User:Abbi9517/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: Climate of ancient Rome
• Being a Geology major with a minor in Environmental Science I personally find climate very interesting and would like to know if there is a large difference between the ancient and present climate in Rome as well as comparing it to the climate in Nova Scotia present day.

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 gives a good general overview about the topic of the article, personally I think that the reader would get a good understand of the entire article without reading it but just the lead.

Within the lead there is no description of the major sections within the article, instead it quickly glances over the topics and mentions them. Highlighting details as in dates, places and factors that affect climate are highlighted which is important for the reader to understand.

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 content within the articles is very relevant, as all the major topics within are article are highlights and don't stray away from the topic within that section give reliable and straight forward information. The content may be a little old as it dates back to the 1970 but with climate change happens over time it is not an instant change. New information would be good if added but the current information is still relevant.

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

The article reveals a neutral tone and balance. I don't think that either tone or balance would have a large impact on this article as it fact and data based, which does not allow there to be a biased opinion, or persuasion.

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

Sources within the article are good as they are up to date, links are working and there are several (20) different sources used for the information. The only issue that I found was a cite error (number 14).

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 clear, concise and to the point. It does not have alot of "fluff" material in it, the sections are organized into main topics which stay relevant.

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

One picture is in the article which displays the leopards on the Magerius Mosaic from North Africa which is showing unclear climate. Looking at the picture I don't see the relevance as it has nothing to do with climate so it's not appropirate for 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 article is a Start Class under the environmental portal. The topic is discussed as factual with no interpreting put into it. As in the present day technology is so advance we are able to receive the data from Ancient Roman times to give us accurate data.

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

The article was ranked as an "S". Strengths within the article were how it was sectioned, and gave accurate information with places, and dates. The lead gives a precise and easy read for the reader to skim if they are looking for quick 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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