User:EELR/Evaluate an Article

Evaluate an article
This is where you will complete your article evaluation. Please use the template below to evaluate your selected article.


 * Pathogenomics: (Pathogenomics)
 * This article was chosen because it was listed in our class as needing updates and corrections.

Lead

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
 * Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
 * Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
 * Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?

The introduction is short and needs more detail and more sources. The introductory sentence discusses how pathogens are a leading cause of sickness and death, but it does not adequately link this idea with the article topic. There is only one source listed in the introduction right after the first sentence, and the link takes users to an article abstract. To read the entire article, however, one must pay to read. The abstract itself mentions nothing about pathogens being the leading cause of illness or death, and yet the reference is listed after the lead sentence, which makes that assumption. Supporting information in the lead section has no references, but it is clear that references are needed. The Lead introductory sentence does not concisely and clearly describe the article's topic, nor does the Lead include enough description about the article's major sections.

Content

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * Is the content up-to-date? No. The latest source listed seems to be from 2009. If more recent, good sources are available, then it needs to be updated.
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?

While the article's contents are relevant, if more recent, reliable sources are available, then the content needs to be updated. The latest source listed seems to be from 2009. The contents may need more development as well. Also, broad phrases such as "Until recently" are used. Specific dates should be entered or those phrases should be deleted.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article neutral?
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Are there viewpoints that are over represented, or underrepresented?
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?

The tone and balance is neutral, but the first sentence claims that pathogens are the leading cause of illness and death. A reference is listed, but the reference abstract does not make this claim. There is no support for this statement.Throughout the rest of the article, the article seems to be neutral.

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * Are the sources current?
 * Check a few links. Do they work?

The sources may be thorough, but the majority of them require membership and payment in order to read more than the abstract. The sources themselves may be outdated since the newest one is from 2009. It would be worthwhile to look for newer information. Of the sources listed, the links tested worked.

Organization

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?

The organization could be better. There information under the "Microbe Analysis" section seems disjointed.

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?

The few images included do not greatly enhance understanding and seem like afterthoughts.

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

There are no conversations on the talk page. I have asked about a specific date which was alluded to under the History section of the article. The article is rated as a C-class article by Wikiprojects Genetics. It needs quite a bit of editing.

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions


 * What is the article's overall status?
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * How can the article be improved?
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?

The article does give a lot of information about microbe genomes. However, the information does not seem well developed. Much of the information seems to have been thrown together with no real transition or flow to the article.

Optional activity

 * Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback

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 * Link to feedback: Talk:Pathogenomics