User:Elizabethrudman/Evaluate an Article

Communication studies

 * Communication studies: Communication studies
 * I have chosen this article to evaluate because it relates to my undergraduate studies.

Lead

 * Guiding questions


 * 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?
 * no
 * Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
 * yes; the lead includes information about communication theorists which is not discussed in the body of the article.
 * Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?
 * not concise; the definition is too detailed

Content

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * yes- the article talks about the history of communication studies, academic disciplines, and professional associations. The article includes a section about the communication studies in the United States and Canada but does not include any citations regarding the information about Canada.
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * no- the latest citation is from 2014 so there could be more information on communication studies currently.
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?
 * I would say the "scope and topics" section is an unclear heading and does not accurately present the information within it.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article neutral?
 * yes- My only concern is that it is biased towards the U.S. and Canada since it includes information about communication studies there, and no where else in the world.
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Probably the content targeted on North America communication work. It sends the message that communication studies is more important than anywhere else.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * no
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?
 * no

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * no- The claims regarding Canada do not include any citations.
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * yes- There are sources mostly from databases and are frequent throughout the article.
 * Are the sources current?
 * no- the earliest source is from 2014.
 * Check a few links. Do they work?
 * yes

Organization

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * I would say the article is not the easiest to read as the information is not concise.
 * 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?
 * The only section does not make sense is the "scope and topics" section. I don't really understand what the author is trying to present based on that headline.

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * no
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * no images to caption
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * no images to adhere to regulations
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?
 * no images to lay out

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * Conversations include ways to edit the page and prosed sections to add or change.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * It was about of some WikiProjects and is rated "level-5 vital article" in society.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * The information provided tries to be neutral and consist of facts. There are personal opinions about the topic or the use of any personal pronouns.

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions


 * What is the article's overall status?
 * The article needs help with citations and does not represent a worldwide view of the topic.
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * It includes information about the topic's history and provides examples as to how communication studies applies to professional settings.
 * How can the article be improved?
 * The article can explain what professional associations are, include more up-to-date citations, and perhaps include more information about other countries' communication studies.
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?
 * I would say the article is underdeveloped because it is lacking citations and information that would useful to understand the full scope of communication studies.

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

with four tildes — ~


 * Link to feedback: Talk:Communication studies