This task involves the work with defining the phases in which the initial Edit Check (reference check) will be made available, en route to potentially becoming available at all Wikipedias.

Decision(s) to be made

• 1. In what phases will the initial Edit Check (reference check) be made available?
  • 1. Everyone via URL parameter, or a similar individual opt-in basis. See T345297.
  • 2. All newcomers at an initial set of partner wikis. See T327707 and T331947.
  • 3. 50% of a yet-to-be defined population of people via an A/B test. See T342930.
  • 4. All wikis, assuming impact is net positive
• 2. In what ways will we make Edit Check available? E.g. Beta Features, URL parameter, by default for a subset of people, etc.
  • See above.

Objectives

The decisions we need to make above are in service of learning the following:

1. Experienced volunteers: do they trust the prompts Edit Check will be presenting to newcomers and Junior Contributors will:
   • Not be likely to cause people to make more destructive edits than they currently are
   • Likely encourage some newcomers and Junior to make changes that experienced volunteers consider to be productive (read: aligned with project policies and conventions)
2. Newcomers and Junior Contributors: do we see clear signs that Edit Check is likely to cause newcomers and Junior Contributors to:
   • Add sources when they add new content or explicitly decide not to do so
   • Feel supported and empowered by the feedback and calls to action Edit Check presents them with

Reference

As part of the Talk Pages Project, each feature of DiscussionTools was made available as a beta feature and then gradually scaled to more people by way of being offered as a default-on feature.

The approach we take with Edit Check may vary in so far as this functionality is being designed for newcomers and Junior Contributors who we assume are unlikely to use or be aware of beta features.