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Welcome to the 'Editorial Process' section of the h2g2 FAQ. This is where you can find information about the Edited Guide and how entries get into it.

If you want to see a complete list of questions answered by the h2g2 FAQ, you can go to the h2g2 FAQ Index at any time.

Contents of this Section

• What's the Edited Guide all about?
• Who decides what's going to be an Edited Guide Entry and what isn't?
• I want my entry to be edited. What should I do?
• You say you don't want fiction or silly stuff, but that's what I want to write! Can't I write it anyway?
• How will I know if my entry has been edited?
• I've created some entries that I don't want in the Edited Guide, but I still want to tell people about. How can I publicise them?
• Can I become a Sub-editor or a Scout?

What's the Edited Guide all about?

The Edited Guide can be thought of as the best of h2g2. Essentially a group of volunteers - the Scouts - are constantly on the lookout for the best entries in h2g2, and when they find them, they recommend them to the Sub-editors (who are also volunteers) for editing.

The best place to find out all about writing excellent Guide Entries for the Edited Guide is the Contribute page, where you can find links to writing guidelines, help files and much more.

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Who decides what's going to be an Edited Guide Entry and what isn't?

The Editorial Team does - you can find out more about the Editorial Team on the h2g2 Team Page. Essentially the Scouts, a band of volunteer Researchers, recommend Guide Entries to go into the Edited Guide and refer them to the team of Sub-editors, who then edit them for inclusion in the Edited Guide. They do this from Peer Review.

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I want my entry to be edited. What should I do?

The best place to find out all about writing excellent Guide Entries for the Edited Guide is the Contribute page, where you can find links to writing guidelines, help files and much more.

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You say you don't want fiction or silly stuff, but that's what I want to write! Can't I write it anyway?

Of course you can: you can write anything you want! If, however, you suggest it for editing, expect to be turned down, but remember every Guide Entry comes up in the search results anyway, so it's no great hardship.

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How will I know if my entry has been edited?

If you've submitted your entry for Peer Review and if we and the Community think your entry is ripe for including in the Edited Guide, then one of the Scouts will let you know in the forum in Peer Review which relates to your entry. It'll then appear on the What's Coming Up page and we'll start work on it as soon as we can (though we make no guarantees here). Once it has been edited we will send you an email to let you know.

You can find a whole page that explains this process in detail here.

Note that when entries are edited a copy is made of your entry for inclusion in the Edited Guide, because Edited Entries will typically consist of lots of Researchers' Guide Entries combined into a definitive entry. You can continue to change your original Guide Entry, but these changes will not be reflected in the Edited Entry unless you contact the entry's Editor. If you spot a problem with an Edited Guide Entry then you should alert the Editor of that entry (the Editor's name and a link to their Personal Space can be found in the margin of the entry).

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I've created some entries that I don't want in the Edited Guide, but I still want to tell people about. How can I publicise them?

They will still turn up in search results, and will be visible in the Guide Entries section of your Personal Space. However there are two ways you can get people to read them. The best way is to visit other Researchers' forums and mention that you've got a really interesting entry accessible from your Personal Space. You'll find that fellow Researchers are always hungry for good entries, so let them know.

The other way is to let us know so we can publicise the most interesting forums on the front page, guaranteeing you instant fame and more Postings than you could wish for.

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Can I become a Sub-editor or a Scout?

That depends on whether you're up to it! If you are interested in offering your services as a Sub-editor or a Scout then leave a message on either the Sub-editors' Volunteer Page, or the Scouts' Volunteer Page, but remember they don't get paid. They do, however, have a great deal of fun checking entries and are vital members of the h2g2 Community.

To be a Sub-editor you need to be really good at writing and especially hot on grammar and spelling, and if you want to be a Scout you need to be able to spot a good entry at 100 paces. If that's you and you want to help h2g2 grow, drop us a line.

If you'd like to chat with one of our existing Sub-editors or Scouts, why not pop along and say hello? You'll be able to tell who they are because they've got a badge on their Personal Space indicating which scheme(s) they're involved in. Alternatively, you can find them on the Sub-editors' Home Page and the Scouts' Home Page.

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