Ask the Experts, Question 13:

How long and detailed should the criteria for an award be?

by Dunja Zeyss, Webmistress, Dream Worker
15 October 2002

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Wendy Sears, Webmistress Assess Risk Web Award

Editor's Choice

In writing criteria for an award, the writer should be trying to convey those issues and elements that the evaluators will be looking for when evaluating a site. The greater the number of issues and elements, then naturally the longer the criteria is likely to be. And the more complicated those issues and elements, then the more detailed the criteria is likely to be.

In reality, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to criteria, but there are four guidelines which, if followed, will dictate the appropriate length and detail of the criteria:

Remember that at the end of the day, the golden words are brevity and precision. Be as brief as your precision will allow and you will have achieved the right length and detail for your criteria.

Uwe Bartzsch, Webmaster
Asder Award (program closed)

In my opinion, the criteria should be divided into "main criteria," "rejection criteria" and "special criteria." The first two groups should explain the conditions that must be met in order to apply for the award. For example, copyright and privacy requirements.

"Special criteria" should explain what is required to win the award. For instance, standards that must be met with respect to graphics, design, content, resolution and browser compatibility. These requirements may change from time to time to reflect current standards in the industry.

The text of the criteria should be simple and short. Otherwise, you run the risk that applicants will not read it. Avoid complicated criteria. Make it clear and easy to understand.

Use small headlines with one or two sentences to describe each section. Criteria that is relevant to selecting winners must not be omitted!! If personal taste is relevant, then you must include this in the criteria.

Jan Sopshier, Webmistress
Circus World Awards

There are really no set standards on criteria length or details. I'm a true believer in getting straight to the point, whether composing criteria or letting people know what's on my mind. Whenever I see an award program with page after page of detailed criteria, I'm saying to myself, "This award is impossible to win."

How many words does one need to use to write "Site must have an overall theme," which is simple and straight to the point? It leaves no doubt about what you are looking for. Now, let's take the "overall theme" concept and make it absurdly long and detailed, just to confuse everyone.

Getting applicants to read your criteria, whether long and detailed or straight to the point, can be tricky. I honestly believe longer and more detailed criteria will be ignored unless the applicants sincerely believe they have a chance of winning your award.

Geetha Thirunakkarasu, Webmistress
Geetha Zone Awards (program closed)

Criteria should be simple and short for those who are in hurry. It should also be explained in detail for serious applicants who want to understand the purpose and requirements of an award before they submit their sites. Criteria should be written in such a way that it suits both types of award seekers.

Criteria pages shouldn't be very long. The criteria can be listed as points for easy reading, with links to further details. Applicants will get an idea of the requirements by reading your listed points, and those who need further explanations can follow the links.

Criteria can also be divided into various categories to make it visually pleasing and easier to understand. The objective is to encourage applicants to read the criteria by making it short, clear and concise.

Loren Sebastian, Webmistress
Cerulean Award Program

Criteria is the heart of an award program. The essence of criteria is content. The content should be written in simple words, and it should not confuse those who wish to apply for the award.

Some people stretch the criteria to make 5-8 pages. They are less concerned about content and just want to fill up space. Others compress the criteria into 4-5 pages and provide more meaningful content. They are more concerned about substance.

In both cases, the authors are providing information for people who want to apply for their awards. Those who have been applying for and giving awards for 2-3 years are good examples for newcomers because of their experience. They know how to write meaningful criteria and how to present it.

Understanding the criteria should be the number one priority for anyone who applies for an award. Once in a while I receive an email asking "Is it necessary to read those hundreds of lines of criteria over and over again?" As an evaluator, I think part of the problem is that there are too many award programs around today. After a while, people stop reading the criteria because it all starts to look the same.

I try to explain to them that each set of criteria is different, but for some reason they fail to see this. For us who put all the hard work and effort into writing the criteria, all the points are important and should be read and understood by the applicants before they apply for our awards.

Criteria, short or detailed, must consist of simple and clear content. It must be carefully written to include all the requirements for the award. We must use the right points and concepts to describe them in a way that can be easily understood.

Susan Hawkins, Webmistress
Advanced Creations Business Award (site closed)

Since there are two parts to the question, I will answer it in two ways. First, how long should the criteria be? As short as possible. Your visitors don't want to get bogged down reading 5 pages of criteria. If you can, keep it short and use one sentence, bulleted points.

Second, how detailed should the criteria be? Very detailed. Your visitors need to know exactly what you're looking for and what you're not looking for. The more descriptive you are with your criteria, the less chance you have of someone applying for your award thinking that their site meets your criteria, when in your eyes it doesn't.

How can the criteria be short and descriptive, you say? A very good question. You can give two sets of criteria: a short one and a detailed one. You can either link them together by points or just have the "seasoned" award hunters read the short one and the "newbie" hunters read the detailed one. Unfortunately, the newbies may not want to go through the detailed criteria when a shorter version is available!

In my opinion, your criteria should be as detailed and descriptive as possible on as few pages as possible. This way, there is a better chance of award hunters actually reading it!

Wendy Russell, Webmistress
Casey's Celtic Charm Award

Great question! Let's see, this is something we all wrestle with from time to time. I believe that most people have a short attention span, myself included. The quicker the reading the better.

However, the criteria must be thorough and to the point. The key to a successful awards program may be offering the most information and guidance to the applicant in the fewest possible words.

At our Awards Program, we use point form explanations in a table format, which tends to be easier for the eyes to follow. We keep the criteria as brief as possible without losing the intent of the meaning. We also have a tips section that more fully explains each of the criteria points. It's an optional feature, however. Applicants are encouraged to read the tips, but this is not a requirement.

A simple and logical navigational format guiding the applicant through the awards program is always useful.

Luuk Francken, Webmaster
LTS Grail Award

A simple question, but a complex answer. Some award givers believe that criteria should be restricted to a maximum number of words. Most applicants don't read long criteria, they say, because it takes too much time. Applicants will be more inclined to read shorter criteria, because it takes less time.

Is it true that applicants read shorter criteria? I don't think so. Most of them simply go straight to the application form and apply. If there's a "secret" word to be filled in, they screen through the criteria searching for it. They don't really read the criteria in the process, so that tactic doesn't work either.

It's great to keep the criteria short and concise, but they must be clear in their meaning. Although it may seem easy, writing criteria is one of the most difficult things you will ever do. Every word must be carefully weighed to make sure it conveys the right meaning.

This is the crux of the matter. Criteria must never be vague or open to interpretation. Their meaning must always be as clear as possible. There must never be a possibility that the words and sentences will be interpreted in different ways by different people. This means hard thinking while you write them. Try to put yourself in the place of the reader. Sure, you know what a certain point means, but does the reader?

For example, a disqualifying rule could be "Pages that take longer than 2 minutes to load." Sounds great to you because you compare it with the performance of your modem and connection speed. It could be explained a little better, however, so your readers are not left with a different interpretation than you intended.

Cable connections and ADSL connections load pages very fast, but some people are still struggling with a 28.8 modem and a telephone line. If you are one of them, your disqualifying rule is not fair to the applicant. You must elaborate. You should say something like, "Pages that take longer than 2 minutes to load, using a 28.8 kbs modem." This may take a little longer to read, but at least the meaning is clear.

If you want to clarify certain rules in your criteria, you can add a page with more details or a popup window with explanations. As long as you put them on separate pages, they won't add length to your criteria. Just link to them from the rules that you want to clarify.

For these reasons, I believe that criteria must never be restricted to a maximum number of words. It's up to the award giver to decide what the rules and restrictions are going to be for the award and to describe them in a way that readers can understand. In some cases, it may take a lot of words to do this. You must think for the reader and use whatever number of words you feel is necessary to make the meaning clear.

In conclusion, your criteria should be as short as possible, but the meaning must be clear to all the readers. You are the master of your own award program, and you alone should decide how long the criteria will be. So, the answer to the question is clear: There is no answer. It's all up to you!

Helen Bruce, Webmistress
Lone Star Design Award

Criteria should spell out, in detail, what is expected of the award seekers so that there is no question in their minds when the applications are submitted. If you are going to award only personal sites, this should be mentioned so that commercial sites will know and not apply. The more precise your criteria is, the more apt you are to get applications which meet the criteria. This saves both you and the award seeker a lot of needless frustration.