitation followed by your signature plus timestamp. If you accept the assignment, the pre-draft article will be moved from the assignment namespace to the draft namespace, and you can begin work. By accepting the assignment, you agree to and accept the terms presented herein as they were at the time the assignment is accepted.

If you do not wish to accept the assignment, please indicate by stating "I decline" below the invitation, followed by your signature plus timestamp. If you do not accept the assignment within 48 hours, the invitation may be rescinded without notice so that we can invite another writer.

Write the Article

You should begin composing the article directly on the JFA Wiki soon after accepting the assignment. Composing directly on the wiki will allow us to monitor the progress of the article. As you write, guidance and instructions may be provided by an editor via direct edits to the article or by editorial comments in the article. This will potentially avoid your spending time on sections of the article that might not be accepted.

Your starting initial draft will likely contain headings that suggest a structure for the article. When you see this, you may have a better idea for a structure and propose it to your editor. Or the editor may ask you to suggest a structure by supplying the headings. You and the editor should agree on the structure before you continue with substantive content. If you are collecting substantive content before the structure is decided, you can put that under a temporary heading and move it later. And of course, the structure can be changed during the course of authoring if better ideas regarding structure surface in the process.

When you have completed the article, please indicate this by editing your talk page, and under the assignment heading for the article write "Assignment Completed" followed by your signature plus timestamp.

Get a Pre-publication Review

An editor may have made some edits and provided editorial comments as you were writing the article, but after you indicate the article is finished a more thorough review will be done. During this review, an editor will likely make some changes directly to the article, and may also annotate the article with editorial comments regarding potential edits to be made after a discussion.

Then a zoom.us session might be scheduled at an agreed-upon time to go over the edits that have been made as well as the proposed edits.

The review could involve more than one iteration of this process, and additional communications using other messaging channels may take place.

During this process, you will become more familiar with the expectations of the editors, particularly if this is your first article for the JFA Wiki. This should result in the review process being quicker for subsequent articles.

Once the pre-publication review is done and the requested changes have been made, the article will be moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, and your payment will be initiated.

Get Paid

You will be paid the per-word rate for the number of accepted words in the article written by you at the time the article is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace. You may continue to edit the article without remuneration after that time. The word count used for remuneration is the word count shown by Google Docs when the article is pasted into an empty document and footnotes are deleted.

The word count may be adjusted downward for boilerplate text used or for contributions to the article that you did not make. Also, edits by a topic editor, copy editor, or managing editor during the process of writing the article while is article is in the draft namespace may result in words being removed from the article, lowering the word count.

When a paid article you authored is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace, we will send a payment via PayPal using the email address you have provided. If you do not have a PayPal account, you will receive an email informing you how to create one. You must already have a PayPal account or create one before we can pay you.

Any payments made to you are subject to PayPal Fees. In addition, recipients outside the United States are subject to exchange rates. Paypal operates in over 200 countries and 25 currencies. If you do not live in one of these countries, we cannot pay you and it's up to you not to accept a paid assignment.

Here's the procedure: When it's time for you to receive a payment, we will send you an email through the wiki email facility, asking what email address you want to use for the payment. If you have a PayPal account, reply giving the email associated with the PayPal account in the text of the reply. If you don't have a PayPal account, we still need an email address so that you can receive an email from PayPal informing you that you have a payment available, and that you need to set up a PayPal account.

Stay Involved with the Article

You can receive notifications about edits to an article by making sure the article is on your watchlist. If you have edited the article, it should already be on your watchlist.

You have no obligation to stay involved with the article, and there is no payment for doing so, but it's good if you do. After the article is published, you may think of additional information that needs to be in the article, improvements to existing content, better arguments or sources. Feel free to improve the article.

Also, others may edit the article, and you may be interested in these changes.

Additional Terms

Accepted Words

Accepted words are the words written by you that are in the article at the time the article is moved from the draft namespace to the main namespace. The "number of words to be in the article" is meant to include the total number of words (without footnotes), not just the words written by you.

Early Termination

It is our intent to develop a trusting relationship with a number of writers. We know, however, that not everyone who accepts an assignment will work out. Because of this, we can notify you to discontinue working on an article for remuneration. You can still be paid for the number of accepted words you have contributed to the article up until such notification. Such a payment will occur only by request after the article is moved from draft to the main namespace.

Going Over the Assigned Due Date

It's likely the due date will have been discussed with you before an invitation is posted. If you have not yet accepted the assignment and you feel you can't make the due date, please contact your editor to see if the due date can be changed.

If you have already accepted the assignment, it's likely you can still get an extension, but it's at the discretion of the editor. Even if you don't get an extension, you will still be paid for the accepted words you contributed up until the due date. Such a payment will occur only by request after the article is moved from draft to the main namespace.

Going Over the Assigned Word Count

If you go over the word count in writing the article, or you see that you will go over the word count, you can ask for an amendment to the assignment, which may be granted at the discretion of the editor. Even if you don't get an amendment, you will still be paid for the number of accepted words you contributed to the article up to the assigned word count. Such a payment will occur only by request after the article is moved from draft to the main namespace.

Indemnification

Except for gross negligence or willful misconduct, authors shall indemnify, protect, defend and hold harmless the editors, directors, and owners of the JFA Wiki and justice for animals org from and against any and all claims arising out of using the site or writing for the site. If any action or proceeding is brought against editors, directors, or owners by reason of any of the foregoing matters,.

Arbitration

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these terms shall be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Arbitration Rules, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.