Tips for corpus maintenance
Regularly check sentences tagged for improvement.
One of the most useful utility tag is @change, so make sure to regularly check the sentences that are marked as such. Ideally, the user who applies the tag should leave a comment to indicate what part of the sentence needs attention and how it should be fixed.
Two other common tags that need regular attention are @check and @needs native check. They are often used when someone is suspicious about some part of a sentence but are not completely sure that the sentence is wrong.
Finally, other tags that you can periodically check include @delete, used to indicate that a sentence should be deleted, @unlink, used when a link between two sentences is incorrect, and combinations with @change, such as @change or unlink or @change or delete.
Know what is going on in the corpus
Periodically check new sentences to get a feel of which contributors need more attention. You can also check the "Latest comments" section of the homepage to quickly see whether special attention is needed for one or more sentences in the language you maintain.
If you know that a contributor needs more attention, make sure to periodically check his or her sentences and provide advice on how to make sure that sentences meet standard expectations.
Communicate
Be welcoming to new contributors. Make sure that they have read and understood the Quick Start Guide for New Contributors and the Rules and Guidelines. Besides these two fundamental articles, check that users that contribute in a language that is not their strongest have read Contributing in a language that is not your strongest.
Wait for a response before editing a sentence
It is common procedure for a corpus maintainer to wait at least two weeks after a request for correction before editing the sentence. If no correction is made and no response is received within that period, you can go ahead with your correction, providing that you use good judgment.
Respect the author's choice
The author may disagree with the proposed correction. If you think that the correction is not absolutely necessary, follow the author's opinion. However, if you are sure that the sentence is wrong, try to convince him that he or she has made a mistake. You can, for example, provide a URL to a grammar rule or a dictionary.
If arguments come up, or if people persist in violating the guidelines (providing bad sentences, etc.), refer them to an admin.
Don't do the impossible
It may happen that correcting a sentence is above your ability. That is okay. Nobody expects you to know every irregularity and obscure rule of your language. Correcting sentences is the same as contributing sentences: if you are not absolutely sure, it is better not to do it. There are several things you can do when you're note sure how to correct a sentence:
- Ask the author and other contributors of your language what they think about the problem. As a corpus maintainer, you should have a good idea of who are the other maintainers and advanced contributors of your language. Don't hesitate to ask for their help.
- Do some research on the Internet. If you can find some reliable source supporting your correction, all the better.
- Do not correct the sentence and let it tagged until somebody can solve the problem.
Avoid interfering in corpus maintenance for other languages
Even if you think you can correct sentences in another language than the one you maintain, it is better practice to not do so. There may be some discussions or issues going on in that corpus without you being aware of them. If a sentence is already tagged for correction and you would like to see it corrected, the recommended practice is to notify the maintainers of that language via a comment or a private message.