Talk:Isaac Parsons (Confederate military officer)/GA1

GA Review
The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.''

Reviewer: Seabuckthorn (talk · contribs) 21:25, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

Nominator: Caponer (talk)

Hi! My review for this article will be here shortly. -- Seabuckthorn   ♥  21:25, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

1: Well-written
 * a. Prose is "clear and concise", without copyvios, or spelling and grammar errors:
 * b. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists:

Check for WP:LEAD:


 * 1) Check for Correct Structure of Lead Section:  ✅
 * 2) Check for Citations (WP:LEADCITE):  ✅
 * 3) Check for Introductory text:  ✅
 * 4) * Check for Provide an accessible overview (MOS:INTRO): ✅
 * 5) ** Major Point 1: Early life and family "Parsons served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Hampshire County from 1854 until 1857." (summarised well in the lead)
 * 6) ** Major Point 2: Landholdings "" ( not a concise summary of the corresponding section in the body )
 * 7) ** Major Point 3: Political career "Parsons also served as a justice of the peace of Hampshire County's District 3 from 1852 to 1853." (summarised well in the lead)
 * 8) ** Major Point 4: Jacob Green affair "" ( not a concise summary of the corresponding section in the body )
 * 9) ** Major Point 5: American Civil War "During the American Civil War, Parsons served as a military officer in the Huckleberry Rangers and Company K of the 13th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Confederate States Army." (summarised well in the lead)
 * 10) * Check for Relative emphasis: ✅
 * 11) ** Major Point 1: Early life and family "Parsons served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Hampshire County from 1854 until 1857." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body)
 * 12) ** Major Point 2: Landholdings "" ( the lead does not give due weight as is given in the body )
 * 13) ** Major Point 3: Political career "Parsons also served as a justice of the peace of Hampshire County's District 3 from 1852 to 1853." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body)
 * 14) ** Major Point 4: Jacob Green affair "" ( the lead does not give due weight as is given in the body )
 * 15) ** Major Point 5: American Civil War "During the American Civil War, Parsons served as a military officer in the Huckleberry Rangers and Company K of the 13th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Confederate States Army." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body)
 * 16) * Check for Opening paragraph (MOS:BEGIN): ✅
 * 17) ** Check for First sentence (WP:LEADSENTENCE): ✅
 * 18) *** Isaac Parsons (January 7, 1814 – April 24, 1862) was an American planter, politician, and military officer in the U.S. state of Virginia (now West Virginia).
 * 19) ** Check for Format of the first sentence (MOS:BOLDTITLE): ✅
 * 20) ** Check for Proper names and titles: ✅
 * 21) ** Check for Abbreviations and synonyms (MOS:BOLDSYN): None
 * 22) ** Check for Foreign language (MOS:FORLANG): None
 * 23) ** Check for Pronunciation: None
 * 24) ** Check for Contextual links (MOS:CONTEXTLINK): ✅
 * 25) ** Check for Biographies: ✅
 * 26) ** Check for Organisms: NA
 * 27) Check for Biographies of living persons:  NA
 * 28) Check for Alternative names (MOS:LEADALT):  ✅
 * 29) * Check for Non-English titles:
 * 30) * Check for Usage in first sentence:
 * 31) * Check for Separate section usage:
 * 32) Check for Length (WP:LEADLENGTH):  ✅
 * 33) Check for Clutter (WP:LEADCLUTTER):  None

✅

Check for WP:LAYOUT: ✅


 * 1) Check for Body sections: WP:BODY, MOS:BODY.  ✅
 * 2) * Check for Headings and sections: ✅
 * 3) ** Remove the Heading 3s from the Personal life section to improve the flow.
 * 4) ** I’d recommend that the Heading 2 Landholdings be removed. This article establishes the notability of Isaac Parsons as "an American planter, politician, and military officer". Giving Heading 2 to his landholdings in the body appears a bit inconsistent to me. Adjust any important and notable point from this Heading 2 in other section, although I couldn’t find any, except one "Parsons eventually acquired Wappocomo plantation outright" because it’s related to his notability as a planter.
 * 5) * Check for Section templates and summary style: ✅
 * 6) * Check for Paragraphs (MOS:PARAGRAPHS): ✅
 * 7) ** Short paragraphs and single sentences generally do not warrant their own subheading. Paragraphs should be short enough to be readable, but long enough to develop an idea. (WP:BETTER)
 * 8) ** Remove the Legacy section. The paragraph is too short.
 * 9) ** Fix "Parsons was raised through childhood to adulthood on his family's Wappocomo plantation north of Romney." in the Early life and family section.
 * 10) Check for Standard appendices and footers (MOS:APPENDIX):  ✅
 * 11) * Check for Order of sections (WP:ORDER): ✅
 * 12) * Check for Works or publications: ✅
 * 13) * Check for See also section (MOS:SEEALSO): None
 * 14) * Check for Notes and references (WP:FNNR): ✅
 * 15) * Check for Further reading (WP:FURTHER): None
 * 16) * Check for External links (WP:LAYOUTEL): None
 * 17) * Check for Links to sister projects: None
 * 18) * Check for Navigation templates: ✅
 * 19) Check for Formatting:  ✅
 * 20) * Check for Images (WP:LAYIM): ✅
 * 21) * Check for Links: ✅
 * 22) * Check for Horizontal rule (WP:LINE): ✅

✅

Check for WP:WTW: ✅


 * 1) Check for Words that may introduce bias:  ✅
 * 2) * Check for Puffery (WP:PEA): ✅
 * 3) * Check for Contentious labels (WP:LABEL): ✅
 * 4) * Check for Unsupported attributions (WP:WEASEL): ✅
 * 5) * Check for Expressions of doubt (WP:ALLEGED): ✅
 * 6) * Check for Editorializing (MOS:OPED): ✅
 * 7) * Check for Synonyms for said (WP:SAY): ✅
 * 8) Check for Expressions that lack precision:  ✅
 * 9) * Check for Euphemisms (WP:EUPHEMISM): ✅
 * 10) * Check for Clichés and idioms (WP:IDIOM): ✅
 * 11) * Check for Relative time references (WP:REALTIME): ✅
 * 12) * Check for Neologisms (WP:PEA): None
 * 13) Check for Offensive material (WP:F***):  ✅

Check for WP:MOSFICT: ✅


 * 1) Check for Real-world perspective (WP:Real world):  ✅
 * 2) * Check for Primary and secondary information (WP:PASI): ✅
 * 3) * Check for Contextual presentation (MOS:PLOT): ✅

✅


 * Prose is preferred over list (WP:PROSE):
 * Check for Tables (MOS:TABLES):
 * Remove the table and its contents from the Personal life section.

2: Verifiable with no original research
 * a. Has an appropriate reference section: Yes
 * b. Citation to reliable sources where necessary: excellent (Thorough check on Google. Cross-checked with other GAs)

✅

Check for WP:RS: ✅

Cross-checked with other GAs: Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertiser, Confederate Memorial (Romney, West Virginia), Wirgman Building, Wappocomo (Romney, West Virginia), Christian Streit White, Valley View (Romney, West Virginia), Alexander White (Virginia), Francis White (Virginia)


 * 1) Check for the material (WP:RSVETTING):  (not contentious) ✅
 * 2) * Is it contentious?: No
 * 3) * Does the ref indeed support the material?:
 * 4) Check for the author (WP:RSVETTING):  ✅
 * 5) * Who is the author?:
 * 6) * Does the author have a Wikipedia article?:
 * 7) * What are the author's academic credentials and professional experience?:
 * 8) * What else has the author published?:
 * 9) * Is the author, or this work, cited in other reliable sources? In academic works?:
 * 10) Check for the publication (WP:RSVETTING):  ✅
 * 11) Check for Self-published sources (WP:SPS):

✅

Check for inline citations WP:MINREF: ✅


 * 1) Check for Direct quotations:  ✅
 * 2) Check for Likely to be challenged:  ✅
 * 3) Check for Contentious material about living persons (WP:BLP):  NA


 * c. No original research: ✅

✅


 * 1) Check for primary sources (WP:PRIMARY):  ✅
 * 2) Check for synthesis (WP:SYN):  ✅
 * 3) Check for original images (WP:OI):  ✅

3: Broad in its coverage

✅

Cross-checked with other GAs: Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertiser, Confederate Memorial (Romney, West Virginia), Wirgman Building, Wappocomo (Romney, West Virginia), Christian Streit White, Valley View (Romney, West Virginia), Alexander White (Virginia), Francis White (Virginia)


 * 1) Check for Article scope as defined by reliable sources:
 * 2) Check for The extent of the subject matter in these RS:
 * 3) Check for Out of scope:
 * 4) Check for The range of material that belongs in the article:
 * 5) Check for All material that is notable is covered:
 * 6) Check for All material that is referenced is covered:
 * 7) Check for All material that a reader would be likely to agree matches the specified scope is covered:
 * 8) Check for The most general scope that summarises essentially all knowledge:
 * 9) Check for Stay on topic and no wandering off-topic (WP:OFFTOPIC):
 * 10) * Fix the Personal life section. It appears a bit off-topic to me. Remove the table containing the details about the children.

✅


 * 1) Check for Readability issues (WP:LENGTH):
 * 2) Check for Article size (WP:TOO LONG!):

4: Neutral

✅

4. Fair representation without bias: ✅


 * 1) Check for POV (WP:YESPOV):  ✅
 * 2) Check for naming (WP:POVNAMING):  ✅
 * 3) Check for structure (WP:STRUCTURE):  ✅
 * 4) Check for Due and undue weight (WP:DUE):  ✅
 * 5) Check for Balancing aspects (WP:BALASPS):  ✅
 * 6) Check for Giving "equal validity" (WP:VALID):  ✅
 * 7) Check for Balance (WP:YESPOV):  ✅
 * 8) Check for Impartial tone (WP:IMPARTIAL):  ✅
 * 9) Check for Describing aesthetic opinions (WP:SUBJECTIVE):  ✅
 * 10) Check for Words to watch (WP:YESPOV):  ✅
 * 11) Check for Attributing and specifying biased statements (WP:ATTRIBUTEPOV):  ✅
 * 12) Check for Fringe theories and pseudoscience (WP:PSCI):  None
 * 13) Check for Religion (WP:RNPOV):  None

5: Stable: No edit wars, etc: Yes

6: Images ✅ (PD)

✅

6: Images are tagged with their copyright status, and valid fair use rationales are provided for non-free content: ✅


 * 1) Check for copyright tags (WP:TAGS):  ✅
 * 2) Check for copyright status:  ✅
 * 3) Check for non-free content (WP:NFC):  ✅
 * 4) Check for valid fair use rationales (WP:FUR):  ✅

6: Images are provided if possible and are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions: ✅


 * 1) Check for image relevance (WP:IMAGE RELEVANCE):  ✅
 * 2) * Image 1 (Charles J. Faulkner 1806-1884 - Brady-Handy.jpg): Relevant.
 * 3) * Image 2 (Old Hampshire County Courthouse Romney WV.jpg): Relevant.
 * 4) * Image 3 (Wappocomo Romney WV 2013 07 14 01.jpg): Relevant.
 * 5) Check for Images for the lead (WP:LEADIMAGE):  None
 * 6) Check for suitable captions (WP:CAPTION):  ✅
 * 7) * Caption 1: "Charles James Faulkner" succinct and informative
 * 8) * Caption 2: "Hampshire County Courthouse" succinct and informative
 * 9) * Caption 3: "Wappocomo, viewed from Cumberland Road (West Virginia Route 28) in July 2013." succinct and informative

I'm glad to see your work here. As per the above checklist, I do have some insights that I think will be useful in improving the article:


 * I think the lead can be improved in order to provide an accessible overview and to give relative emphasis.
 * I think the layout and the Personal life section needs to be fixed.

Besides that, I think the article looks excellent. Caponer, please feel free to strike out any recommendation you think will not help in improving the article. All the best, --  Seabuckthorn   ♥  20:42, 4 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Seabuckthorn, thank you for taking the time to conduct this very comprehensive and thoughtful review. I promise to address all the above issues you've listed within the next few days. Thanks again! -- Caponer (talk) 14:26, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Seabuckthorn, I've addressed all your above concerns except for one. I'd like to maintain the table of Parsons' children, as it includes their biographical information in an orderly template format. There will be future articles on some of Parsons' notable children and their spouses, so this would be an appropriate way to link to those articles upon their creation. I did consolidate the paragraphs in that section, so that they are not so short. Let me know if this will work for you. -- Caponer (talk) 21:04, 10 March 2014 (UTC)