User:Saira.s.3/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: Print culture
 * I chose to evaluate the article regarding Print Culture because I am interested in how print culture has had an impact on our society and media. I want to explore more about the impact that social media and online media platforms have on print culture, and the potential consequences and benefits of the quickly deteriorating print industry. I believe that this article provides a well-rounded background foundation for understanding print culture.

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 includes a clear introductory sentence that outlines what is considered print culture. The Lead also outlines the background of the topic and briefly explains the history and origins of visual communication and the print industry. The Lead also mentions the impact that physical print has had on the media industry and how print culture is rapidly changing with the evolving digital media world. The background of the print culture could be more concise, as the following content goes into further detail about the development of print culture.

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?
 * Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics?

Content evaluation
The history content of the article is in-depth and thorough. The article not only explains the development of print culture, but also the development of print and paper, which has shaped print culture today. Despite the in-depth analysis of European and American print culture, the article lacks discussing print culture in other parts of the world and the magnitude of influence the print industry has worldwide. This could be considered an equity gap, as the article fails to address the ramifications for the more underrepresented populations in the history we know and learn. Furthermore, the article is out-dated regarding the state of print today. The citations used are from over a decade ago, and in the past decade, digital media and the state of print culture has changes immensely. Although the effect on print culture is still relevant, the magnitude of this effect has grown, which should be reflected in the article.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding question


 * 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
The article speaks from a neutral tone and provides a well-rounded background for understanding the history of print culture. There are no claims to overrepresent one perspective and the article does not try to influence the reader's perspective towards a certain argument. However, if the author were to include more viewpoints that represent the worldwide population, the article would be more holistic, as it would not focus on a euro-centric perspective of print culture history.

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?
 * Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible?
 * Check a few links. Do they work?

Sources and references evaluation
The sources used are a variety of print books, online journals and peer-reviewed articles. All sources referenced are from credible sources and therefore, are reliable secondary sources for information. The links provided give access to the digital version of the print books, which are a great secondary source as well. However, the sources are out-dated given the rapidly evolving world of digital media. The sources vary from years 1982-2005. The article did include multiple references with varying authors to provide multiple viewpoints on the topic. The article could include more references to explain the impact that print culture has had worldwide, not just on the Western world. By doing so, the sources would represent a diverse group of authors.

Organization

 * Guiding question


 * 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 very easy to read and understand. The article is well organized as it follows chronological order of the history of print culture. The section headers are clear and outline the timeline of the print industry. In addition, there are no obvious spelling and grammar errors, which make the article easier for the reader to follow along.

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
The article includes a few images to enhance the reader's understanding of print culture. The first image of the transition of communication technology helps clearly outline the timeline of visual communication and allows the reader to visually see how communication has evolved over time. The image is captioned well and includes resources and links for secondary source information. This image is placed at the beginning of the article to draw the reader's attention into the article. The other picture included is a visual aid to show the development of paper in China. This image is also well-captioned and allows for the reader to better understand the history. However, there are only 2 images in the article and the second-half has no photos. More images would further enhance the reader's understanding and engagement with the 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
The Talk page includes discussion of enhancing the article through adding more detail and clarification sentences to make the article more clear and precise. The Talk page has discussions regarding more balance needed in the sources and the lack of history included beyond the American revolutions. The article is apart of a WikiProject related to visual communications and media. In addition, the Talk page addresses the need for more information regarding the digital era and its effect on the print industry. The ratings of the article reflect the missing information and the need for more sources for the underrepresented aspects of the article.

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 a good foundation for understanding the development of print in the Europe and North America. The article is clear and well-organized with little errors, and allows for easy reading. However, the article fails to discuss the impact of print culture worldwide, and therefore, lacks a truly diverse variety of sources and authors. In addition, the article is out-dated in regards to the print culture today in the digital era, and could be amended to include more current and relevant sources. I believe that the article is underdeveloped and could be adapted to reflect the current state of the print industry, as well as the holistic history of the development of print around the world.

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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