User:Egeg1234/Evaluate an Article
 | Evaluate an article
Complete your article evaluation below. Here are the key aspects to consider: Lead sectionA good lead section defines the topic and provides a concise overview. A reader who just wants to identify the topic can read the first sentence. A reader who wants a very brief overview of the most important things about it can read the first paragraph. A reader who wants a quick overview can read the whole lead section.
ContentA good Wikipedia article should cover all the important aspects of a topic, without putting too much weight on one part while neglecting another.
Tone and BalanceWikipedia articles should be written from a neutral point of view; if there are substantial differences of interpretation or controversies among published, reliable sources, those views should be described as fairly as possible.
Sources and ReferencesA Wikipedia article should be based on the best sources available for the topic at hand. When possible, this means academic and peer-reviewed publications or scholarly books.
Organization and writing qualityThe writing should be clear and professional, the content should be organized sensibly into sections.
Images and Media
Talk page discussionThe article's talk page — and any discussions among other Wikipedia editors that have been taking place there — can be a useful window into the state of an article, and might help you focus on important aspects that you didn't think of.
Overall impressions
Examples of good feedbackA good article evaluation can take a number of forms. The most essential things are to clearly identify the biggest shortcomings, and provide specific guidance on how the article can be improved. |
Which article are you evaluating?[edit]
Zero-tolerance policies in schools
Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?[edit]
Project #2 topic. There were two Wiki articles we considered evaluating: Zero tolerance or Zero-tolerance policies in schools. We decided to choose the article which was more relevant to an education-centered/academic environment.
Evaluate the article[edit]
While the leading sentence of this article is strong and provides a concrete and concise definition of zero tolerance policies in an academic setting, the information which follows feels slightly out-of-order. In reference to the page's introductory paragraphs, the following sentences after the policy's definition introduces the public criticisms of zero tolerance policies; prior to explaining what zero tolerance policies aim to prevent (i.e., drug abuse and violence in schools). While the language of the article is written in a neutral tone, the content presented becomes seemingly "biased" by presenting the policy's criticisms early on. I would have preferred if the policy's criticisms were presented after the objective and history of the policy. This way readers have a baseline understanding of the zero tolerance policy and can formulate their own opinion before feeling swayed by any external critiques. The page does not present any concrete evidence that these policies reduce violence and drug abuse in schools and therefore does not offer tangible statistics; instead, focusing heavily on the history of the policy as well as "cases" in which zero tolerance policies were utilized in schools. The "case" section needs to be updated to reflect more recent examples; the latest being from April of 2019. Despite presenting the readers with information on "policy reform" and "alternatives to zero tolerance policies", the article also needs to be updated to reflect the disproportionate effects these policies have on students of color. There were no images presented, and all the links I clicked worked; ranging from a diverse swath of authors.