User:Paleoecogeo/sandbox

ICON EXPLANATION:
Paragraph: Set the style of your text. For example, make a header or plain paragraph text. You can also use it to offset block quotes.

A : Highlight your text, then click here to format it with bold, italics, etc. The “More” options allows you to underline (U), cross-out text ( S ), add code snippets ({}), change language keyboards (Aあ), and clear all formatting.

Links: Highlight text and push this button to make it a link. The Visual Editor will automatically suggest related Wikipedia articles for that word or phrase. This is a great way to connect your article to more Wikipedia content. You only have to link important words once, usually during the first time they appear. If you want to link to pages outside of Wikipedia (for an “external links” section, for example) click on the “External link” tab.

Cite: The citation tool in the Visual Editor helps format your citations. You can simply paste a DOI or URL, and the Visual Editor will try to sort out all of the fields you need. Be sure to review it, however, and apply missing fields manually (if you know them). You can also add books, journals, news, and websites manually. That opens up a quick guide for inputting your citations. Once you've added a source, you can click the “re-use” tab to cite it again.

Bullets: To add bullet points or a numbered list, click here.

Insert: This tab lets you add media, images, or tables.

Ω: This tab allows you to add special characters, such as those found in non-English words, scientific notation, and a handful of language extensions.

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RUBRIC

 * Detailed lead section: the overview at the start of the article is a summary that is clear and easy to understand.
 * Clear structure: there are several headings and subheadings arranged chronologically or by themes, with images or diagrams when appropriate.
 * Balanced content: the article covers many aspects of the topic, giving more weight to important viewpoints and less weight to fringe ideas.
 * Neutral tone: the article is written without bias toward a particular point of view, and represents all the different viewpoints that reliable sources have expressed about the topic.
 * Good sourcing: reliable sources are cited throughout the article, and as much as possible.

Here's some signs that an article may not be so great:


 * Warning banners: Often these banners make a statement about the article's reliability, though sometimes it's simply a suggestion for improvement. Make a note and read accordingly.
 * Fragmented lead section: A very short lead (or one with a lot of mistakes) might indicate that the article was written through staggered contributions, and could use a rewrite to tie it together.
 * Value statements: Statements like “the best” or “the most important” are red flags that the article is either written to persuade or isn't very well referenced.
 * Gaps in sourcing: Are there references to unnamed sources of information, such as “some people say,” or “many believe”? If you can't answer the question, “Who said that?”, chances are that a reliable source isn't cited.
 * Under-developed reference section, few citations: There should be a good amount of citations, relative to how much information is included in the article. Those citations should be from reliable publishers, not questionable websites or publishers with a clear bias.
 * Imbalanced sections: Sections about an important aspect of the topic shouldn't be shorter than sections about an unimportant aspect. This sort of imbalance might also mean that relevant sections are missing completely.