User:DarcyDU/Evaluate an Article

Evaluate an article

Complete your article evaluation below. Here are the key aspects to consider:

Lead section

A 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.

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? (It shouldn't.)
Is the lead concise or is it overly detailed?

Content

A good Wikipedia article should cover all the important aspects of a topic, without putting too much weight on one part while neglecting another.

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?
Does the article deal with one of Wikipedia's equity gaps? Does it address topics related to historically underrepresented populations or topics?

Tone and Balance

Wikipedia 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.

Is the article neutral?
Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
Are minority or fringe viewpoints accurately described as such?
Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?

Sources and References

A 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.

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?
Are the sources written by a diverse spectrum of authors? Do they include historically marginalized individuals where possible?
Are there better sources available, such as peer-reviewed articles in place of news coverage or random websites? (You may need to do some digging to answer this.)
Check a few links. Do they work?

Organization and writing quality

The writing should be clear and professional, the content should be organized sensibly into sections.

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?

Images and Media

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?

Talk page discussion

The 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.

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?

Overall impressions

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?

Examples of good feedback

A 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.

Peer review of this article about a famous painting

Which article are you evaluating?

(Provide a link to the article here.)

Venetian Renaissance - Wikipedia

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?

I choose this article to evaluate because it is directly related to the course I am taking. This article goes into detail on art, music, architecture and more of Venetian society. The article is very well sourced, researched, factual and neutral.

Evaluate the article

This article had a perfect lead from the first sentence to the first paragraph it was clear what the article was about in its entirety. Each section of the article was well thought out and researched but the last section titled "Venetian Guilds' ' seemed to be missing some information or it could have used some more fleshing out. While reading through, everything felt factual and that there was no underlying opinions or bias in the writing. When scrolling down I saw a lot of references, many from physical books and clicked on some links to make sure they worked, and they are good references. The article was very easy to read and very concise, the separation of each section made it very easy to navigate as well as the separate paragraphs within each section allowing you to find specific details easily. Considering the topic of the article being art and architecture the visuals and picture were very helpful to see what was being referenced to in the writing. Looking at the talk page was helpful because apparently the article didn't do a good job on the history of Venice, nor did it do well on focusing on its Renaissance which someone like me would not have known considering I do not know much of the history of Venice.

SUMMARY OF ARTICLE

This Wikipedia article goes into detail on the aspects of Venice that flourished during its Renaissance that make Venice what it is today. Starting with paintings, referencing work from Giovanni Bellini and his brother Gentile Bellini and the style of painting that was widely used during the renaissance: Mannerism. It must also be said that Venus, a proud symbol of Venice, is also a subject of many art pieces. Architecture during the Venetian Renaissance was very Gothic and conservative with rounded windows being a staple. Many architects and sculptors of the time are also brought up. One by the name of Jacopo Sansovino who designed the area around the Piazza San Marco. There was a specific type of music learned and practiced during the Venetian Renaissance that was Venetian polychoral, which is when you sing in alterations with spatially separated cords according to the article. This singing was used in churches. Lastly Venice had guilds that gave stability to the nation; a guild may consist of woodcarvers or glassmakers.