User:Katiewasko97/sandbox

Article Evaluation 2-16-19
Arnolds Park, Iowa


 * 1) Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

I think that everything in this small article is pretty relevant to the overall history of the town. Most facts seem unbiased and factual.

2.Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?

It appears that the article was last edited in 2017, so there may be new information to include.

3. What else could be improved?

Given that I was directed to the article from a larger page about amusement parks, I was surprised that the main focus of the article was the actual town of Arnolds Park and not specifically the amusement park within the town. I think this article would be better if it included more information about the amusement park other than a few statistics about its most popular roller coaster.

4. Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

The article is fairly neutral and factual, though some of the things under the "Other Landmarks" subheading seem a bit like they are trying to attract tourists. But I guess if that's the history of the town, it's a factual report.

5. Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

I don't think this article has any over/underrepresented viewpoints simply because it's so short and to the point, I'm not really sure who could be getting excluded.

6. Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

2/3 of the external links provided worked, but one was the official website for the city of Arnolds Park, which may mean that the source is biased due to the fact that the site may contain information for the purpose of attracting tourists. The City-Data link provides accurate statistical information about the city.

7. Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?

I think that the fact references are appropriate, though I have some concerns about credibility because one source is Radio Iowa, and radio stations typically strive to broadcast interesting information, not necessarily factual information. Some other links lead to pages that have "not found" messages. Many of the other sources are from census records. I don't think the bias is addressed on the official site for Arnolds Park simply because an admission of bias would make the town look bad.

8. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

Currently, there are no conversations going on on the Talk page of this article, and no one has made any edits since 2017. The only activity on the Talk page is from people modifying external links.

9. How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?

This article is a stub, start, or C-class. It's part of WikiProject Amusement Parks, WikiProject Cities, and WikiProject Iowa / Communities.

10. How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Wikipedia discusses topics strictly in terms of facts, whereas in class we explore beyond facts and address and acknowledge peer opinions even if they are biased or not factual.

Roxy Paine Citations
D., Ketner, Joseph (2002). Roxy Paine : second nature. Herbert, Lynn M. (Lynn McLanahan), 1956-, Volk, Gregory., Paine, Roxy, 1966-, Contemporary Arts Museum., Rose Art Museum. Houston: Contemporary Arts Museum. ISBN 0936080744. OCLC 51903098.