User:Kutiang/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Traditional African Masks

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I chose this article because I wanted to highlight a part of Black/African History. This is a start level article and it is written in the style of a personal essay. The lead section of the article covers a lot of different topics with very little depth or context. My goal is to clean up the article by providing research and evidence that supports some of the arguments that are made in the article.

Evaluate the article
The lead does not include an introductory statement that clearly summarizes the topic. It is not necessarily overly detailed, but it’s redundant and wordy. The original author provides information about the difference ceremonies in which masks are used. However, it lacks specificity. Africa is a large continent, and while the article does acknowledge that it focuses primarily on masks in central and western Africa, it generalizes the uses and purposes of different masks without providing research to back it up. For example, the article states that the knowledge and production of mask making is passed on from father to son. It does not provide a resource to support the argument, nor does it explain, or elaborate, why that might be the case, and in which cultures.

I do not think that the article is well organized. However, the sections on the subject and style as well as material and structure are better organized than the lead section. The lead lacks a strong overview of the history of masking in Africa, particularly in west, and central Africa, as well as its relationship to masquerades. For example, it mentions that masks are used in ceremony, such as weddings and rituals and many more, but it lacks an understanding of the history and origins of such practices, and their significance to said African cultures.

The images appear to adhere to Wikipedia is copyright regulations. The images do a good enough job of representing the topic, but I think it could use more images that are specific to the masks and groups mentioned in the lead section. The sections on subject in style and material and structure seem to provide an appropriate amount of images.

I did not find the conversation to talk page to be particularly useful. It seems as though the users involved in the article may not be native English speakers. While this itself is not an issue I think this contributes to some of the grammatical errors and issues related to syntax throughout the article. It also covers a broad topic area which can be challenging to find resources on. I do think whoever wrote the article knows a lot about African masks. It just seems like they did not have the appropriate resource or access to resources that might support their findings in a way that abides by Wikipedia rules and guidelines.

my overall impression is that this article is very important. I appreciate that the time was taking to explore this topic. Because the article covers such a large topic area, there’s not enough time to address, will make at it to all of the existing issues and sections within the article. With that said, I will focus on lead section because it needs the most work, and it also lacks a clear structure. The original author makes a lot of important points, though some are deserving of more time and attention. For example, at the very end of the lead, the author mentions the use of African masks and western art, particularly the art of Pablo, Picasso, and modernist painters. I think, instead of making brief mentions of these issues, the article could explore them in more depth. If I had more time, I would devote a section to that alone.