User:Vk2023/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?

(Anita Desai)

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?

I chose this article because Anita Desai is an Indian woman and as an Indian woman myself, I felt that it would be great to learn about and expand upon someone with the same cultural ties to me. This article matters because it is important to acknowledge underrepresented female writers and spread awareness about them. My preliminary impression was that this article was well-written but there are lots of details that can be expanded upon in regards to her upbringing and the influence her culture had on her writing.

Evaluate the 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?

The lead section is well-written, highlighting her profession and accolades from the  get-go. It also briefly talks about the books she’s written, providing a concise description of the article as it only shares the main points of her life.

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?

The article’s content is relevant to the topic because it discusses her upbringing and then her career. I wish it would discuss how her upbringing influenced her work more because as someone who grew up in India speaking a number of languages, her experience is important to emphasize.

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?

The article is neutral because it only discuss facts about her life and career. It talks about her upbringing in a neutral manner, only highlighting the important facts and context for readers to understand the influence of her biracial household.

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?

The sources seem pretty reliable as there are news channels such as India Today and literature reviews from the British council. However, a few of the links no longer exist and it says "not available" on the website, so this needs to be updated. There is a biography about Desai, so it would be nice to feature a few facts from there. Other than that, most sources listed are the only ones available on the Internet.

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?

The article is well-organized and well-written; however, I believe there should be a better transition between the discussion from her early life to her career because there are most definitely moments in her adolescence that inspired her career.

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?

There are no images in this article.

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?

This is a C-rated article and is a part of the following WikiProjects: Biography: Actors and Filmmakers, India, United States: Asian Americans, Women writes, Women's history, and Children's literature. There are a few conversations going on including an expansion on one of her books and controversy about whether or not her book is considered to be Asian American.

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?

The article is overall well-developed and enjoyable to read. A lot of information about her accolades and past are given, but I would like to see more about her early life and how that influenced her career.