User:Joseph Warton/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Plug-in electric vehicles in California

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I have chosen this article because it is central to my research question.

Lead section
A good lead section defines the topic and provides a concise overview. A reader who just wants to identify the topic can read the first sentence. A reader who wants a very brief overview of the most important things about it can read the first paragraph. A reader who wants a quick overview can read the whole lead section.


 * Does the lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
 * There is no clear overview sentence, most of the lead discusses what makes California EV markets different
 * Does the lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
 * While each paragraph covers a different topic, there are no references to different sections
 * 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?
 * It is overly detailed on the market of EV's in California

Content
A good Wikipedia article should cover all the important aspects of a topic, without putting too much weight on one part while neglecting another.


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * Yes
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * The citations appear to be, although the page has not been added to since April 2022
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?
 * There might be too much of an economic focus and less on the cultural aspects
 * Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics?
 * No, it is purely economic and does not address demographics

Tone and Balance
Wikipedia articles should be written from a neutral point of view; if there are substantial differences of interpretation or controversies among published, reliable sources, those views should be described as fairly as possible.


 * Is the article neutral?
 * Yes
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * No, it's very factual
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Again the economic viewpoint is primary, but it is factual. There are no arguments against EV's presented
 * Are minority or fringe viewpoints accurately described as such?
 * I did not find any minority or fringe views expressed in the article
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?
 * There were no arguments made in the article

Sources and References
A Wikipedia article should be based on the best sources available for the topic at hand. When possible, this means academic and peer-reviewed publications or scholarly books.


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * Yes, consistently
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * Yes, multiple published sources for each fact
 * Are the sources current?
 * Yes, many within the past year, almost all within the last decade
 * Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible?
 * There is no emphasis on marginalized individuals
 * 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.)
 * My own initial research on this topic was able to find a few other aspects of the discussion not present, such as mobility justice
 * Check a few links. Do they work?
 * Yes!

Organization and writing quality
The writing should be clear and professional, the content should be organized sensibly into sections.


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * The organization is sub-par, the information is accurate but difficult to parse
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
 * The sentence structure makes things difficult to understand and has some poor grammar
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?
 * While there are major section break-downs, they do not reflect all major points

Images and Media

 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * Yes, great figures
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * They help explain the content very well
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * Yes, all are properly sourced
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?
 * Yes, they are dry but functional

Talk page discussion
The article's talk page — and any discussions among other Wikipedia editors that have been taking place there — can be a useful window into the state of an article, and might help you focus on important aspects that you didn't think of.


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * This page is a hot topic- it's a newer page that doesn't have the best organization
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * B-class, high importance in California and green vehicles
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * Much drier

Overall impressions

 * What is the article's overall status?
 * good but messy
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * Very full of pertinent information, modern and informative
 * How can the article be improved?
 * better layout and organization, inclusion of a section reflecting alternative viewpoints
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?
 * It's well developed but not fully developed

Examples of good feedback
A good article evaluation can take a number of forms. The most essential things are to clearly identify the biggest shortcomings, and provide specific guidance on how the article can be improved.


 * Peer review of this article about a famous painting