User:Contraines/sandbox

103% + =correct | = mostly correct - = incorrect

My Mid-Term Quiz for LIBY 1210-15 Fall 2017

My Research Topic is: How does Balinese music reflect its culture?

Key words related to my Research Topic are: music, dance, Bali, rituals, folktales

Part 1:

Examine Wikipedia articles that are directly related to your Research Topic and select a substantive article to evaluate. This could be an article about an idea (e.g., I might choose the one about Trance) or a person (if I were researching Reggae music, I might pick Bob Marley). Answer the following questions:

+ ++1. I chose to read and evaluate the article titled: Gamelan (Link: Gamelan) (for extra credit, link the name of the article to the article in Wikipedia.)

+2. Is there a warning banner at the top of the article? No, there is no warning banner.

If there is a warning banner, copy and paste the warning banner here.

Write an brief explanation of the reason the issues mentioned in the warning banner are important. For example, if the issue is “needs additional citations for verification,” why does that matter?

Please note: If the article you are evaluating does not have a warning banner, choose a warning banner from a different article and explain the warning that is in that banner.

+One banner was about Wikipedia's stance on promoting certain ideas. Wikipedia is dedicated to keeping itself as objective and neutral as possible, thus any forms of outright propaganda are banned from the website.

+3. Is the lead section of the article easy to understand? Does it summarize the key points of the article?

The lead section of the article is indeed easy to understand. It summarizes most of the key points in the article.

+4. Is the structure of the article clear? “Are there several headings and subheadings, images and diagrams at appropriate places, and appendices and foonotes at the end?”

The article's structure is clear and easy to understand. There are several headings, images, and footnotes at the end.

+5. Are “the various aspects of the topic balanced well”? That is does it seem to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic?

The various aspects of the topic are balanced well, seamlessly transitioning from one topic to another with ease. It provides concise and yet very informative passages of information.

+6. Does the article provide a “neutral point of view”? Does it read like an encyclopedia article instead of a persuasive essay?

This Wikipedia article stays true to its origins; there are no opinions at all; the only information that is provided are the terminologies associated with Gamelan music, its history and relation to Balinese culture, its spread throughout the world, its popularity, and its influence on Western music.

+7. Are the references and footnotes citing reliable sources? Do they point to scholarly and trustworthy information? Beware of references to blogs; look for references to books, scholarly journal articles, government sources, etc.

The works cited in its bibliography are reliable sources, with most of the sources being books published by credible authors (one of them being Michael Tenzer, a professor at the University of British Columbia over in Canada, who is also one of the most influential voices in Gamelan music, having studied and lived amongst the Balinese people for several years).

8. Look for these signs of bad quality and comment on their presence or absence from the article you are evaluating:

+a. is the lead section well-written, in clear, correct English?

The section has clear, correct English.

+b. are there “unsourced opinions” and/or “value statements which are not neutral”?

There are no unwelcomed opinions or statements that were not neutral; the entire voice of the article is professional and always factual.

+c. does the article refer “to ‘some,’ ‘many,’ or other unnamed groups of people,” instead of specific organizations or authors or facts?

Every single group of people or notable figures are credited, with their history and importance being expanded upon throughout the article.

+d. does the article seem to omit aspects of the topic?

Every single possible aspect of Gamelan music has a section devoted to it; there are no omissions.

+e. are some sections overly long compared to other sections of similar importance to the topic?

Each section's length are relevant to their topic; some are short like the terminology section, whilst others are longer like the influence Gamelan music had on Western culture. Every section's length are appropriate for their respective topics.

+f. does the article lack sufficient references or footnotes?

The article has many sources listed on the bottom of the page.

+g. Look at the “View History” for the article. As you read the conversation there, do you see hostile dialogue or other evidence of lack of respectful treatment among the editors?

The conversations are respectful; it honestly looked like a close knit group of friends who got together to correct an assignment for English class. They corrected statements that were untrue or obsolete, and fixed grammar errors whilst remaining polite.

__________________________

Part 2:

Evaluate the Wikipedia article you selected using the CARDIO method. Write your answers following each word below:

+Currency (When was the last update of this article? hint: check the View History)

The last update of this article was October 10, 2017, where a person rescued two sources that had previously been discarded.

| Authority (What evidence do you find that the author(s) of this article have the appropriate credentials to write on this topic?)

One of the major voices and authorities in understanding Gamelan music and all of its nuances is Michael Tenzer, whose works have been cited in a good portion of the article. Michael Tenzer, as previously stated, is a music professor at the University of British Columbia over at Vancouver, Canada. He studied music at Yale University, and UC Berkeley. That's very important to note, though Tenzer is (as far as we know, not one of the editors/authors of this Wikipedia article.

+Relevance (to your research topic)

Gamelan music is the heart of Balinese culture. It is the core of what makes the Balinese people themselves. This article has provided enough insight to be deemed as a possible credible source in my works cited page.

+Depth

There is just enough depth to give me a good portion of information needed for my project, however it is not enough to provide a proper research paper; the information, at best, has only been the very surface of what I need to know. Hence, I will dive into more resources in the future.

+Information Format (I hope this one will be easy for you.)

Although most of the information is pooled from scholarly sources, with almost none of them being popular informational sources, the language is mostly easy to comprehend and follow. The vocabulary and language are professional, yet simple; I never needed to look up a word in the dictionary. Because of the simple language, I would think that this is an article intended for the general audience (which is not much of brain shaker, considering the platform it is on). Yes, the format is an encyclopedia article for the general public.

+Object (what is the purpose for creating this article?)

The purpose of the article was to explain Gamelan's history, its relation to culture, and its influence on Western culture, as well as its rise to popularity as it spread all over the world, being used in more modern music settings whilst still paying homage to its traditional roots.