User:Tmaraki/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: (The Enchantments)
• Briefly describe why you have chosen this article to evaluate. Since the start of the pandemic, and especially during the first month of quarantine, I struggled to find ways to escape the cage that was my home. Once restrictions were lifted for hiking and camping, I was out in the mountains and surrounding forests as much as possible, backpacking and hiking to soak in the gorgeous views and breath in the crisp, fresh air. It very quickly became my favorite pass-time. Growing up in Washington, I've always heard stories of The Enchantments from friends and family. With my new-found hobby, it was only natural that my interest to backpack the famous mountains had peaked. Through editing the existing article and conducting extensive research, I hope this will further my understanding of The Enchantments for my future backpacking adventure.

Lead

Guiding questions

The article opens with an introduction that clarifies where The Enchantments are located, but does not provide a summary of the topics covered. As the article dives into the History and what Hiking the region looks like, the highlights of both sections could be briefly summarized in the introduction. Although the Lead is rather concise and straightforward, it could be much stronger if it included additional information referring to other sections of the article.

• 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?

Content

Guiding questions

The history is relevant, however is missing quite a bit of the geographical history such as predictions on how the region was formed- did the Ice Age impact parts or the entire region? Earthquakes? Mt. St. Helens eruption? The history section only focuses on how The Enchantments and its' peaks and lakes were named. There are quite a few citations and references missing that discredits the content of the paragraphs. It does touch upon the increase in popularity towards the end, which is relevant to the article's topic and creates a smooth transition into the Hiking section of the article.

The Hiking section does a great job to describe the details that many backpackers and hikers would want to know in preparation for the excursion. It is up-to-date, thorough and relevant. It is presented in a neutral tone and does a good job to include citations and references where appropriate.

Although the existing sections are relevant and require work, there are other sections that should be included in the article such as Ecosystems and the Ecology of the region, Conservation Efforts, and perhaps possible resources found there.

• 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

Guiding questions

The article is somewhat neutral. As there are only three sections, including the introduction, the tone is mostly neutral and claims are not heavily biased. The History section needs to be updated though as the main focus is a detailed exploration into how the Enchantments and its lakes and peaks were named, rather than the topographical history of the region. There is not mention of how the region was shaped and formed over the centuries. There is no effort to persuade readers to favor in one direction or another. There is just a lack of substance and relevance in the history.

• 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?

Sources and References

Guiding questions

The History section requires an extensive clean up of citations, references and source checking. It does not reflect available literature on the topic, and the sources are out of date ranging from the early 1900s to early 2000s. While interesting, the extensive background of how the Enchantments were named does not include any primary, let alone secondary sources to back up quotes, opinions and statements. A few of the links no longer work, discrediting any of the historical names that were referenced such as Bill & Peg Stark.

The Hiking section are supported with reliable sources that are current and still relevant to those wanting to be informed of the region. The links are all working and citations are input in this section appropriately. Any historical figures are mentioned and highlighted as well with links to their Wikipedia pages as needed.

• 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?
• Check a few links. Do they work?

Organization

Guiding questions

The article is organized in a way that makes sense from introduction to the history to hiking. There is not a whole lot of grammatical or spelling errors. However, the Hiking section is not the easiest to read. There's a lot of information and details packed into each sentence that makes the reading very heavy and slow. It seems the writer was aiming to just be concise and save space. Whereas the Intro and History sections are too easy to read and require more information to bring weight to both.

• 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

Guiding questions

The images included in the article are visually appealing, and work well with the content of the article. There are visually appealing images showcasing the beauty of the region, and topographical images showing the location and elevation of The Enchantments. They all adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations.

• 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?

Checking the talk page

Guiding questions

The article is rated C-Class and High Importance, and is supported by WikiProjects United States. There is not a whole lot of discussion for this article. The last post was dated February 2015. The only notable discussion post was a comment that this page was labeled High-Importance due to the increasing popularity The Enchantments has recently gained by backcountry backpackers.

This discussion is not really a discussion. Unlike the ways we've talked about it in class, this Talk page lacks courageous individuals to step in and express opinions that will benefit the whole. Perhaps there is simply a lack of Wikipedians sincerely interested in this topic, but regardless there is a significant lack of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation involved in this discussion board as proven by the lack of participants.

• 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

Guiding questions

The article overall is very underdeveloped. Although most viewers are likely to search this page for its in-depth explanation in the Hiking section, there is much more that the article can thrive off of. It has potential to being a solid article if it just had a better analysis examining its history, and additional sections discussing conservation efforts and the ecology of the region. The strength of this article is that it is a popular topic. It caters to a specific crowd and interest, and thus can attract many viewers and readers if it just had more sources and details that made it more credible and reliable.

• 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?

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

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