User talk:Lindsaygustafson/sandbox

This was actually an interesting article to read about, and you explained the invasiveness of the barbed goat grass very well. I just have a few suggestions for you.

-In the fifth sentence of the first paragraph, I think there is a run on statement. There needs to be a semicolon between Western Asia and it is considered, or you need to add a conjunction and comma.

-You could insert a few more pictures to show the types of environments that this grass thrives in, along with more pictures of the actual barbed goat grass itself.

-I'm not sure if there are any recent articles in the news about this topic, but adding your own external links could give more background information or provide an example of the grass' current status and its effects on ecosystems in certain areas.

-In addition to adding more external links, there are some places where you can insert internal links as well. Words like, "grasslands", "infertile", and "cross breed", would be helpful internal links for people who want to know more about those topics.

-I also think you could make your article longer. You could provide more background history on the grass or perhaps explain where it got its unique name, "barbed goat grass". Another section could further explain the possible consequences of this grass on humans and ecosystems, so readers can fully grasp the impact of this invasive species.

Besides those few suggestions, your article was well written, and it explained the scientific topic in an easy to understand manner. I enjoyed reading it, and I actually learned a lot from your article. Great job!

Jparen3 (talk) 21:51, 17 March 2014 (UTC)Jennifer Parent

Peer Review by Nathan Babb

Before my feedback is given, allow me to list my suggested edits:

-last sentence of the first paragraph change "it's" to "its"; the former is of contraction form and in this case cannot be expanded to read as 'it is'. Consider changing the word altogether

-sentence starting with "This taking over.." found in the second paragraph should be changed to sound more formal. Consider the change "The invasive nature of the barbed goatgrass causes a decrease in species diversity." Also, consider ending the sentence at 'forage.' If you are already linking this internally, there is no need to define it further. I believe this cleans up the sentence a bit. Your choice though!

- (in the second paragraph) the sentence directly following the aforementioned one, consider adding the word 'to' so the sentence reads as "Most grazing animals tend to avoid..."

- edit to the last clause of the second paragraph: change to "which is extremely detrimental to the economy..." (take out the word 'an')

Your contributions were easy to follow and easily understood. I agree with Jennifer's edits, and I believe with a little bit of fine tuning the page is going to be looking really good! Good job!

Nbabb2 (talk) 00:21, 18 March 2014 (UTC)

Review from Dr. Becky
I agree with the feedback you have received from your peers. The sections selected to improve are appropriate, but you need to expand on the information of this interesting topic. Carefully review the article for word choices and grammatical issues that may detract from clarity. Look for awkward phrasing and how to improve overall organization. There is certainly room for additional peer-reviewed scientific sources and both internal and external links. This is so important for supporting ideas and providing additional access to information for your reader. Consider looking for current research and scientists currently working on this invasive species. Finally, look at the connection of science to society and evaluate if it is well-represented. This contribution has excellent potential and I look forward to seeing how you develop it! B.J.Carmichael (talk) 17:32, 19 March 2014 (UTC)