Revision history for ProfilesHelfulHintsFAQ
Additions:
- Ask questions if you are uncertain about anything.
- Most candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information.
- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry, really vague, or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
- Do not abbreviate anything, even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses afterwards.
- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask someone for a second opinion.
- For all current positions use "present" with a lower-case "p" rather than "Present" or "current."
- Example: Representative, United States House of Representatives, 1996-present.
- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds a position or when they may have stopped holding it, delete the span and click 'Save.'
- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is 'present.' Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as a current position.
- All years should be written out in full.
- Example: correct: 1985-1989 incorrect: 1985-89.
- SAVE YOUR CHANGES - if you forget this, it's like you didn't do the work.
Standard Searches:
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
1) (candidate's name) (state) (office) campaign
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet these addresses to ensure their accuracy. Ballotpedia can also provide a reference with SecondarySources
- Don't forget about Webmail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- Most likely, the last source of data you will check is Facebook. About half the time, candidate's will have information on their Facebook under the 'About' section. Read through this information and collect what is relevant. Other information that Facebook might have are: Religion, Birth Date, favorite quote, favorite book, etc..
It is common to get calls from candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the Elections Director needs to give final approval.
- Most candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information.
- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry, really vague, or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
- Do not abbreviate anything, even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses afterwards.
- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask someone for a second opinion.
- For all current positions use "present" with a lower-case "p" rather than "Present" or "current."
- Example: Representative, United States House of Representatives, 1996-present.
- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds a position or when they may have stopped holding it, delete the span and click 'Save.'
- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is 'present.' Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as a current position.
- All years should be written out in full.
- Example: correct: 1985-1989 incorrect: 1985-89.
- SAVE YOUR CHANGES - if you forget this, it's like you didn't do the work.
Standard Searches:
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
1) (candidate's name) (state) (office) campaign
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet these addresses to ensure their accuracy. Ballotpedia can also provide a reference with SecondarySources
- Don't forget about Webmail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- Most likely, the last source of data you will check is Facebook. About half the time, candidate's will have information on their Facebook under the 'About' section. Read through this information and collect what is relevant. Other information that Facebook might have are: Religion, Birth Date, favorite quote, favorite book, etc..
It is common to get calls from candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the Elections Director needs to give final approval.
Deletions:
~- Many candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information.
~- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry, really vague, or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
~- **Do not abbreviate anything,** even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses afterwards.
~- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask someone for a second opinion.
~- For all current positions use "present" with a lower-case "p" rather than "Present" or "current."
~~- Example: Representative, United States House of Representatives, 1996-present.
~- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds a position or when they may have stopped holding it, delete the span and click 'Save.'
~- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is 'present.' Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as a current position.
~- All years should be written out in full.
~~- Example: correct: 1985-1989 incorrect: 1985-89.
~- **SAVE YOUR CHANGES** - if you forget this, it's like you didn't do the work.
**Standard Searches: **
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
~1) (candidate's name) (state) (office) campaign
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet this addresses to ensure their accuracy. Ballotpedia can also provide a reference with SecondarySources
- Don't forget about Webmail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- Most likely, the last source of data you will check is Facebook. About half the time, candidate's will have information on their Facebook under the 'About' section. Read through this information and collect what is relevant. Other information that Facebook might have are: Religion, Birth Date, favorite quote, favorite book, etc..
It is common to get calls from candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the National Director needs to give final approval.
Additions:
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet this addresses to ensure their accuracy. Ballotpedia can also provide a reference with SecondarySources
Deletions:
Revision [57321]
Edited on 2020-12-16 14:33:41 by JamesW [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
Search for any website or social media outlet the candidate may have.
- The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are campaign/official websites, Facebook, and Linkedin. The best way to identify if a candidate has a Linkedin is if they write something like “Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives” at the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference experiences (most often the case) or compare photos.
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet this addresses to ensure their accuracy.
- Don't forget about Webmail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- For past candidates, you can reference our past address research to see if any past addresses are still active, and can be entered for the current campaign.
- Do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
- Lastly, double-check your work in admin, along with checking our live website to ensure any and all entered data is displaying correctly, and there aren't any spelling/formatting errors.
- The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are campaign/official websites, Facebook, and Linkedin. The best way to identify if a candidate has a Linkedin is if they write something like “Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives” at the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference experiences (most often the case) or compare photos.
- Ballotpedia can be a good starting point to find viable addresses in one place (they normally get this research done quicker than we move toward this research, so this is a good place to begin research) - however, be sure to still vet this addresses to ensure their accuracy.
- Don't forget about Webmail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- For past candidates, you can reference our past address research to see if any past addresses are still active, and can be entered for the current campaign.
- Do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
- Lastly, double-check your work in admin, along with checking our live website to ensure any and all entered data is displaying correctly, and there aren't any spelling/formatting errors.
Deletions:
Next, search for any website or social media outlet the candidate may have.
- The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are campaign/official websites, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The best way to identify if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives” at the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference experiences (most often the case) or compare photos.
- Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
Revision [54129]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:40:05 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]No Differences
Revision [54128]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:39:46 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab.” Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each.
Deletions:
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each.
Revision [54127]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:39:35 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]No Differences
Revision [54126]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:39:19 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]No Differences
Revision [54125]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:36:27 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]No Differences
Revision [54124]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:35:59 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
//**Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:**//
Deletions:
Revision [54123]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:35:38 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
**Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:**
Deletions:
Revision [54122]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:35:31 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
=**Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:**=
Deletions:
Revision [54121]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:35:15 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
==**Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:**==
Deletions:
Revision [54120]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:34:54 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
===Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively===
===Step 2: Inputting the data===
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- The next most specific source is generally a campaign/official website's 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in an annoying paragraph format. You will have to carefully read through this information to pick out the relevant information we need to add to our database. As with LinkedIn, look for any information we can use to update/correct previously entered data.
- Most likely, the last source of data you will check is Facebook. About half the time, candidate's will have information on their Facebook under the 'About' section. Read through this information and collect what is relevant. Other information that Facebook might have are: Religion, Birth Date, favorite quote, favorite book, etc..
- 'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a Facebook's bio page, so just pay attention to that possibility.
- The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a standardized way of going through a candidate's bio information and entering it into admin. The best way is to start at the top of a page and work your way towards the bottom. Sometimes, some data will scream at you right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.
===Step 3: Vetting Your Own Work===
- Start by looking at the candidate's admin page and begin scanning for formatting errors. Commonly, the 'Family' section will be formatted incorrectly (Married; John; 3 children; John, Jacob rather than Husband: John; 3 Children). Another is the 'Gender' category. It is often left blank ('Unknown') initially and it will be up to you to update that.
- Next, if there was already data entered for a candidate, make sure to go through and cat/tag data as you see fit. Most of the previous bio's were only sporadically catted/tagged, or not at all.
- Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
**Overall:**
Bios are all about creating a strategy/routine for 1) finding all the data, 2) inputting it accurately, and 3) doing it quickly. And, just like the wiki says, that order is important. As you do more bios, you will get faster naturally and develop your own routine. The order above is just a guideline. As you get more observant you will naturally just do things as you see them, but it helps initially to do things very structurally so that you can focus on one step of creating a bio at a time.
**==Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:==**
===Step 2: Inputting the data===
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- The next most specific source is generally a campaign/official website's 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in an annoying paragraph format. You will have to carefully read through this information to pick out the relevant information we need to add to our database. As with LinkedIn, look for any information we can use to update/correct previously entered data.
- Most likely, the last source of data you will check is Facebook. About half the time, candidate's will have information on their Facebook under the 'About' section. Read through this information and collect what is relevant. Other information that Facebook might have are: Religion, Birth Date, favorite quote, favorite book, etc..
- 'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a Facebook's bio page, so just pay attention to that possibility.
- The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a standardized way of going through a candidate's bio information and entering it into admin. The best way is to start at the top of a page and work your way towards the bottom. Sometimes, some data will scream at you right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.
===Step 3: Vetting Your Own Work===
- Start by looking at the candidate's admin page and begin scanning for formatting errors. Commonly, the 'Family' section will be formatted incorrectly (Married; John; 3 children; John, Jacob rather than Husband: John; 3 Children). Another is the 'Gender' category. It is often left blank ('Unknown') initially and it will be up to you to update that.
- Next, if there was already data entered for a candidate, make sure to go through and cat/tag data as you see fit. Most of the previous bio's were only sporadically catted/tagged, or not at all.
- Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
**Overall:**
Bios are all about creating a strategy/routine for 1) finding all the data, 2) inputting it accurately, and 3) doing it quickly. And, just like the wiki says, that order is important. As you do more bios, you will get faster naturally and develop your own routine. The order above is just a guideline. As you get more observant you will naturally just do things as you see them, but it helps initially to do things very structurally so that you can focus on one step of creating a bio at a time.
**==Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:==**
Deletions:
**Step 2: Inputting the data**
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- The next most specific source is generally a campaign/official website's 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in an annoying paragraph format. You will have to carefully read through this information to pick out the relevant information we need to add to our database. As with LinkedIn, look for any information we can use to update/correct previously entered data.
Most likely, the last source of data you will check is a Facebook. About half the time candidate's will
have information on their Facebook as well. Most of those times, the 'About' section of their website
will just be copied and pasted into their Facebook, but other times, it will be a completely new
composition of their bio. Other information like: Religion, Birth Date, etc. can often be found on
Facebook because Facebook is very specifically formatted.
-There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
say exactly what they say and to basically keep our brains away from manipulating anything as much
as possible.
-'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
Facebook's bio page, so just pay attention to that possibility.
-The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
standardized way of going through a candidate's bio information and inputing it into admin. The best
way is to start at the top of a page and scan down until the bottom. Sometimes, data will scream at you
right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.
===Step 3: Issue Positions===
Generally, it might be easiest to input this data last because it is usually separated from other data on
websites/facebooks. The way it is inputed is also very standardized.
Occasionally, however, you might notice a potential position in a random section of a bio or in a
facebook post. This is especially true if there weren't any Issue Positions specific sections of a site.
===Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work===
Start by looking at the candidate's admin page and begin scanning for formatting errors. Commonly, the
'Family' section will be formatted incorrectly (Married; John; 3 children; John, Jacob rather than
Husband: John; 3 Children). Another is the 'Gender' category. It is often left blank ('Unknown') initially
and it will be up to you to update that.
When you are checking for formatting errors, make sure to remember that grammatical errors are most
likely from the candidate and not from one of us.
Next, if there was already data inputed for a candidate, make sure to go through and cat/tag data as you
see fit. Most of the previous bio's were only sporadically cat'tagged, or not at all.
Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
===Overall:===
Bios are all about creating a strategy/routine for 1. finding all the data, 2. inputting it accurately, and 3.
doing it quickly. And, like the wiki says, that order is important. As you do more bios, you will get
faster naturally and develop your own routine. The order above is just a guideline, as you get more
observant you will naturally just do things as you see them, but it helps initially to do things very
structured so that you can focus on one step of creating a bio at a time.
===Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:===
Revision [54119]
Edited on 2018-11-20 11:24:48 by Lucia [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
**Keep in Mind:**
When starting out research in Profiles, here are a couple of things to remember:
~- Many candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information.
~- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry, really vague, or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
~- **Do not abbreviate anything,** even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses afterwards.
~- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask someone for a second opinion.
~- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds a position or when they may have stopped holding it, delete the span and click 'Save.'
~- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is 'present.' Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as a current position.
**Develop a Process**
**Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively**
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
~1) (candidate's name) (state) (office) campaign
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab.”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each.
- The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are campaign/official websites, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The best way to identify if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives” at the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference experiences (most often the case) or compare photos.
- Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number that isn't provided by a Secretary of State site.
- The same goes for Facebook: you'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a Facebook's 'About' page.
**Step 2: Inputting the data**
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- The next most specific source is generally a campaign/official website's 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in an annoying paragraph format. You will have to carefully read through this information to pick out the relevant information we need to add to our database. As with LinkedIn, look for any information we can use to update/correct previously entered data.
When starting out research in Profiles, here are a couple of things to remember:
~- Many candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information.
~- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry, really vague, or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
~- **Do not abbreviate anything,** even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses afterwards.
~- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask someone for a second opinion.
~- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds a position or when they may have stopped holding it, delete the span and click 'Save.'
~- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is 'present.' Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as a current position.
**Develop a Process**
**Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively**
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
~1) (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
~1) (candidate's name) (state) (office) campaign
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab.”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each.
- The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are campaign/official websites, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The best way to identify if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives” at the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference experiences (most often the case) or compare photos.
- Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
- Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number that isn't provided by a Secretary of State site.
- The same goes for Facebook: you'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a Facebook's 'About' page.
**Step 2: Inputting the data**
- If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the top when inputting data. Make sure you go all the way to the very bottom of each person's LinkedIn page. Not all LinkedIn pages are the same, so some are longer than others and we don't want to miss collecting any volunteer or organizational experiences. Also, if there is already a lot of data previously entered into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' for that data or to update information.
- The next most specific source is generally a campaign/official website's 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in an annoying paragraph format. You will have to carefully read through this information to pick out the relevant information we need to add to our database. As with LinkedIn, look for any information we can use to update/correct previously entered data.
Deletions:
When starting out research profiles, here are a couple things to remember:
~- Many candidates are already in our database and will therefore already have some information
~- Check the information against what the candidate has most recently given us. Follow the general rule that more is better (e.g. if a nickname is in the database but not on the new bio info, leave it in). Bio data should only be removed if it is a duplicate entry or a reputable source has proven the information to be incorrect.
~- Do not abbreviate anything, even if typing it out seems redundant or unnecessary. If an acronym is more commonly known, use the written-out version and put the acronym in parentheses
~- If you cannot read something or need help, never hesitate to ask for help
~- Do not, under any circumstances, write on a candidate's returned bio form. If there is a problem with the form or you cannot read an entry, tell your supervisor
~- If you are unable to verify if a candidate still holds or when they may have stopped holding a position for which 'present' is listed, delete the years and move the position to the proper place amongst the other positions listed without years.
~- If there are no years listed, do not assume that the membership is present. Only use "present" if a candidate has specifically listed it as present.
====**Develop a Process**====
===Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively===
1. (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
2. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
3. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
-The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
are very detailed and helpful, but not that many candidate's actually have a functioning LinkedIn.
The best way to identify a if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for
Michigan House of Representatives” on the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference
experiences, or compare photos.
-Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
-Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
that isn't provided by a SoS site.
-The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
Facebook's 'About' page.
===Step 2: Inputting the data===
If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the bottom of the
page and copy/paste everything into the data input boxes. Also, if there is already a lot of data
previously inputed into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' data.
The next most specific source is generally the website 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a
website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in
an annoying paragraph format.
Revision [20062]
Edited on 2017-05-15 12:28:52 by Peter [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
It is common to get calls from candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the National Director needs to give final approval.
Deletions:
Revision [20061]
Edited on 2017-05-15 12:28:39 by Peter [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
===Policy on Removing Candidate Information From the Website:===
Deletions:
Revision [20060]
Edited on 2017-05-15 12:27:56 by Peter [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
===Policy on Taking Down Information:===
It is common to get calls form candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the National Director needs to give final approval.
It is common to get calls form candidates asking us to take down their information. As a general policy, we do not do this. The information is public and we are under no obligation to take information off of our website. However, there are certain exceptions to this policy. If a candidate asks us to take down family information for a legitimate reason, we can oblige. Before taking information off of the site, the National Director needs to give final approval.
Revision [18592]
Edited on 2016-11-14 10:06:44 by jamiem [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.
Deletions:
Revision [15533]
Edited on 2015-05-19 13:22:05 by Jamieson [Adjustments made for 2020 research updates]Additions:
===Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively===
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
===Step 2: Inputting the data===
===Step 3: Issue Positions===
===Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work===
===Overall:===
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
===Step 2: Inputting the data===
===Step 3: Issue Positions===
===Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work===
===Overall:===
Deletions:
-When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
-Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
==Step 2: Inputting the data==
==Step 3: Issue Positions==
==Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work==
==Overall:==
No Differences
Additions:
====**Keep in Mind:**====
When starting out research profiles, here are a couple things to remember:
====**Develop a Process**====
When starting out research profiles, here are a couple things to remember:
====**Develop a Process**====
Deletions:
===**Develop a Process**===
Additions:
===**Develop a Process**===
Like most departments at Vote Smart, developing your research process is essential for thoroughness, accuracy, and speed. Below, you will find a detailed description of some steps you should take during the development of your process as well as some tricks and tips.
Like most departments at Vote Smart, developing your research process is essential for thoroughness, accuracy, and speed. Below, you will find a detailed description of some steps you should take during the development of your process as well as some tricks and tips.
Deletions:
Additions:
First check the Secretary of State's site. Sometimes they will list websites and emails.
**Standard Searches: **
**Standard Searches: **
Deletions:
Standard Searches:
No Differences
Additions:
===**Develop a Process - See Below for an Example**===
==Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively==
-When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
-Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
**Notes:**
-The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
-Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
-Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
-The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
==Step 2: Inputting the data==
**Notes:**
-There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
-'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
-The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
==Step 3: Issue Positions==
==Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work==
==Overall:==
==Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively==
-When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
-Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
**Notes:**
-The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
-Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
-Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
-The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
==Step 2: Inputting the data==
**Notes:**
-There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
-'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
-The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
==Step 3: Issue Positions==
==Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work==
==Overall:==
Deletions:
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
Notes:
The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
Step 2: Inputting the data
Notes:
There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
Step 3: Issue Positions
Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work
Overall:
Additions:
Step 1: Research the candidate exhaustively
First check the Secretary of State's (SoS) site. Sometimes they will list websites and emails.
Next, search for any website or social media outlet the candidate may have.
Standard Searches:
1. (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
2. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
3. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
Notes:
The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
are very detailed and helpful, but not that many candidate's actually have a functioning LinkedIn.
The best way to identify a if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for
Michigan House of Representatives” on the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference
experiences, or compare photos.
Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
that isn't provided by a SoS site.
The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
Facebook's 'About' page.
Step 2: Inputting the data
If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the bottom of the
page and copy/paste everything into the data input boxes. Also, if there is already a lot of data
previously inputed into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' data.
The next most specific source is generally the website 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a
website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in
an annoying paragraph format.
Most likely, the last source of data you will check is a Facebook. About half the time candidate's will
have information on their Facebook as well. Most of those times, the 'About' section of their website
will just be copied and pasted into their Facebook, but other times, it will be a completely new
composition of their bio. Other information like: Religion, Birth Date, etc. can often be found on
Facebook because Facebook is very specifically formatted.
Notes:
There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
say exactly what they say and to basically keep our brains away from manipulating anything as much
as possible.
'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
Facebook's bio page, so just pay attention to that possibility.
The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
standardized way of going through a candidate's bio information and inputing it into admin. The best
way is to start at the top of a page and scan down until the bottom. Sometimes, data will scream at you
right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.\
Step 3: Issue Positions
Generally, it might be easiest to input this data last because it is usually separated from other data on
websites/facebooks. The way it is inputed is also very standardized.
Occasionally, however, you might notice a potential position in a random section of a bio or in a
facebook post. This is especially true if there weren't any Issue Positions specific sections of a site.
Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work
Start by looking at the candidate's admin page and begin scanning for formatting errors. Commonly, the
'Family' section will be formatted incorrectly (Married; John; 3 children; John, Jacob rather than
Husband: John; 3 Children). Another is the 'Gender' category. It is often left blank ('Unknown') initially
and it will be up to you to update that.
When you are checking for formatting errors, make sure to remember that grammatical errors are most
likely from the candidate and not from one of us.
Next, if there was already data inputed for a candidate, make sure to go through and cat/tag data as you
see fit. Most of the previous bio's were only sporadically cat'tagged, or not at all.
Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
Overall:
Bios are all about creating a strategy/routine for 1. finding all the data, 2. inputting it accurately, and 3.
doing it quickly. And, like the wiki says, that order is important. As you do more bios, you will get
faster naturally and develop your own routine. The order above is just a guideline, as you get more
observant you will naturally just do things as you see them, but it helps initially to do things very
structured so that you can focus on one step of creating a bio at a time.
First check the Secretary of State's (SoS) site. Sometimes they will list websites and emails.
Next, search for any website or social media outlet the candidate may have.
Standard Searches:
1. (candidate's name) for (state) (office)
2. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) (district)
3. (candidate's name) for (state) (office) Facebook
When you find a site, create a new tab by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”
Go about 5 pages into Google's search for each
Notes:
The most important websites to find, in terms of information, are Websites and Facebook. LinkedIns
are very detailed and helpful, but not that many candidate's actually have a functioning LinkedIn.
The best way to identify a if a candidate has a LinkedIn is if they write something like “Candidate for
Michigan House of Representatives” on the top. Otherwise, you will have to cross reference
experiences, or compare photos.
Don't forget about WebMail, which can usually be found on a candidate's website under some
variation of 'Contact' or 'Contact Me/Us'
Additionally, sometimes in 'Contact' sections, a candidate will provide an email and/or phone number
that isn't provided by a SoS site.
The same goes for Facebook's. You'll tend to find a lot of additional emails/phone numbers under a
Facebook's 'About' page.
Step 2: Inputting the data
If the candidate does have a LinkedIn and you can confirm that it is theirs, start at the bottom of the
page and copy/paste everything into the data input boxes. Also, if there is already a lot of data
previously inputed into our database, go through the LinkedIn to find 'years' data.
The next most specific source is generally the website 'About' page. Almost every candidate with a
website will have an 'About' page. Sometimes the data will be listed, but most of the time it will be in
an annoying paragraph format.
Most likely, the last source of data you will check is a Facebook. About half the time candidate's will
have information on their Facebook as well. Most of those times, the 'About' section of their website
will just be copied and pasted into their Facebook, but other times, it will be a completely new
composition of their bio. Other information like: Religion, Birth Date, etc. can often be found on
Facebook because Facebook is very specifically formatted.
Notes:
There is no universal code to how candidate's word their experiences. Just keep in mind that we want to
say exactly what they say and to basically keep our brains away from manipulating anything as much
as possible.
'Additional Information,' which is the second tab of a bio in admin, will most often be found in a
Facebook's bio page, so just pay attention to that possibility.
The manner/order in which you input data is important. You will be most accurate if you stick to a
standardized way of going through a candidate's bio information and inputing it into admin. The best
way is to start at the top of a page and scan down until the bottom. Sometimes, data will scream at you
right away, but if you go straight to it, you may miss something more obscure, but equally important.\
Step 3: Issue Positions
Generally, it might be easiest to input this data last because it is usually separated from other data on
websites/facebooks. The way it is inputed is also very standardized.
Occasionally, however, you might notice a potential position in a random section of a bio or in a
facebook post. This is especially true if there weren't any Issue Positions specific sections of a site.
Step 4: Vetting Your Own Work
Start by looking at the candidate's admin page and begin scanning for formatting errors. Commonly, the
'Family' section will be formatted incorrectly (Married; John; 3 children; John, Jacob rather than
Husband: John; 3 Children). Another is the 'Gender' category. It is often left blank ('Unknown') initially
and it will be up to you to update that.
When you are checking for formatting errors, make sure to remember that grammatical errors are most
likely from the candidate and not from one of us.
Next, if there was already data inputed for a candidate, make sure to go through and cat/tag data as you
see fit. Most of the previous bio's were only sporadically cat'tagged, or not at all.
Lastly, do a final scan of a website/Facebook to see if you notice something you missed.
Overall:
Bios are all about creating a strategy/routine for 1. finding all the data, 2. inputting it accurately, and 3.
doing it quickly. And, like the wiki says, that order is important. As you do more bios, you will get
faster naturally and develop your own routine. The order above is just a guideline, as you get more
observant you will naturally just do things as you see them, but it helps initially to do things very
structured so that you can focus on one step of creating a bio at a time.
Additions:
@@=====**Helpful Hints/FAQ**=====@@
[[http://wiki.votesmart.org/ProfilesGuide <- Back to the Profiles Guide]]
[[http://wiki.votesmart.org/ProfilesGuide <- Back to the Profiles Guide]]
