User:Katey.P/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: New England
 * Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate. I just had a lecture about Indigenous people in what is present day New England, and I thought this would be a great way to expand upon what I had learned.

Lead

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
 * Yes, it describes the location of New England, and it provides the setting/context for the rest of the article.
 * Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
 * For the most part, the lead briefly mentions most of the major sections, and it is really only lacking the sections of the economy, government, and education.
 * Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
 * The lead does include specific historical events that are not mentioned further down in the article, but the specific events mentions are "common sense"
 * Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?
 * The lead offers a concise general overview.

Lead evaluation
The Lead's introductory sentence provides setting and context for the area of study: New England. For the most part, the lead briefly mentions most of the major sections, and it is really only lacking the sections of the economy, government, and education. However, the lead does include specific historical events (ie. The Boston Tea Party) that are not included further down in the article, but those events mentioned are "common sense" items that do not need much more elaboration. Overall, the lead offers a concise general overview of New England.

Content

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * The content is relevant to the topic.
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * The content for the most part is up to date, but is lacking some of the voting data from 2018.
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?
 * Some Native American erasure occurs in the history section of this article. Although it does list the Indigenous peoples that were there before European colonists, it fails to describe their lifestyle, and it fails to include Indigenous history in with colonial history. The Indigenous people did not disappear as soon as the colonists arrived.
 * Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics?
 * It very briefly mentions Native Americans, but largely, it does not deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps.

Content evaluation
The content is relevant to the topic, and for the most part is up to date. However, the article is lacking the voting data from 2018. Furthermore, some content is missing from the history section. They exclude the Native American history. Although it does list the Indigenous peoples that were there before European colonists, it fails to describe their lifestyle, and it fails to include Indigenous history in with colonial history. This article very briefly mentions Native Americans, but largely, it does not deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article neutral?
 * The article is fairly neutral.
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * It does not seem that there are any heavily biased statements.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * The Eurocentric perspective is clear in the history section.
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?
 * The article does not attempt to persuade the reader.

Tone and balance evaluation
In regards to tone and balance, the article is fairly neutral. It does not seem that there are any heavily-biased statements or any attempts of persuasion. However, the Eurocentric perspective is evident in the history section.

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * There are some statements that I would not consider common knowledge that are lacking citations. However, some of these facts may be considered common knowledge.
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * The sources are thorough and come from a myriad of places (i.e. news publications, historical records, data, etc).
 * Are the sources current?
 * The sources are from a variety of different time periods. For the most part, the sources that can be are up to date.
 * Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible?
 * This article, for the most part, does not include historically marginalized voices. However, the sources include a diversity in other aspects.
 * Check a few links. Do they work?
 * Some of the original links to articles no longer work, but most are archived.

Sources and references evaluation
Overall the sources and references are ok. The sources are thorough and come from a myriad of places (i.e. news publications, historical records, data, etc) and times. For the most part, the sources that can be are up to date and relevant. However, there are some statements that I would consider not common knowledge that are lacking citations, but some of these facts that aren't known to me may in fact be considered common knowledge. This article, for the most part, does not include historically marginalized voices, and some of the links to articles no longer work. For those sources that the link to the original article does not work, the publication is normally archived.

Organization

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * The article is well written. The sections are easy to comprehend and are digestable for the reader.
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
 * There are no major errors that stand out upon reading.
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?
 * The article is very well organized, and it is easy to navigate due to the headings and subheadings.

Organization evaluation
The organization of the article is well done. The article is well written. The sections are easy to comprehend and are digestable for the reader. There are no major errors that stand out upon reading. The article is very well organized, and it is easy to navigate due to the headings and subheadings.

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * Yes. The images contribute further understanding to the article.
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * The captions also add further understanding to the article.
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * According to my present knowledge, they follow copyright regulations.
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?
 * Yes, they are laid out in a way that is pleasing to the eye.
 * Yes, they are laid out in a way that is pleasing to the eye.

Images and media evaluation
Overall, the images and captions contribute further understanding to the article by adding, reiterating, or expanding upon something mentioned in the article. To my knowledge, the images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations, and the images are laid out in a way that is pleasing to the eye.

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * Phrasing of things to ensure the message is clear
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * This article is a level 4 ranked vital article, and has been rated as B class. It is a part of Wikiproject Connecticut, Wikiproject Maine, WikiProject United States, WikiProject Massachusetts, WikiProject New Hampshire, WikiProject Rhode Island, WikiProject Vermont, and WikiProject Geography.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * It uses terms such as "settler" and "settlements" that further engrain the Eurocentric perspective, and it excludes the Indigenous people from history.

Talk page evaluation
Much of the discussion that has occurred about the New England article has been about proper phrasing in an effort to ensure that the point is clear and understood. This article is a level 4 ranked vital article, and has been rated as B class. It is a part of WikiProject Connecticut, WikiProject Maine, WikiProject United States, WikiProject Massachusetts, WikiProject New Hampshire, WikiProject Rhode Island, WikiProject Vermont, and WikiProject Geography. The article uses language, such as "settler" and "settlements," that further engrains the Eurocentric perspective, and it excludes the Indigenous people from history. I hope I can make edits to this article in an effort to be more inclusive of Indigenous history

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions


 * What is the article's overall status?
 * The article is pretty good. There is definite room for growth to encompass different perspectives and challenge the Euro-centric perspective that is prevalent in the history section.
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * Most of the sources are relevant. It has a neutral tone, and it covers several topics that provide a general picture of the region.
 * How can the article be improved?
 * The article can be improved by including the history of the Native Americans before colonial European arrival as well as post-colonial European arrival.
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?
 * The article is well-developed. It includes a myriad of sections that offer valuable insight into present-day New England.

Overall evaluation
Overall, the article is pretty good. The article is well-developed, and it includes a myriad of sections that offer valuable insight into present-day New England. Furthermore, most of the sources are relevant, and most of the time has a neutral tone. It also covers several topics that provide a general picture of the region. However, the article can be improved by including the history of the Native Americans before colonial European arrival as well as post-colonial European arrival. There is definite room for growth to encompass different perspectives and challenge the Euro-centric perspective that is prevalent in the history section.

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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