Global Voices (GV) is driven by the passion of volunteers who donate their time to write and translate stories that build understanding across borders. In the majority of cases, volunteers come to our community by submitting an application to become a writer or a translator, which is then evaluated by the relevant Newsroom editor or Lingua translation manager.

We use a WordPress plugin called Gravity Forms to create and manage these application forms. You can learn more about the technical aspects of Gravity Forms and how to set up a form from scratch in the following guide: Using Gravity Forms on GV. Keep reading to understand the workflow for managing incoming applications.

Newsroom

There is one main application form for potential writers, which is hosted on the Global Voices in English site. When a potential writer submits an application, an entry is created in the backend of the form. An email notification is also automatically sent to the relevant Newsroom editor; the notification will contain all of the application fields. Give them a read, and if the applicant seems promising, get in contact with them using the email provided in their application.

An example writer application sent to your email inbox.

In the email, you can click on the link View/Edit this entry, which will take you to the individual entry for the application within the backend of the Global Voices in English WordPress site. (You will need to be logged in, if you aren’t already.) There, at the bottom of the entry is a space called Notes, which you can use if you like to keep track of when you contacted the applicant or when the applicant started writing for GV.

To view all entries that pertain to you within WordPress itself, locate Forms in the black WordPress sidebar, find the Writer Application Form among the available forms, and hover your mouse over it. An option called Entries will appear. Click it.

The backend of Gravity Forms in WordPress.

You can then use the dropdown with the placeholder text Any Form Field to filter the entries as you want. For example, creating a filter that reads [Which country do you want to write about] [is] [Afghanistan] will return all applications from people who want to write for GV about Afghanistan.

You can filter the entries so only the ones that pertain to you are shown on screen.

If you receive an email for an application that doesn't apply to you for whatever reason, please forward it to the editor who should see it. (If you aren't sure who that is, please ask the Associate Editors or the Managing Editor). Similarly, if you notice you are repeatedly receiving applications for a country that doesn’t fall within your region of coverage, tell the Associate Editors or the Managing Editor so they can change the notification settings.

Lingua

Language sites

Each language site has its own application form for potential translators, hosted on the web page dedicated to explaining to visitors how they can become a Lingua translator. When a potential translator submits an application, an entry is created in the backend of the form. An email notification is also automatically sent to the translation manager; the notification will contain all of the application fields. Give them a read, and if the applicant seems promising, get in contact with them using the email provided in their application.

An example translator application sent to your email inbox.

In the email, you can click on the link View/Edit this entry, which will take you to the individual entry for the application within the backend of your language site. (You will need to log in, if you aren’t already.) There, at the bottom of the entry is a space called Notes, which you can use if you like to keep track of when you contacted the applicant or when the applicant started writing for GV.

To view all entries that pertain to you within WordPress itself, locate Forms in the black WordPress sidebar, find the Translator Application Form among the available forms — exact names of the form may vary across language sites — and hover your mouse over it. An option called Entries will appear. Click it.

The backend of Gravity Forms in WordPress.

You can then use the dropdown with the placeholder text Any Form Field to filter the entries as you want. For example, creating a filter that reads [Do you have previous experience with WordPress?] [is] [No] will return all applications from people who do not have previous experience with WordPress.

You can filter the entries so only the ones that pertain to you are shown on screen.

If you receive an email for an application that doesn't apply to you for whatever reason, please forward it to the translation manager who should see it. (If you aren't sure who that is, please ask the Lingua Director).

Lingua project site

The Lingua project site has a general application form for potential translators, hosted on the web page dedicated to explaining to visitors how they can become a Lingua translator. However, it is meant to capture interest from potential translators in the following cases only:

• For into-English language combinations, e.g. Spanish into English
• For language sites which do not have a translation manager and do not have an application form available that is built on Gravity Forms and properly localized
• For language sites which do not exist

The application form initially only shows visitors three questions: name, email and a dropdown to select the language they want to translate into. The rest of the form will only show if they select a language which falls into one of the three above criteria.

A screenshot of the Volunteer Lingua Translator Application Form on the Lingua project site. Selecting the target language will open up other fields for the applicant to fill out.

If an applicant selects a language that has an active language site at GV, the form will indicate to them that they should instead navigate to the application form on the language site in question and provide them a link to get there. This is achieved through what’s called conditional logic. To learn more, please consult the following guide: Using Gravity Forms on GV.

When a potential translator submits an application using the form on the Lingua project site, an entry is created in the backend of the form. An email notification is also automatically sent to the Lingua Director; the notification will contain all of the application fields.