User:Radecker1/Evaluate an Article

Evaluate an article

This is where you will complete your article evaluation. Please use the template below to evaluate your selected article.

• Name of article: Environmental science
• Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate. I am interested in environmental science and learning more about what it entails. The length was long enough for me to read and analyze without losing interest.

Lead

Guiding questions

• Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
• Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
• Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
• Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?

Lead evaluation

The Lead starts by defining what environmental science is, a facet which is critical to understanding the following information. This section concisely briefs on what the major sections are by introducing how the field of environmental science is broken down and performed and introduces further sections by including new information which is unique to the section.

Content

Guiding questions

• Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
• Is the content up-to-date?
• Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?

Content evaluation

The content stays on track and includes real life applications of environmental science. It is very up-to-date considering the most recent edit was just eight days ago. Perhaps the article could include more ways that the interdisciplinary fields mentioned in the Lead tie into the greater topic.

Tone and Balance

Guiding questions

• Is the article neutral?
• Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
• Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
• Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?

Tone and balance evaluation

The article remains neutral and does not bias toward any particular position.

Sources and References

Guiding questions

• Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
• Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
• Are the sources current?
• Check a few links. Do they work?

Sources and references evaluation

The citations source reliable and current government and university affiliated sources.

Organization

Guiding questions

• Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
• Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
• Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?

Organization evaluation

The article appears to be grammar checked and is both clear and concise. The wording is easy to follow and broken down into manageable topics.

Images and Media

Guiding questions

• Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
• Are images well-captioned?
• Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
• Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?

Images and media evaluation

There are well-spaced images which keep the reader engaged on the topic.

Checking the talk page

Guiding questions

• What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
• How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
• How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Talk page evaluation

The talk page for the Environmental science page dates back to 2005 and includes editors discussing what sections to add/remove/improve. The page is rated C, so it needs improvement.

Overall impressions

Guiding questions

• What is the article's overall status?
• What are the article's strengths?
• How can the article be improved?
• How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed? The article is strong in what it addresses, however it could include more ways that Environmental Science is practiced outside of the US. The article could use some work and additional sections, however it's up for debate because the topic is so broad.

Optional activity

• Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback

with four tildes — ~~~~

• Link to feedback: Talk:Environmental science