I’ve noticed an ever-increasing back log of perfumes that have been proposed and are in process but haven’t been added, some as much as a month old. Is there anything we can do other than confirm the information provided via screenshots on each other’s proposals to help? Should we leave a comment if something is missing?
I am not on the research team, so not sure if this helps @ssydlo .
I believe you can always add an additional "Source" to another user's research proposal if something is missing, to help.
But up to a month for feedback/approval can be normal from what I've seen, since being here the past couple of years (but they're often way faster than that). Especially since I think the research team is volunteer, so it's outside of their regular jobs.
Much quicker than "the other place" (that starts with an F). I tried submitting research over there without any success (seriously - nothing I submitted was added even after multiple years, and I saw others experience the same thing).
So I personally don't mind a month at all, especially compared to that! 😅
There are actually a few things you can do to help the team with their checks.
First, of course, read the guidelines thoroughly, especially the points on sources.
https://www.parfumo.com/fdb_kn...
We need evidence in the form of links and screenshots for every piece of relevant information. Not one or the other, not one source like this and another like that, but every source used once as a link and once as a screenshot.
The links are for us to check, and the screenshots are for our long-term archiving so that information is still available years from now.
Then you can follow this basic principle: the clearer and tidier your suggestion is, the easier and faster it is for us to check. This includes the following:
• Tags are not just decoration, they actually help us to quickly identify where to find information – so please use them, they don't hurt, we promise.
• Please, please, no sources or information in the discussion area. It's a hassle to have to click back and forth all the time when checking because all the information is spread across both areas. Even if a mod asks you to add something, put it in the sources area! The discussion area is really only for questions, answers, and brief explanations if necessary. All information belongs in the sources area.
• Please at least try to find out the release year. I spend half of my check time on social media looking for the YoR. In many cases, it's really not difficult – a glance at social media accounts is often enough, and the keyword search on Facebook can also reveal a lot. No one expects hours of research, but at least a quick check is not too much to ask.
• I feel like I spend the other half of my time dealing with requests for the original language. Please, whenever a website can be switched to the original language of the brand, go to that first and then to the English version. Brands make mistakes in their translations, quite often in fact, or they only write notes in one language version, so please ALWAYS indicate the original language; we don't want to copy your mistakes.
• And last but not least: most of what we point out applies in general. If we note that screenshots or certain evidence are missing, then these are also required for further suggestions. So if you implement a hint from us, please also implement it yourself in further suggestions and do not make the same mistakes over and over again or only correct them when asked.
All of this is not a guarantee that it will be done super fast. We are all volunteers with jobs or studies and our own private lives, and we have more or less free time available for checking.
But a suggestion that is neat and well documented can be checked more quickly, e.g. during lunch break 
I agree with @Gourmandgrl. Trying to get things added at Fragrantica is a joke. You're lucky if it gets added after a year, especially if it's a smaller niche house. The other problem over there is there is no systematic way of submitting data. It's just a post in a forum. And forget about revisions. The database there has so many errors.
To date, I've had 4 Parfumo proposals for new listings accepted and 3 rejected (for reasons I understand). I, therefore, don't have a long history of submitting tons of good proposals. Yet, the review process was fairly quick - I think about a week. Granted, my proposals were straightforward - no issues about re-releases, confusing strength changes or name changes; just missing fragrances that are still available. But I provided links and screenshots for all the information I entered in the form.
If there are complications and it takes a month of volunteer time to go through it, that's not too long at all. Parfumo has almost twice the number of fragrances in the database as Fragrantica with a database that is way more accurate. Just my two cents.
Yes absolutely, and I recognize that I probably didn’t word this correctly. I was more so asking how we as non-official users can help others with their proposals in ways that are helpful so it doesn’t all fall on the research team and so by the time the research team gets to it, edits and discussions may have already taken place so it’s not as heavy a lift on them.
