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Helium users often forget the importance of the rating system. Rating should not be taken lightly, for there must a high standard that all articles must live up to. Creating this high standard, and making sure that all Helium articles live up to that standard, will consequently make Helium better. While rating articles, think of the following criteria.

Adherence to title

The title is perhaps the most important part of the article, since it is the guide, or more poetically the "GPS navigation system," of the article. Thus, the title will dictate what the article is going to be about. Read through both articles and determine whether both of them adhere to the purpose of the article. Does one go off-topic more than another? Try to do this objectively, not subjectively, by thinking about how you, as a person searching through the Web, will want the article presented to you.

Grammar, punctuation, spelling

This is rightly abbreviated the GPS system way of rating. Many times, these are the first things that come into a rater's mind. Does one article have better grammar than the other? All of these three criteria are equally important in determining the readability of the article. If one is not followed, then the article will suffer for it, and you should rate it thus.

Content

Content is related to the article's adherence to the title, but it is more specific in that it requires you to judge one article's type of content over the other. Again, this may be a subjective experience, but try to do this objectively. Think about what type of content is relevant to the title, and does one article provide more of that content than the other?

Style

Finally, style is the most subjective criterion of the rating system, but if two articles generally have good GPS, and they both have similar content, and they both adhere to the title's demands, then you must turn to a subjective criterion like style. Do not think of yourself individually. Instead, try to put yourself in a general reader's shoes. Thinking of yourself this way, does it appear that you would like to read one article over the other based solely on style? Style includes everything from word choice, to syntax, to diction, to the way that the article is structured and organized.

As you rate, always think about readability. All of these criteria point to the question of readability. Take the time to read through each article, and determine honestly which one is better. By doing so, you will help make Helium a better place for reading and writing.

Learn more about this author, Joan Inong.
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