simplified review tiers
DESCRIPTION
Simplified review tiers for WritersDomain.net editors.TRANSCRIPT
WritersDomain.netReview tiers
Does the article pass the tier 1 checklist?
Yes
Does the article pass the tier 2 checklist?
Does the article pass the tier 3 checklist?
Does the article pass the tier 4 checklist?
Approve at 5 stars
Send back at one star
Send back at two stars
Approve at 3 stars
Approve at 4 stars
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Tier 1 To complete Tier 1, the editors will check to see if the
controlling idea, title, and supporting headlines are worthy of
being read. They will ask if the title makes sense, and whether
or not it carries a basic interest value.
The editors will also pay close attention to the substance
(ideas, supporting evidence, logic) found in the article. Issues
concerning substance revolve around the use of inane material
to fill word count and/or grammatical errors which interrupt
the general readability of the article.
If any of the following issues are found, the editors will send
the article back for revision.
Tier 1 checklist & stock comments 1.1 Controlling Idea
Does the controlling idea communicate the purpose and value of the
article?
The purpose/value of this article is unclear. Focus on a specific need of
your target demographic and ask yourself why someone would choose to
read your article over another. Check out the WritersDomain blog for
more information.
1.2 Filler/Fluff
Does the article leave the reader feeling capable, informed, or excited
through strong, detailed information, rather than filler content or
overhyped expressions of encouragement?
Articles should rely on the strength of their details and research to
impact the reader—not on redundancies, irrelevant statements,
generalities or filler information. Sentences like … can weaken a piece
and frustrate readers.
Tier 1 checklist & stock comments 1.3 Hyperlinks
Are the hyperlinks relevant to the article? Do they support the claims they
are linked to?
Citations should be reader friendly and support the details that they're
linked to. The link _____ seems to offer information that isn't easy to
access, lacks relevancy, or contradicts the ideas in this piece, specifically,
… Please revise to include relevant, supportive links for the given
information.
1.4 Readability
Are there any other hard-to-fix issues (title, organization, formatting) that
would immediately affect the piece’s readability or the audience’s
interest?
Issues with _____ can affect readability. In this piece, for example, ...
Tier 2 checklist & stock commentsThis tier ensures that the article is easy-to-read, and easy-to-
understand.
2.1 Sentence structure
Are sentences basically comprehensible?
Sentences like … are difficult to follow. Make sure that each sentence
clearly and completely expresses the idea you are trying to convey.
Reading the piece aloud might be helpful for catching similar issues.
2.2 Diction
Does the controlling idea have an above-average interest factor?
Readers have an easier time understanding writing that is clear and
conversational. Sentences become unclear when atypical syntax or
diction is used. For example, a sentence like … can interrupt the
overall flow and make it more difficult for your readers to follow.
Please revise with this in mind.
Tier 3 This level isn’t required, but is icing on the cake for writers
who have gone the extra mile in their writing from the
beginning of their article.
The main feature this tier addresses is engagement—upon
reading, the reader is compelled to keep reading, is fully
involved with the content, enjoys themselves while reading,
and feels satisfied by the experience afterwards.
While these qualities can be hard to qualify, the checks on the
next slide represent some features from of this level of
writing.
Tier 3 checklist & stock comments 3.1 Engagement
Does the controlling idea have an above average interest factor?
When considering the compelling nature of an idea, ask yourself
questions like, "Is it trending?" "Is it interesting?" or "Does it help
solve a relevant and specific problem?" Controlling ideas that
fulfill one or more of these criteria tend to be inherently more
engaging. Visit the WritersDomain Ideation Training for more
information.
3.2 Examples
Does the article use concrete, specific, and interesting examples
and points to support the controlling idea and subheadings?
To raise the engagement factor of future pieces, work to
incorporate more specific information and details. For example,
instead of saying "," explain to the readers that _____. The more
specific a piece is, the more actionable and engaging it will be.
Tier 3 checklist & stock comments 3.2 Overarching Organization
Do ideas and thoughts flow well together within and between
paragraphs?
Disjointed sentences, paragraphs, or ideas, such as ____, can
hinder a reader's experience. For higher ratings in the future,
make sure that each piece has a smooth and logical flow.
3.3 Audience
Does the piece clearly address its target audience?
Articles that thoroughly and succinctly address the needs of their
target audience generally elicit a higher degree of reader
engagement. In future pieces, try to really hone in on a specific
audience and preemptively address any questions or concerns they
might have.
Tier 4 checklist & stock commentsThis tier is reserved for articles that meet a very high standard of
excellence and receive an audible, all-around “wow!”
4.1 Excellence
4.1.1 Does the piece take a new or unique angle?
Articles that take a new angle or offer unique information are inherently
more useful and interesting. You may want to try some of the resources
suggested in the third ideation training on the WritersDomain blog to help
guide you in more unique directions.
4.2 Grammar
Is the article grammatically perfect?
For an article to receive a 5-star rating, it must be grammatically
perfect. While small, the following grammatical errors were found:
_______. Be sure to thoroughly proofread before submitting your work.
4.3 Authority/expertise
Does the writer qualify their expertise?
To earn a 5-star rating, we're looking for a writer to qualify their
expertise in a specific subject. In the future, try. . .
Examples and
explanations
Tier 1 examples:
Controlling ideas/titles
Title: Why You Shouldn’t Flush Too Much Toilet Paper Down the
Toilet
This answer to this query is, for the most part, pretty common
knowledge. If the writer uses the article to address more than
just toilet paper, then the title should accommodate it (i.e.
“What You Can and Can’t Flush Down the Toilet” or “Toilet
Clogs: Where they Happen, How to Fix Them”). Based on the
current title, the writer has restricted himself and will have a
hard time meeting the word count because he has narrowed
his scope too much.
Tier 1 examples:
Controlling ideas/titles
Title: What the Benefits of Curtains Are
Subheadings:
You can save on your heating bill
You can decorate your room with them
You can have some privacy
Besides being oddly phrased (which dings the authority), the
use value in this article is almost non-existent—what questions
will this article answer with any depth, what real value does it
have? The facts and logic are so elementary that they are
unhelpful—and the reader gets the feeling that this writer just
sat down and thought of all the reasons that drapes could be
beneficial. This writer has not really thought about the readers
on the other end. If the writer had completed more research to
get deeper into just one facet of this article, she would most
likely have created a more engaging title, had more substance
to work with, and approached it from a more useful angle.
Tier 1 examples:
Controlling ideas/titles
Title: How to Find a Mining Lawyer in Kamloops
Subheadings:
Use the Internet
Ask Around
Make Sure They’re Certified
Articles that address how a certain service can be found and tested
are normally unhelpful to the reader because they degenerate very
quickly into a common sense mad lib-- with information that could
apply to multiple services and categories. If you take this angle (or
another one like it), the information needs to be extremely
specific and use authority and actual insight to really answer the
questions that the reader would have.
Tier 1 examples:
Controlling ideas/titles
Title: Dogs and Cats
This article title is too broad and doesn’t explain the
relationship between the two parts of the article. Will the
article explain how to successfully keep both as pets? Is the
article going to explain the differences between training both
of the animals? Or will it expound on the genetic and
developmental differences between the two? We don’t know
the purpose of the article from looking at the title.
See our blog posts on ideation for more information about
controlling ideas and titles.
Tier 1 examples: Filler/fluff The terms “filler” and “fluff” refer to any tactics used which
try to overtly “pad” the article without enhancing the article’s
purpose, substance, or clarity. This includes sentences,
commentary, and phrasing that don’t really enhance the user’s
experience.
While some assumptions and generalizations can made by the
writer for the purposes of establishing common ground with
the reader, these tactics, when overused, will actually injure
the writer’s authority and the article’s value.
If you begin writing without doing any research on the issues
surrounding it, chances are you will end up writing filler/fluff.
Examples are on the following slides:
Tier 1 examples: Filler/fluff Redundant:
Definitely have your ducts checked out if you think that they’re
clogged. If they’re clogged, then they’ll impede your ability to
breathe. Breathe better by having them checked out.
Irrelevant and unnecessary:
The internet has become an incredible place for people to go who
are looking for things they want to find. And if you’re in a
situation where you need your ducts cleaned, it’s a place you can
go to find someone who can check them out for you. Be extra
careful with your ducts.
Tier 1 examples: Filler/fluff General and absolute:
The duct cleaner you call will have plenty of experience and
knowledge on what his deals are and how you can get you the most
bang for your buck. The best thing about going to a cleaner is that
they are a professional and will know exactly what they are doing
when they look into their ducts. You won’t even have to get your
screwdriver out.
Overkill of emotion and sentimentality:
Your family is the most important thing to you in your life. Can
you imagine what you would do if you found out that one of them
had contracted mold poisoning because you never had your ducts
checked? Besides trips to the hospital, you would be beside
yourself with grief, knowing that your lack of attention to a
simple problem had caused such tragedy. Take responsibility for
those you love and get your ducts checked today.
Tier 2 examplesEditors may not specifically name the problems affecting the
readability of each sentence (i.e. “watch your dangling modifiers”),
but will give examples of troubled sentences within your piece.
The editors will send the article back for revision for dense and
hard-to-read sentences.
Paint that is created from lead which smells are usually the more
permanent paints.
The expectation that chairs made from high-quality frames and that are
wood-constructed will perform better is wise.
These sentences needs to be revised for clarity and flow.
Lighthouse Park serves West Vancouver residents and visitors looking for
native wildlife and scenic views as well as kayaking and whale-watching
tours. Visitors to West Vancouver can stay in a number of hotels along
the coast during their stay. Airports can easily be reached from
anywhere in the city.
The issues in this example are more subtle--lack of parallelism in
verbs, lack of flow and structure between sentences--but still
illustrate problems editors will check for when assessing an article in
the second tier.
Tier 2 examples The quality found in customized coats will look better longer, and that it
will be resistant to the influences that might normally pose a threat, such
as holes and wear caused by fabric-eating moths.
This sentence is trying to express a worthy idea but the lack of
structure makes it too hard for a web reader to extract.
The first thing you’ll notice when you check your lawn mower after an
accident is the smells. You are going to see parts that are bent and
buzzing, and you want to see a list of how much repairs are going to cost.
This sentence also demonstrates some problems with diction—the
choice and use of words and phrases in writing. Because it doesn’t
use conventional language patterns, it sounds foreign and throws the
reader off.
Proofreading
We are serious about proofreading and hope that by now, you are too. It’s
very easy to quickly review what you have written and catch missing
words, inaccurate punctuation, and homophones. If we see that your piece
has more than a few obvious errors, we will send it back.
Tiers 3-5 examples Examples and analyses of 3-, 4, and 5-star articles are found on
the WritersDomain blog. See the category “example articles.”