User:Martynas Patasius/Things to check while closing discussions
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This essay lists one possible "process" to close discussions. It is not meant to be a checklist to be followed to the letter. However, it might still be useful for some closers.
Closing
[edit]- Get an overview of the discussion.
- Get an overview of discussion page history and archives (if any), article and its history (if any), look for related discussions (if any). Check the links given in the discussions.
- That should give the closer some idea about the evidence that has to be taken into account.
- Check if there is a reason to ignore the discussion altogether.
- For example, if the discussion was obviously meant to be a joke.
- Is there some obvious reason to apply Wikipedia:Ignore all rules in this case?
- Are there any behavioral aspects that should be taken into account, mentioned or otherwise acted upon?
- For example, sockpuppetry, insults...
- Even if there is no need to mention them in the close rationale, it might be worth to start a separate discussion.
- In extreme cases it might be worth to start the discussion anew after such aspects have been addressed.
- What policies, guidelines or essays are likely to be useful?
- Make a list of the participants of the discussion. Count them.
- That is meant to make sure no participants are accidentally left out at the next stages.
- Cluster the participants into groups by opinion. Count them.
- Counting is mostly meant to make sure that no participant has been forgotten.
- Opinions given "conditionally" should be grouped separately, taking those conditions into account.
- What arguments have been made in this discussion? Try to cluster them.
- Which users made which arguments? Count those users.
- What policies, guidelines, essays, other discussions or "precedents" have been cited? Were there any that were not cited explicitly, but importance of which to this discussion has been implied?
- Was any reason to to apply Wikipedia:Ignore all rules given?
- What factual evidence was given? Who gave it and in support of what arguments? Check it.
- How were the arguments received by other participants? Try to cluster the answers, responses and counterarguments, list the users that made them.
- Is there some indication how similar arguments are received in other cases?
- Taking into account all the evidence collected up to this moment, evaluate the soundness of the arguments (including counterarguments) and their premises.
- How well do they correspond to the facts (where available)?
- How relevant are they to the question at hand?
- How strong and persuasive are those arguments?
- Among other things, did they persuade anyone?
- What exactly does each argument demonstrate?
- Taking into account all collected evidence, make the decision.