Wikipedia:Peer review/African philosophy/archive1

African philosophy

This peer review discussion has been closed.
I have listed this article for peer review because:

1. Depending on cultural viewpoint, the material may or may not appear to meet verifiability standards. I think it does generally reflect a faily verifiable view of African Philosophy. What do you think?

2. Many authoritative articles in modern African Academia are not widely publicised in the west. I want to hear from African academia (and hopefully get their help improving this page).

3. Wikipedia is global. Do you see a western cultural bias on African issues?

Thanks, DrJenkinsPhd (talk) 19:48, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

From Philcha

Verifiability

• Verifiability is a policy that is policy that is enforced in all versions of Wikipedia. This article has just 1 citation, and that appears a self-published source, in other words it will not meet Verifiability. As a result, the article is in danger of deletion. There are tactics that can delay this, but the only reliably safety is in good, relevant citations. --Philcha (talk) 03:43, 21 May 2010 (UTC)
• To find good sources and use them to build citations:
  • I suggest you use Google Scholar, the academics' version of Google, as basic Google is likely to have too many self-published sources. --16:02, 20 May 2010 (UTC)
  • I recommend this citation building tool as it covers a wide types of source (book, academic article, Web page, etc.). When you've completed all the fields, you ask the tool to draft the citation in the box at the bottom, and copy the citation into a ref in the article. In each case I suggest you complete all the fields, to make sure that your include those that are required. It's easier to use 3 tabs in your browser, preferably arranged next to each other. This will seem very complex at first, but in a week or do you will do it automatically. --Philcha (talk) 16:02, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Cultural bias

• The Western and Middle European countries are extraordinarily homogeneous in their cultures, economies and philosophy. Other regions of the world have much greater variety, and perhaps Africa most of all. For example: Mediterrean Africa is Muslim; what is now Ghana build the Ashanti Empire distinctive civilisation, and later became a major centre of the slave trade; some tribes are herder or hunter-gathers, etc. Jared Diamond's "How to get Rich" describes factors that explain the homogeneous and dominance of Western and Middle Europe. --Philcha (talk) 16:02, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Use more neutral language

• At present the article looks like a sales brochure. Neutral point of view is another policy that will be enforced, and language is a part of that. --Philcha (talk) 16:02, 20 May 2010 (UTC)