FamilySearch Wiki:Dispute resolution

This policy describes what to do when you have a dispute with another contributor.

First Step: Try to work it out
When disputes arise between community members they are strongly encouraged to talk together and resolve their differences. When there are disputes, it is very important to:


 * Use the discussion (talk) pages to discuss issues, following the discussion (talk) page guidelines.
 * Follow the Etiquette Guidelines.
 * Accept that each party has the best interest of the wiki at heart.
 * Be open to compromise.


 * See also the article .

Second Step: Seek help from others

 * If you can't come to a resolution between the parties through negotiation, you should ask for some outside assistance from other community members. A few option to explore are:


 * Ask for a third opinion
 * Post a question on the Wiki Forums

Third Step: Mediation

 * If negotiations and informal help from third parties does result in resolution of the editing conflict, you may request mediation. Mediation is a more formal process whereby a Mediator helps to facilitate the conversation between the contributors.

Fourth Step: Arbitration

 * If Mediation doesn't resolve the problem, the issue may need to be escalated to the Arbitration Board. This is requested by the Mediator.

Discussions relating to the editing dispute should take place on the discussion (talk) page linked to the wiki article as to which the editing conflict has arisen. Comments relating to the editing conflict should not be posted on the other user's talk page. Nor should comments relating to the editing conflict be communicated by telephone or by email. By following these procedures, the negotiation process will remain transparent.

For more complex editing conflicts that the contributors cannot resolve through talk page discussion, you can follow the other steps in the dispute resolution process. Informal mediation can be used to solicit comments and suggestions from third parties. The appropriate means of informal mediation will depend on the nature of the editing conflict.

If an editing conflict involves only a single wiki article and the conflict involves stylistic or formatting issues, the parties should first consult FamilySearch Wiki:Manual of Style to determine whether the Manual of Style provides guidance that may resolve the editing conflict. If the Manual of Style does not provide the necessary guidance, one or more of the parties should Request a third opinion.

If an editing conflict involves only a single wiki article and the conflict involves a factual or substantive issue, the parties to the conflict should Request contributor assistance.

If an editing conflict potentially affects more than one wiki article, the views of additional members of the wiki community should be sought. Views can be sought through a posting on a Wiki Forum. Alternatively, the conflict may best be resolved by means of a new Project. If one or both of the parties to the conflict thinks that it will be useful to have a new Project established, they can take steps to begin a new wiki project.

If the parties to the editing conflict are not able to resolve the conflict through informal mediation, then one or both of the parties may Request formal mediation.

If an editing conflict is related to user conduct that is in conflict with the Civility and Polite Discourse policy, the issue will be handled through the Arbitration process.

When disputes arise between community members they are strongly encouraged to talk together and resolve their differences without using Mediation or Arbitration.

Options to explore before requesting formal mediation or as a last resort arbitration include:


 * Ask for a third opinion
 * Ask about the subject
 * Ask about a policy
 * Request a comment
 * Informal mediation