User:4PrivetDrive/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: Dumbledore's Army
• Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate.
  • I chose this article because it was listed as a C-class article in the Harry Potter section. It is also a topic I'm interested in and know a lot about.

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 is well written and concise, and accurately describes the purpose and history of Dumbledore's Army. It includes a contents box which shows the major sections, but does not briefly describe them in the paragraph. All information in the Lead can be found in the article. The Lead overall is short and sweet, and could possibly be expanded a bit to include information from later sections in the article, instead of just mentioning the group's founding history. Overall, this article contains a good Lead. It gives relevant information that people are most likely looking for initially, and leaves detailed information for later in the article.

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 article contains relevant information about the DA, and eloquently describes the different timelines in which it exists and how each differs. The content is up to date and seems to be filled out well. The page does not seem to have any gaps in information and even includes an external link to the Dumbledore's Army page on Harry Potter Wiki. The page is well filled out; it clearly shows the evolution of characters throughout the books and movies and their relevant life details to the DA. The article clearly acknowledges differences between the books, movies, and alternate timelines without becoming confusing.

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 is neutral and unbiased towards any side. This includes not favoring the books over the movies; the article describes all representations of the DA and its members in each universe equally and does not deem one to be the most correct timeline. All information is presented as fact, and the article does not have any persuasive undertones.

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

Most facts are backed up by sources. At times, events that are well known to happen in the novels are not cited, because they are deemed to be common knowledge. Most sources are from J.K. Rowling interviews, or from newspaper articles about her various interviews over the years. The links seem to work and to link to the correct articles. As this is not an evolving topic, most sources are over ten years old, but the sources for the impact of the DA are all within 5 years of their publication. Potentially new sources could be found to follow up, but the sources linked now are all relevant and seem to be from reputable publications.

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 well written and clear. As previously mentioned, and areas where there could be confusion--like with alternate timelines or book vs film--it straightforwardly explains the differences and branches caused. There are multiple headings with several subheadings denoting significant members. Additionally, there is a great table showing all mentioned members of the DA, along with their Hogwarts house and a short synopsis of who they are and how they are connected. Overall, it is well organized and easy to follow.

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

There are two images: a group photo of the DA from the fifth movie, and what appears to be a fan-drawn image of Luna Lovegood. The former is well captioned and is helpful when visualizing the group. The latter is not captioned and has no description. Images of significant members is a good idea, but other images should be added to show the other characters, and perhaps should be actor portraits from the movies instead of fan-drawn images, the use of which may be against the artist's wishes. I am unsure if Wikipedia has the right to post images from the movies, so both images may not pass Wikipedia's copyright regulations. However, they do add to the article, which could do with a few more images.

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 conversations are mainly centered around what people have changed in the article, or what they'd like to see changed. This often entails minute facts from different movies, and differentiating what is canon and what is generally-accepted fan theories. It also talks about the use of fan-art to represent the DA, and how they frame certain events and motivations to most accurately describe the rag-tag group. The article is C rated and marked as mid-importance in children and young adult literature, as well as being a part of the Harry Potter task force articles and the fictional characters WikiProject.

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

Overall this is a C class article. It has a good Lead and is well organized overall, but could do with some small repairs. More images and a more robust introductory paragraph would aid in the clarity of the article. The character descriptions and in-depth synopsis are well written and concise, and do a great job conveying overhead looks to DA and its members in every universe. This article is well-developed, and only needs a couple small adjustments before it is air tight.

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

with four tildes — ~~~~

• Link to feedback: