User:Coco156/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
The Kite Runner

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I read the Kite Runner my sophomore year and really enjoyed it. I think the novel touches upon important topics such as warfare in Afghanistan and how children are affected by violence and themes of family and friendship. If I read the book at a younger age, I would have been somewhat bothered by the novel's explicit description of violence and sexual assault, which are reasons why the book is subject to controversy.

Evaluate the article
Lead section


 * Does the lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic? Yes
 * Does the lead include a brief description of the article's major sections? Yes
 * Does the lead include information that is not present in the article? (It shouldn't.) No
 * Is the lead concise or is it overly detailed? While the lead is three paragraphs long, I believe the information it contains give a good overview of the novel and important information. The first and second paragraph discusses the plot and its themes broadly, and the third paragraph talks about receptions and criticisms.

The lead of the article meets all the criteria, giving a good overview of the novel and important information. The first and second paragraph briefly discusses the plot (albeit giving away a big spoiler) and the themes of the novel. The third paragraph mentions adaptations, critical receptions, and controversies. All components in the lead are addressed later in the article.

Content


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic? Yes
 * Is the content up-to-date? Yes
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong? No
 * Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics? Yes, the novel is focused on conflicts in Afghanistan and the Taliban regime.

The article is content-rich and up-to-date, and each sub-topic within the article receive equal if not similar content length. The topic is on a novel about a historically underrepresented topic (warfare in Afghanistan).

Tone and Balance


 * Is the article neutral? Yes
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position? No
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented? No
 * Are minority or fringe viewpoints accurately described as such? Yes
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another? No

The article is neutral and addresses both positive and negative reactions to the novel. However, the article predominantly focuses on Western views toward the novel and less about how the book was received in Afghanistan and by the government.

Sources and References


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information? Yes
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic? Yes
 * Are the sources current? Most are within 10 years (2003-2013) when the novel was first published, but no recent sources have been added.
 * Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible? Yes
 * Are there better sources available, such as peer-reviewed articles in place of news coverage or random websites? (You may need to do some digging to answer this.)
 * Check a few links. Do they work? Yes

The article is based on a variety of accurate and relevant sources and newspapers, but must sources are published before 2013 since the novel was written almost 20 years ago. I did not see many peer-reviewed articles under References.

Organization and writing quality

The article is well-organized, divided into multiple sections and sub-sections. It is free from grammatical and spelling errors.
 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read? Yes
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors? No
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic? Yes

Images and Media

The article includes four images, and all are relevant to the overall topic/specific section with clear captions.
 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic? Yes
 * Are images well-captioned? Yes
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations? Yes
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?

Talk page discussion

The article is rated as a "good article" and most of the conversations on the talk page has been resolved. The conversations revolve around including spoilers and removing plot information from the article, including criticisms of the book, and questions about language of the film adaptation.

Overall impressions

I think the article is well-developed and mostly complete with a comprehensive overview of the book itself (plot, characters, themes) and critical receptions. However, the article can be improved by including more perspectives, especially the reception of the novel by people in Afghanistan and the government.