User:Miaecampbell/Evaluate an Article

Asylum in the United States


 * This article is quite long and at times seems a bit disorganized. Although the general flow of information makes sense (it moves from the history of the issue to relevant legal information and procedure to the experience of specific groups with asylum), the more specific explanations of asylum as it has been experienced by certain groups is a bit jumbled. Furthermore, I believe that many groups with an important history of immigration to the United States were simply left unmentioned.
 * I also believe that the distinction made between applying for asylum and applying for refugee status in the United States is not made clear enough in this article. The author writes early on that refugees "are not eligible to apply for asylum from inside the U.S. but have applied for refugee status through the United Nations." Although this is a very important point to make, the article doesn't really elaborate further on the topic, potentially leading to confusion among readers.
 * On the whole, the article seems quite unbiased; it is written from an objective point of view and does not attempt to further any specific claims about the subject. However, as mentioned in my first point, I think it does leave out some voices that are crucial to our understanding of asylum in the United States
 * Most citations used in this article seem to be reliable and unbiased, and all links to other Wikipedia pages are functional. There are a few citations for news articles which seem as though they could be biased, particularly in the face of immigration decisions made by President Donald Trump.
 * The talk page for this article has primarily been used to discuss missing citations and modifications to external links. It also includes suggestions for possible additions to the page, as well of the deletion of a page which was then added to the larger, more general article.

Sanctuary


 * This article is relatively short, though it provides a fairly comprehensive look at the concept of sanctuary, as it has been defined historically, legally, and religiously. All information provided seems to be quite relevant to the topic, and helps to define the word in as many ways as possible.
 * Although the historical background provided is relevant and important in constructing a definition of sanctuary, it seems as though this background is focused very heavily on how the concept has been applied in Western societies. Although it is possible that the sources available on the subject do have better coverage of the "west," it is still known that sanctuary is a universal concept that has been employed around the world for centuries, perhaps even thousands of years. In order to make this article more accurate, it should be updated with information regarding the history sanctuary in other places.
 * This article does well to remain neutral throughout, though this may in part be a function of its highly historical nature. It also makes sure to define religious terms that may be apparent to those familiar with religious vocabulary, but which are not so to all readers.
 * The article's mention of asylum, including both religious and political asylum, will be a very important consideration in making a decision about which Wikipedia article I should eventually edit. I see the potential in this article for a section that talks about the overlaps between the two concepts and how they have been/can be applied to issues of immigration.
 * Almost all citations used in this article seem to be reliable and unbiased, and all links to other Wikipedia pages are functional.
 * The talk page for "Sanctuary" discusses the distinction between the words "sanctuary" and "shrine," and makes a comment similar to the one I mentioned above about the lack of sources about sanctuary in non-western societies.

Sanctuary Movement


 * This article has far fewer sections than the two aforementioned, but also covers a narrower swath of information. The way that the information is organized seems logical and effective, going from a general summary of the movement to its historical context, actual events, and backlash. All information seems relevant to the article.
 * Although the article provides us with a good understanding of the actual movement, as well as historical parallels (all events before the movement itself), it does not talk extensively about the legacy of the movement in the present-day United States. It seems as though my PE organization (the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant) exists and works within a larger network of sanctuaries and immigration advocacy organizations that emerged from the movement of the 1980s, and that many of these organizations are still highly relevant to the issue today. I think it could be helpful to add a "legacy" section to this article that discusses the emergence and current role of these organizations.
 * All information provided in the article is presented in a reasonably objective way, but may be somewhat biased towards the political objectives of the movement. Sources themselves generally seem free of bias, though they may have been selected in a biased way. One of my sources, Linda Rabben's "Sanctuary and Asylum," is cited in the very first section, which summarizes the Sanctuary movement as a whole.
 * The talk page for this article is quite short, though it mentions the modification of external links, and suggests that the article be reviewed by a less biased editor who may be able to diversify the sources being used.