User:Bdan2525/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Sexual bullying

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I choose the article as it discusses an important topic for individuals who have suffered bullying focused on their sexuality and it is lacking information with respect to its relevance in modern society. My preliminary impression of the article was that it was limited in its focus and needed organization for its design.

Evaluate the article
Lead section:

The article includes an introductory sentence that is concise and clear but lacks information on the article's main sections. For example, the sections on the prevalence, types of interactions, and associated effects and risks of sexual bullying are not mentioned. A larger focus is needed on the lead section to engage readers and introduce them on the full scape of the article.

Content:

The content in the article is generally relevant to the topic of "sexual bullying" but at times focuses on regional statistics rather than general understandings. Furthermore, the article is relevantly up to date as it was written primarily five or more years ago. New information on the topic could definitely contribute to the quality of the article. Additional content in the article, such as a historical understanding of sexual bullying, case studies, and relevant laws and prevention measures, would significantly improve the article. As well, further content focused on adults who have experienced bullying would be critical.

The article addresses a topic that provides understanding and a voice for individuals who have experienced bullying for who they are. It is a fundamental topic that is not largely discussed in society and the mainstream media.

Tone and Balance:

The article is written in a neutral tone that exemplifies the requirements of Wikipedia. Additionally, the research and data included is factual and illustrates the reality of sexual bullying. There is no sense of the article attempting to persuade readers to be in favor of a certain position. The viewpoints provide a significant amount of perspective of the United Kingdom due to the fact that the term "sexual bullying" is primarily used in the United Kingdom. As stated in the talk pages, providing context on the term and its global usage would benefit the quality and reader's understanding of the article.

Sources and References:

Citations are significantly lacking in the lead section and definition section. The end of the definition section also has a partial citation that is not in Wikipedia format. Additionally, there is a citation in the "Types of interactions" section that is in the middle of the sentence.

A considerable amount of citations are used throughout the article. The citations are diverse and vary in topic, location, author, age and structure. For example, there are articles cited from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, UNESCO and the BBC.

As the article was primarily written in 2015, the sources were relevant for the time. New information on the topic could definitely contribute to the quality of the article.

A few links from the article do not work. Although, a majority are functional.

Organization and Writing Quality:

There is a significant amount of improvement required for the writing quality of the article. The following section of the "Definition" category serves as an example:

''Conversely, while much sexual bullying is overt, a great deal is not, and appears to be ordinary bullying. An example of this is the teasing by tough boys of a 'geeky' boy for his academic ability. What is actually happening is that the boy is being mocked for his lack of machismo, or his lack of engagement in heterosexist banter with girls or boys. Superficially, the bullying has no sexual content, but is underpinned by the aggressors staking a claim to dominance for their 'type of boy'''

Using the paragraph above as an example, it is evident that the article as a whole lacks clarity and elegance, and is redundant. Additionally, certain words used such as "erstwhile," are archaic.

The organization of the article could be improved with the separation of paragraphs that are too long in length. Additionally, there needs to be a separation between sections of paragraphs that focus on definitions and parts that focus on case studies (especially in the UK).

Images and Media:

The article doesn't use any images or media. The addition of images and media would help to increase the clarity of the article and its educational value.

Talk Page Discussion:

The article is a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, and is a part of WikiProjects Psychology and WikiProjects Sexology and sexuality. It has been rated as Start-Class on the project's quality scale and Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. Wikipedia users in the talk page discussed how the topic is a fairly narrow concept and overlaps with other terminology that have their own Wikipedia articles. Additionally, it is suggested that because "Sexual bullying" is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom, the definition of the article needs to remind users of "Sexual bullying's" geographically-focused usage. The addition of a proposed section titled "Associated effects and risks" was suggested as well.

The way in which the discussions take place in the talk page are constructive and understanding of the fact that the article was written by a student. I feel that there are a lot of similarities between the constructive articles and our discussions in class about related concepts as we both discuss the context, relevance, historical importance and impact of various topics.

Overall Impressions

The article provides an introduction to sexual bullying in an educational and simplified fashion. It exemplifies the neutrality and encyclopedia-like quality of Wikipedia articles. Although, improvements in the article's clarity and elegance would be beneficial. Furthermore, additional information is needed to provide a proper understanding of sexual history. Additionally, the article should clearly state where the term "sexual bullying" is applicable. In terms of the article's completeness, it would not take a significant amount of work to improve on its foundation.