User:KS 1636/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: Margaret A. Palmer
 * Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate
 * I chose this article because Margaret Palmer has made important contributions to the field of ecotoxicology and I would like to investigate further.

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?

Lead evaluation
The lead clearly states who Margaret Palmer is and what her research is focused on (marine/stream ecosystem processes). There is no description of what sections will be covered in the article but it does provide a brief overview of her accomplishments. The lead could definitely be more concise as there is a list of where she was invited to speak and some of her honors which could be mentioned in a later section.

Content

 * Guiding questions


 * 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?

Content evaluation
The article is solely focused on Margaret Palmer and her work with a record provided of her activities from 1983 to present day. There is not a lot of content present about what her research actually entailed and how it influenced her field. Under her publications, there is merely a bulleted list of the article titles. It would be useful to provide more information about the content of these articles. The article does help address the equity gap of women in STEM. Women are historically underrepresented in this field and she provides an example of an accomplished woman in environmental science.

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 overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?

Tone and balance evaluation
Overall, the article is neutral with no evidence of bias towards one position over another. The article lists her work experience, honors, and major publications, summarizing her contributions in academia. The article is organized as timeline of her achievements and job titles.

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?
 * 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?

Sources and references evaluation
There are multiple sections of this article that are not properly sourced. There are two sources currently listed and they do not provide thorough background information on Palmer. The sources are from 2015 and 2012 and both have links that work. There are not enough sources to qualify as being written by a diverse spectrum. The first source provides a brief introduction to Palmer and the second is an article about environmental concerns in North Korea which is hardly mentioned in the article. It is not clear how this second source relates to Palmer.

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?

Organization evaluation
The article is very easy to read and has bulleted lists that break down key ideas and events. There are some minor grammatical errors but is well-written overall. It is broken down into 5 sections: Education and early career, current activities, major professional work experience, awards, and significant publications. I would add more content about what was learned from her research and the impacts of her studies. While the article lacks content, the information that is present is concise and easy to understand.

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?

Images and media evaluation
N/A, there are no images in this article

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?

Talk page evaluation
There are no conversations behind the scene but the article is part of multiple WikiProjects. It is an article of interest for Biography, Biology, Limnology and Oceanography, and Women Scientists. The article is rated as C-class. The article is rated as low importance in a few of these projects.

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?

Overall evaluation
The article does a great job of providing a concise summary of Margaret Palmer's education, accomplishments, and publications. However, there is a lack of content about what her research was about and the importance of her studies on the scientific community. The article can be greatly improved by providing more information about her research, adding a more diverse list of sources, and summarizing key ideas in her publications. Overall, the article is underdeveloped but the current content is a good starting point.

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:Margaret A. Palmer