QAs

There are two general types of QAs: those that are initiated as a result of poor feedback from a client and those that are scheduled by the EditorWorks™ system or the Quality Department. The latter has a few subtypes: Manual QAs, Protostar QAs, Protostar (Released) QAs, and Neutron Star QAs.

Complaint QAs

Complaint QAs are generated by client complaints via the feedback system, e-mail, or phone and are used to evaluate the validity of such a client complaint. If the QA editor deems the complaint valid, based on a combination of the QA score and other factors (e.g., following client instructions), the order will require a Redo. The necessary score to pass a QA is 80. However, this is not the only factor used to determine whether the QA passes, as a valid specific complaint from a client will also lead to a failed QA. Failing to follow a client's instructions, for example, will trigger an automatic redo regardless of the QA score.

Anything labelled "complaint" may require further action. If you get one of these, then you will need to check your Control Panel to see if the order status has been changed to Redo Required or check in with Customer Service. In most cases, the original editor will be given a chance to complete the Redo, thereby satisfying the client and retaining payment for the order that the editor completed. However, in some cases, the editor may not be available or the client may specifically request that the original editor NOT do the Redo. If that is the case, another editor will complete the Redo, and the original editor will not receive payment. In rare cases, the complaint may not be valid, but the client will still insist on a Redo. Our priority is to satisfy the client, and we expect and greatly appreciate editors going that extra mile to ensure the client comes away happy and returns to Scribendi with their next document. Note: Please rename redone files _TRACKED_REVISED_REDO and CLEAN_REVISED_REDO. Please note that a Redo should be completed as quickly as possible without compromising quality as the client usually has to adhere to their original deadline.

Sometimes an editor cannot complete a Redo that is required on an order they completed. In this case, the order will appear on the order board as Order Name (Redo). If you can see the order, it is available for you to complete. You will start fresh from the client-supplied file/s. As time is of the essence with such Redo orders, please accept only one at a time, as this will hopefully allow other editors to complete the other Redos, thus returning the orders quickly to the already delayed clients. If others are available once you have returned the initial Redo order, please feel free to accept another. If you complete a Redo that was originally completed by another editor in a previous month, please email accounts@scribendi.com to ensure that you are paid accordingly. If you are unsure, please feel free to contact Customer Service (customerservice@scribendi.com) to check.

With regard to feedback scores, if the client has left a poor feedback rating and the complaint is determined to be valid, the score will be moderated by Customer Service based on the score. However, if the complaint is deemed invalid (regardless of whether the client requires a Redo), the feedback score will be moderated to 0, which means "null" and will not affect the editor's overall feedback rating (i.e., a zero is not a score; it simply means "Not Applicable").

Manual QAs

Manual QAs are an opportunity for us to evaluate the work that Scribendi has provided and to detail where edited documents have failed to meet our quality standards, with the aim of helping editors meet the standards on future orders. Most editors will receive three or four random Manual QAs each year, though Manual QAs can also be triggered by a low failing score on a Complaint QA. Failed Manual QAs can affect an editor's status level. If the editor's QA average (best four of last five QAs) drops below 75, they will be in the Neutron Star status. An editor cannot remain as a Neutron Star for more than 45 days out of the last 365 and can drop into Neutron Star no more than twice during this period. Remaining as a Neutron Star for longer than 45 days will result in termination. In addition, repeated QA failures can lead to termination before this deadline of 45 days has been reached.

Neutron Star QAs

When an editor is at the Neutron Star status level, they will only have access to Free Sample orders. Once a Free Sample is completed, a Neutron Star QA is automatically triggered by the system. If the score of the QA increases an editor’s status to Red Dwarf Star, White Dwarf Star, Blue Giant Star, Supernova, then nothing further will occur, and the editor will continue forward based on their new status level. However, if the editor remains a Neutron Star, the process will repeat following the next Free Sample. If multiple Neutron Star QAs are failed, the editor may be removed from the Scribendi roster. As a result, editors should ensure that they provide their best work on these orders.

Protostar QAs

When joining Scribendi, an editor starts off as a Protostar. When their first order is completed, the editor will receive a Protostar QA to provide some initial feedback. The editor won’t be able to pick up a new order until this QA has been completed, as this will allow the editor to apply the feedback from the QA to their next order. This type of QA is guaranteed for the first order, but it may be extended to the immediately subsequent orders if the score is low (which is fairly common as editors adapt to a new system, new processes, and new quality expectations) or if it’s felt they are still adapting to Scribendi’s requirements and policies. The most such QAs that can be received is five, but typically the editor will be “released” from these restrictions earlier than this and be allowed to accept orders without having to wait for a Protostar QA.

Protostar (Released) QAs

After being released from the initial Protostar QAs (see above), the editor will receive additional QAs until they reach five total QAs (Note: this total will include Complaint QAs and Manual QAs, if any such have been completed on a Protostar editor). These additional QAs will be Protostar (Released) QAs, which are randomly ordered by the system. So, unlike the initial Protostar QAs, which are ordered on every initial order until the editor is released by the Quality Department (i.e., they will be released anywhere from the first order to the fifth order), these QAs will be randomly selected by the system roughly once per month. After receiving five QAs, an editor’s status level will change, and they will then continue forward based on their new status level (Neutron Star, White Dwarf Star, Red Dwarf Star, Blue Giant Star, or Supernova).

As an example, if an editor receives an initial Protostar QA after their first order and their second order and are then released from these, they will still need three additional QAs until they reach five QAs. A Protostar (Released) QA will thus be randomly selected by the system each month from among the orders completed by the editor over the course of that month (if the editor has completed one). So, in the example, if the first two orders were complete in the first week, the next three QAs would then be completed over the next three months. This Protostar period can thus vary in length based on the type of Protostar QAs that are completed. If an editor does not pick up any orders in a month, this will increase the length of the Protostar period, while receiving a Complaint QA and/or a Manual QA may reduce the length of this period. An editor can also request a QA (manager@scribendi.com or quality@scribendi.com) to shorten this period and advance to a new status level a little quicker.

QA Procedures

If an order you have completed is receiving a QA as a result of a complaint, you will be notified via e-mail. We want to let editors know what is happening and give them an opportunity to consider their schedule in relation to the possibility of a Redo being required. With regard to the other types of QAs, you will be notified of the results after the QA has been completed.

Once the QA has been completed, you will receive a second e-mail, which will include the QA form (which outlines the score); the QA form includes a link to the marked-up file (which includes the errors and suggestions noted by the QA editor).

For a Complaint QA, there are two relevant criteria that determine whether the complaint is valid or not: 1) the score (80 and above is required) and 2) the lack of a specific valid concern by the client (e.g., a complaint could be valid with a score above 80 if the client is complaining that the style guide was not applied to the references and this was indeed not done). Please check your Control Panel to see if a Redo or further action on your part is required following a Complaint QA. If there is a Redo, you will be informed; the order will be starred for you on the board for a period of time, as with a client request. You will have to accept and complete the Redo to keep your payment for the order. If you fail to accept the Redo, or if you reject the Redo, the order will have to be completed from scratch by a different editor, and it is this editor who will receive payment for the order. Regardless of the score, you should review the marked-up file closely for future improvement in relation to the quality standards.

Please note that QA checks are performed by editors in the Quality Department, not necessarily the Editorial Quality Manager or Senior Manager. If you feel that something was marked in error, feel that the QA requires a review, or have questions or concerns regarding a QA you receive, please complete the QA Appeal Form (which can also be found in the Guidebooks tab).

Please remember that repeated QA scores of less than 80 can result in termination of your contract with Scribendi, and you can only remain as a Neutron Star (QA average under 75) for a maximum of 45 days within the last 365 and can only fall into Neutron Star a maximum of two times in this period.

For a quick review of the process following a complaint QA, please feel free to review this quick outline: QA Scores and Subsequent Actions.

Appealing a QA

If you disagree with one or more errors in a QA, you can appeal the QA and ask for such errors to be reviewed. After receiving (and carefully reviewing) a QA, you will have a two-week window in which to register an appeal (please remember that you must delete documents from Scribendi orders within two weeks of completion). Please complete and submit the QA Appeal Form (which can also be found in the Guidebooks tab in EditorWorks). However, please make sure that you check the Scribendi - QA Instructions before registering your concern, as this document may be able to clarify the issues. Also, please remember that "suggestions" from QA editors are not marked as errors and do not affect the QA score. There's no need to complain about such suggestions; please feel free to adopt these suggestions or not based on your own experience and interpretation of the contextual situation.

However, if you still believe an error was incorrectly marked against you, please contact us via the QA Appeal Form. It will ask you to provide a number of specifics about the issue, and once submitted, the Editorial Quality Manager (or the Senior Manager if the Editorial Quality Manager is unavailable) will review these issues. The QA review will consider each concern, and if the error noted in the QA is confirmed, an explanation will be provided as to why this has been confirmed as an error. If the error noted in the QA is deemed to be invalid, this error will be reversed, which in turn will lead to the overall QA score being amended.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please remember that when communicating with Scribendi, you should never attach and send a client's document via email, as this would violate our policy on data security. If you needed to send an entire document to us for some reason, please contact customerservice@scribendi.com and they can provide a link to a file transfer page.

Last Updated: 09/09/2022