User talk:Thebiguglyalien/Good article reviewing guide

Summarizing sections
When I wrote WP:RECEPTION the best advice I got was to try to keep it to a single screenful. There are two long examples at that page, but someone said that very few people will scroll down, and I'm sure that's correct, so I collapsed them. If there's only one screenful to read you have at least a decent chance people will read the whole thing. So what I'd suggest is that you put in cot and cob boxes to collapse each section, with one or two sentences above each collapsed section to give the most important information. For "1. Well-written" for example you might do this (and I'm sure my summary could be improved).

Well-written: read the article carefully and make a list of places where it is hard to read, doesn't make sense, or is too technical. It must meet Wikipedia's style requirements: it should have a lead that summarizes the article, correct headings and layout, and should meet our requirements for writing about fiction. It should not read like a puff piece, and where appropriate should be written as prose rather than in list form.

Clear and concise
While reading the article, check to make sure that it's readable and that it makes sense. Make a list of every issue you find so the nominator can fix them.
 * Is it clear what each sentence is trying to say? Are any sentences vague or confusing?
 * Is it concise? Do any sentences meander on or use too many words to say something simple?
 * Is it understandable?
 * Are there any parts that would be confusing to someone that isn't an expert in the subject?
 * If someone has never heard of this thing before, would they understand what it is after reading this article?
 * Does it use any acronyms or highly technical terms that can be replaced with normal words?
 * Does it have good spelling and grammar?

Manual of Style
Also check to make sure that it follows these five Manual of Style pages. Make a list of each phrase or sentence that needs improvement:
 * Lead section
 * The lead should provide a basic overview that summarizes each section of the article.
 * The first sentence should define what the article is about in simple terms.
 * There should be a at the top of the article.
 * The lead should be an appropriate size. It's usually one to two paragraphs for shorter articles, three to four for longer articles.
 * Layout
 * Everything should be in the correct order.
 * Each section should start with a == Level 2 Heading == with smaller headings dividing them when appropriate.
 * The paragraphs an appropriate size. Avoid huge blocks of text or individual sentences on their own line.
 * Images should be a reasonable size without obstructing or squishing the text.
 * See also sections should only have relevant links that aren't found elsewhere in the article.
 * Words to watch
 * Make sure the article doesn't inappropriately use types of words that introduce bias:
 * puffery ("the best", "renowned", "respected", etc.)
 * contentious labels ("cult", "racist", "controversial", etc.)
 * unsupported attributions ("some people say", "it's believed that", "scientists claim", etc.)
 * expressions of doubt ("supposed", "purported", "so-called", etc.)
 * editorializing ("it should be noted", "clearly", "tragically", etc.)
 * inappropriate synonyms for said ("exposed", "noted", "claimed", etc.)
 * Make sure the article doesn't inappropriately use types of words that are impre cise:
 * euphemisms ("passed away", "made love", "survived by", etc.)
 * cliches and idioms ("lion's share", "tip of the iceberg", "at the end of the day", etc.)
 * relative time references ("recently", "currently", "last year", etc.)
 * unspecified places or events ("this country", "here", "occasionally", etc.)
 * Make sure the article doesn't use "scare quotes".
 * Writing about fiction
 * If the subject is fictional, this should be made clear in the first sentence of the article.
 * If it's about a work of fiction, it must avoid in-universe perspective (acting like the events of the story actually happened).
 * When describing what happens in a fictional work, the article should use present tense.
 * Plot summaries should be brief (usually under 400 words for TV episodes, under 700 words for other works). They should not give undue weight to any one event in the story.
 * The plot summary must not interpret or analyze the story and its meaning. It should just describe the sequence of events as they appear to the audience.
 * List incorporation
 * Lists should be avoided whenever prose would be clear and understandable.
 * There should be no trivia lists or "in popular culture" lists.

Mike Christie (talk - contribs - library) 11:06, 18 May 2023 (UTC)
 * I've added collapse templates to the page. It looks a lot cleaner, though it does feel strange collapsing what's essentially the most important part of the guide. Thebiguglyalien  ( talk ) 16:07, 18 May 2023 (UTC)