Wikipedia:Requests for investigation/Help

This page describes the guidelines, policies, and procedures for Wikipedia:Requests for investigation. Requests which do not meet these points may be removed immediately without action.

What belongs on this page

1. Watchlist
   • Pages being hit with a very high level of vandalism.
   • Obscure pages that are repeatedly vandalised with an extended time before reverts.
   • Registered users or IPs that have carried out clear vandalism but have currently stopped.
2. IP addresses
   • Complex vandalism or abuse requiring in-depth investigation.
3. Registered users
   • Clear use of multiple sockpuppets. See Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets if it is a non-obvious case, and requests for checkuser if additional evidence is required.
   • Complex abuse requiring in-depth investigation.

Guidelines for users

Before reporting

1. Please read Assume good faith, Please do not bite the newcomers, and Vandalism.
2. Warn the user before reporting them (see an introduction to user warnings and a grid of some templates available); many vandals stop after being warned.
3. Make sure that the alert doesn't belong on one of the following pages:
   • Administrator intervention against vandalism: Obvious vandalism or personal attacks (user must be warned beforehand). Alerts on that page receive rapid administrator attention.
   • WP:AN/3RR: Report three revert rule violations.
   • Wikipedia:Resolving disputes: content and user disputes must go through the appropriate dispute resolution process. This particularly includes edit wars, incivility, and trolling.
   • If you suspect sockpuppet abuse, see request for checkuser. Confirmed sockpuppets needing a block may be reported here (or to WP:AIV if they are being used for vandalism).

Reporting

1. Make sure you've followed the steps above. Alerts that violate the guidelines may be immediately removed.
2. Find the appropriate section for your alert.
3. Read any instructions specific to that section.
4. Add your alert at the top of the list. Please try and keep reports brief and to the point, if more information is needed it will be requested.
5. Remember to check back later; the reviewing administrator may request more information or explanation. If your alert is no longer on this page, see the edit history or the latest archive.

Guidelines for administrators

Processing alerts

1. Make sure that the alert belongs on this page; if it doesn't, remove it. This includes many user or content disputes.
2. Review the reporter's case, investigate the user's edits, and respond per your discretion. Please remember that reporters may not be entirely ‘innocent’ themselves, so be sure to check their edits and treat all sides fairly.
3. Note any action taken with the alert; for example, ** '''User blocked indefinitely for repeated personal attacks.''' // ~~~~.

Archiving

1. Do not archive page alerts or alerts that don't belong on the page.
2. Once dealt with, move alerts to the current month's archive. In the case of sockpuppet alerts, archive once sockpuppet creation dwindles. Archive alerts that have already been dealt with a note describing the action taken.
3. Place alerts at the top of the appropriate section.

See also

Information

• Vandalism
• Resolving disputes

Dealing with vandalism

• Administrator intervention against vandalism
• Guide to cleaning up vandalism
• Requests for page protection
• RC patrol
• WP:AN/3RR