User talk:Elanna-Rose/Sandbox

Introductory paragraph
Problems:
 * 1)  says nothing about how many classes the subject teaches, let alone compared to anyone else.  (Use "verify source" tag)
 * 2) "is beloved for..." - cite?  Otherwise this is bias.  (Use "citation needed" tag)
 * 3) "on September 26..." to end of paragraph - no cite; this is a WP:BLP, and without a reliable reference the sentence should be deleted.  DELETED (twice already)

Early life
Problems:
 * 1) "...was born in 1938..." - cite? DELETED
 * 2) "...is believed to have grown up in Western Pennsylvania." - cite? DELETED

Education
Problems:
 * 1) All degree information needs citations.
 * 2) The phrase "distinguished himself as..." really needs a cite.  It is peacock or bias otherwise.
 * 3) The last sentence, "Though his formal education..." to end - completely unnecessary.
 * 4) The entire paragraph is written in an unencylopedic way.

Possible rewrite
Birmingham attended the University of Pittsburgh fact, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1960 fact and a Juris Doctor in 1963 fact; he was Editor-In-Chief the school's Law Review during this time. fact He received his LL.M. from Harvard University in 1965. fact He returned to the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Ph.D. in Economics in 1967 fact, and a second Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1976. fact

Career
Problems:
 * Positions/dates at Indiana University (Bloomington) can be combined into one sentence.
 * A major need of citations and inter-links.

Problems:
 * 1) The [2] and [3] are the same source - the Graduate Report, Spring 2004, published by UCONN as a mailed brochure.  Is this proper reference material?
 * 2) "As of 2004,..." - this dates the article.  It is two and a half years later: what's changed??
 * 3) "... was one of only eight professors..." - Factually inaccurate, as the eighth person mentioned is the school's historian and not on the faculty.  Also, seven professors out of 35 is 20% of the faculty - is this good or bad, and in comparison to what?
 * 4) "...with a Ph.D. in addition to a J.D. ..." - inaccurate, the source material states the seven have Ph.D.s in addition to their law degrees; it does not state what kind of law degree each professor has, or even that they all have the same law degree.
 * 5) "...the only professor with two such degrees." - While this can be inferred from the source, as RLB was the only one of those seven faculty members listed with two Ph.D.'s, it is still an inference, not a statement made in the reference material.
 * 6) "Using this myriad ... to the classroom." - not in the cited material; also, it sounds like peacock.
 * 7) Combining law, behavioral science, economics and philosophy..." - when did RLB study behavioral science?  Where does it state that he combines economics and philosophy with law and behavioral science?  (Source lists only the law and be, sc. together.)
 * 8) "..seldom explored..." -
 * 9) Seldom compared to what? Five other faculty members are listed as combining law with behavioral science, making it hard to believe that those six people are the only researchers/teachers in that realm.
 * 10) The source material does not support that such a combination can be found in a 'typical legal education.'

This entire paragraph reads like a brochure (in other words, like its source material). As it really adds nothing informational about his career, it should be deleted.

Problems:
 * 1) (list of classes) -
 * 2) Are any of these classes notable, such as he is the only one who teaches it, or it is taught by only five other people in the country, etc.?
 * 3) RLB does not teach ALL of these classes in a semester, nor even in a single year, yet this list gives that impression.
 * 4) "Many of his students..." to end. - Unsourced detrimental material - should probably be deleted.  DELETED

This paragraph adds little or nothing to his career. If any of his classes are notable, it/they can be added to the appropriate spot in the year sentences, with citation(s) as to notability.

Possible rewrite
Birmingham's first teaching position was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Ohio State University in 1967 fact. He then went to Indiana University as an Assistant Professor of Law from 1967-1971 fact, an Associate Professor from 1971-1973 fact, and a Visiting Professor from 1978-1979fact. From 1974 to the present, he has been a Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law fact.

Leave of absence
On September 21, 2007, Birmingham showed a controversial film, "Really, Really Pimpin' in Da South," and asked controversial questions about black slavery while teaching a class at the University of Connecticut. As a result, he was asked by the dean to take a leave of absence for the rest of the semester.