User:Jtoman1/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.


 * Name of article: Clarence Birdseye (Clarence Birdseye)
 * Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate. I chose this article to help me practice with evaluating and editing Wikipedia articles. It is also related to STS in that it is about an important person in American history who revolutionized the food industry.

Lead

 * Guiding questions

There is a concise introductory sentence that clearly describes the article's topic. The Lead lacks a brief description of the article's major sections. All information in the Lead is present in the article. Overall, the Lead is concise.


 * 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?

Content

 * Guiding questions

The article's content is relevant to the life of Clarence Birdseye, covering his early life, educational background, innovations, and death. The content is up-to-date and relevant. The article does not address historically underrepresented groups.


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?
 * Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics?

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions

The article is entirely neutral. It is intended to be informative, providing biographical information about a specific person.


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

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions

Most of the facts are backed by a reliable secondary source and the links to the original articles appear to be working. There are some places in the article where a "citation needed" text box has been placed. There is an extensive list of citations that encompasses a wide range of authors and perspectives.


 * 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?
 * Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible?
 * Check a few links. Do they work?

Organization

 * Guiding questions

The article is well-written, concise and clear. No grammatical errors were encountered. However, the organization of the article could use a little work. For example, there is significantly more information under the the section "Early Life and Education" than there is under "Industrial Development." To improve this article, sections such as "Influences" and "Legacy" can be added to better organize the information.


 * 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?

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions

The images help enhance understanding of the topic, are well-captioned and adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations. One way in which the visual appeal of the article could be improved is by adding images of Birdseye's technological innovations to capture his life's work.


 * 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?

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions

On the Talk page, editors are discussing the content and asking for clarification on information related to Birdseye's birth and death dates and his nickname. It is rated as a Start article and is part of WikiProject Biography. The way in which this topic is discussed differs from STS in that it does not focus on any controversies nor legal aspects related to the topic.


 * 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?

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions

Overall, the article has a solid foundation but there is definitely room for improvement. Some of its strengths are that it is well-written and includes an extensive list of citations. However, some areas of improvement are its organization, visual appeal and lack of citation in certain parts of the text. In terms of its completeness, it is underdeveloped.


 * 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?

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: