Talk:Forensic serology

Training Assignment: Article Evaluation

Topic: Forensic Serology (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_serology)

Forensic Serology is not only an interest of mine but it is a large part of forensic science. It seems as though more people see forensic serology as unimportant as a result of the emergence of advanced DNA analysis techniques, but it remains important as the interest in how DNA is transferred increases. Understanding the available tests including how they work scientifically and the advantages and disadvantages to each is important for work in in this field. My overall initial impression of this article was that it contained information that I was familiar with and knew to be factual based on past readings and in-class education.

Evaluation of Lead Section The lead section clearly and concisely introduces the topic with a definition and a description of most major sections contained, including a table of contents. The description of information to be presented in the body of the article is quite vague; there is mention of presumptive and confirmatory tests as well as examples of the fluids that are considered in forensic serology. Evaluation of content The content contained in the Wikipedia article is relevant to the topic at hand. There are 2 current research sub-headings that detail newer testing that is being explored in regard to forensic serology. Additionally, edits have been made to the page within the last year; however, none of the sources provided are more current than 2013 which indicates that content may not be the most up to date. Information on tests pertaining to bodily fluids aside from blood, semen and saliva are not presented. In addition, some presumptive tests available for blood, semen and saliva are not discussed (although I am not sure if this is because of Copyright regulations). There is no mention in the article of historically underrepresented populations or topics. Evaluation of Tone and Balance Overall the article is neutral, there are no claims made that persuade or heavily bias a particular position (ie that one test is better than the other), rather words like "common" are used.

Evaluation of Sources and References The majority of the facts presented in the article are from reliable secondary sources, but the final paragraph (Current research: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) seems to be lacking a reference/citation. There also seems to be a lack of information given the vast array of literature available. However, the authors attributed are diverse, with the exception of a repeat in a citation provided (#10,12, and 13). Links to the scientific journal articles are lacking from some of the references provided.

Evaluation of Organization and writing quality The article itself is well-written, as previously mentioned it is clear, concise and easy to read. Overall the organization of the article is easy to follow; there are appropriate sub-headings to separate the different body fluids covered under forensic serology, and a nice flow of information. There are very minor grammatical errors, but no noticeable spelling errors. Evaluation of Images and Media The article contains only a single image meant to enhance the understanding of a presumptive semen test; however, the image could potentially provide a better understanding for readers with a contrast between a positive and negative test result. The image has a concise, clear caption that accurately describes the image and it seems to adhere to the copyright regulations of Wikipedia.

	Evaluation of Talk Page There are no conversations on the Talk page for this article; however there are two WikiProjects listed (WikiProject Law Enforcement, and WikiProject Crime). The ratings given by these WikiProjects are B-Class and C-Class with a low importance. Overall impression Overall, the article seems underdeveloped or incomplete; while the basic information is reliable and informative, there could be improvements made to the techniques discussed for blood, semen, and saliva detection, as well as additional bodily fluids mentioned in the lead section based on a large amount of available resources (including those that are newer than 2013). The final paragraph needs a citation and some of the citations need to be linked to articles or combined into a single source (in the case of the reference repeated multiple times in the reference section itself).

Simply completing a training assignment :) -- Basil B Caraway (talk) 04:24, 19 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Seminars in Forensic Science
— Assignment last updated by Cheesecakestarship (talk) 00:42, 6 April 2023 (UTC)