User:Rosemary yin/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: Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile
 * Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate: I chose to evaluate this article because I'm interested in the civil wars within Africa that took place during the Cold War. I wanted to learn more about how different sides of civil wars used diplomacy with the US or the USSR.

Lead

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
 * Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
 * Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
 * Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?

Lead evaluation
The lead provides good context for the article. It states what where the revolutionary government was based, references important leaders, and gives some information on the path of the revolutionary government during the war.

However, almost all of the information in the lead is in the article itself, and it does not give any description of the article's major sections. It seems more appropriate to include much of the information in to a "History" section rather than in the lead.

Content

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?

Content evaluation
The article itself focuses on OAU recognition of the exiled government as well as the government's links with other countries such as Zimbabwe and the USSR. This information is relevant to the article, because as an exiled government, its recognition and support from other countries is very important.

The article does not have any information on the outcome of the war that the exiled government was fighting in Angola. It also does not include information about the government's tactics or policies. Overall, the content is substantially lacking.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article neutral?
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?

Tone and balance evaluation
Yes, the article is neutral. All of the claims are objective. It does not attempt to persuade the user of any positions.

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * Are the sources current?
 * Check a few links. Do they work?

Sources and references evaluation
The article is missing sources in the lead, as well as the section on "International Linkages". For example, the article fails to cite a secondary source when describing which blocks the exiled government contained. It also does not include a citation when claiming that the government received support from China, or humanitarian aid for refugees.

There are three sources, but the sources are reliable. One was written in 2012, but the other two sources were written in 1970 and 1981.. However, given that there are only three sources, they are not comprehensive.

Organization

 * Guiding questions


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?

Organization evaluation
The article is well written, but its organization is lacking a clear structure because there are only two sections, and the sections are unrelated. In addition, the section on "OAU recognition" included detail on how much funding the government received, but this detail could have been paraphrased in order to make the article more concise and easy to read.

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions


 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?

Images and media evaluation
There is one picture: the flag of the exiled government. This picture is not properly cited or captioned.

I think more pictures of leaders of the government, or images of the leaders standing alongside international supporters would lend more context to the article. It would also emphasize the international recognition that the government received, which is a large part of the overall article.

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Talk page evaluation
There is one question from a commentator, but no reply from the original author. The article is part of WikiProject Africa, WikiProject Angola (where it is high importance) and WikiProject Former Countries. It is rated as "Start Class".

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions


 * What is the article's overall status?
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * How can the article be improved?
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?

Overall evaluation
Overall, the article is neutral, and well-written. However, it is very short, and lacks robust references. It can be improved by adding more details on the war that the exiled government fought, the historical context behind the war, the tactics and diplomacy of the exiled government and the resolution of the conflict. It should include more modern sources, which could provide insight into the modern day outcome of the Angolan conflict and the status of the government today. I would assess the article to be underdeveloped, with lots of room for more information.

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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