User:Sam Shrivatsa/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?

Area focus: Education in India
Sector focus: Educational inequality

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?

Education in India: I hope to see where discussion of NGO education could fit in.
Educational inequality: I wanted to see if trauma-informed education was included as part of ensuring equitable access to education.

Evaluate the article

Education in India
1. Lead section: The lead section was flagged as overly long. Indeed, the sections on "Poorly resourced public schools" and private schools are unnecessary in this section and could be moved to a relevant sub-section.
2. Tone and balance: The article has been edited regularly and appears to be balanced and non-judgmental in its tone and content.
3. Sources and References: There are large sections, notably the parts about matriculation exams that lack rigorous citations. Some of the statements made lack citations, such as:
  1. "A significant feature of India's secondary school system is the emphasis on inclusion of the disadvantaged sections of the society"
  2. "However, others have suggested that private schools fail to provide education to the poorest families, a selective being only a fifth of the schools and have in the past ignored Court orders for their regulation" - potentially referring to RTE's non-compliance
  3. The pupil teacher ratios are much better in private schools (1:31 to 1:37 for government schools) and more teachers in private schools are female
4. Images and media: The images used are relevant and pertinent to the topic. Some pertinent additions could be made, including the logos of the national education boards and/or IITs.
5. Talk Page: The Talk Page has been largely dormant for more than 5 years. Hence, the discussions are dated. There has not been any debate surrounding the policies and practices put into place after 2020, such as the NEP or Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
6. Overall impression: The article is fairly comprehensive and covers most points well. Some issues I observed include:
  1. Exclusion of education for disabled students - Although there is a section on Deaf education, there is no mention made on accessibility and provisions (or lack thereof) for other physical and cognitive disabilities
  2. NGO involvement - Under the section for private schools, there is no mention of schools that cater to marginalized students, despite India having a large number of small schools
  3. Progressive influences on education systems - There has been an increase in international schools adopting progressive systems at the elementary level, such as J Krishnamurti's philosophies, Waldorf education and other foreign systems. The article could benefit from included a mention of these
Educational inequality
1. Lead section: The lead section makes mentions of mostly US-centric metrics and history. It could use a rewrite with a more globalized perspective.
2. Tone and balance: The article was flagged for taking a very US-centric view. While the tone is fairly neutral, the skew towards US-based educational contexts leaves the article lacking.
3. Sources and References: There are large sections, notably the section on "Global evidence" that lack rigorous citations. Some of the statements made lack citations, such "grants and social and cultural changes the education gap has slowly been closing between Whites and non-Asian minorities in more recent years."
4. Images and media: The images used are not all relevant to the topic. The section on "male disadvantage" for instance has a photograph of schoolchildren in Guinea that does not relate to the topic. The section on "History of educational oppression" could use photographic documentation
5. Talk Page: The Talk Page has been largely dormant since 2011. Hence, the discussions are dated. There has not been any discussion of trends in educational inequality following COVID-19, for instance.
6. Overall impression: The article is fairly comprehensive. Some issues I observed include:
  1. Exclusion of education for disabled students - There is no coverage of educational inequalities as a result of diagnosed or undiagnosed disabilities. This is a major issue in many parts of the developing world.
  2. Trends in educational inequality - Especially in light of COVID-19, the article is need of updating.