My Mid-Term Quiz for LIBY 1210-09 Winter 2017
My Research Topic is: after-life
Key words related to my Research Topic are: After-life
Part 1:
Examine Wikipedia articles that are directly related to your Research Topic and select a substantive article to evaluate. This could be an article about an idea (e.g., I might choose the one about Trance) or a person (if I were researching Reggae music, I might pick Bob Marley). Answer the following questions:
I chose to read and evaluate the article titled: (for extra credit, link the name of the article to the article in Wikipedia.)
After-life, Afterlife
1. Is there a warning banner at the top of the article? Yes or No
-No, there is not a banner at the top but towards the middle.
If there is a warning banner, copy and paste the warning banner here.
| This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
Write an brief explanation of the reason the issues mentioned in the warning banner are important. For example, if the issue is “needs additional citations for verification,” why does that matter?
-To show that the information on the article may not be 100% accurate.
Please note: If the article you are evaluating does not have a warning banner, choose a warning banner from a different article and explain the warning that is in that banner.
-The warning in the "After-life" article is that in the heaven/hell section, there were no sources that we cited.
2. Is the lead section of the article easy to understand? Does it summarize the key points of the article?
-The lead section in the article is easy to understand. It states what beliefs people have after you die (life after death, reincarnation, heaven/hell). It also defines after-life and gives links to other articles that relate to after-life.
3. Is the structure of the article clear? “Are there several headings and subheadings, images and diagrams at appropriate places, and appendices and foonotes at the end?”
-The structure of the article has headings, subheadings, it only has two images relating to the headings that are being discussed. It also has a table of context which allows you to click to the exact subheading you want to read.
4. Are “the various aspects of the topic balanced well”? That is does it seem to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic?
-Yes, it provides a lot of information relating to the topic. The only thing is that some of the topic are not cited.
5. Does the article provide a “neutral point of view”? Does it read like an encyclopedia article instead of a persuasive essay?
-The article is not opinionated or biased. It is read like an encyclopedia article meaning that it is only stating facts of what people think about after-life, no opinions are in the article.
6. Are the references and footnotes citing reliable sources? Do they point to scholarly and trustworthy information? Beware of references to blogs; look for references to books, scholarly journal articles, government sources, etc.
- Some of the topics do not have cited sources. The other ones are cited from books, bibles, churches, etc. Resulting that some of it is trustworthy information meanwhile some it can just be made up or fabricated.
7. Look for these signs of bad quality and comment on their presence or absence from the article you are evaluating:
a. is the lead section well-written, in clear, correct English?
-Yes, it is written in clear correct English.
b. are there “unsourced opinions” and/or “value statements which are not neutral”?
-No, all of the information in the article is neutral. Some of the information is not cited though.
c. does the article refer “to ‘some,’ ‘many,’ or other unnamed groups of people,” instead of specific organizations or authors or facts?
-No, the author refers to books, with quotes.
d. does the article seem to omit aspects of the topic?
- No, the author provides each religions beliefs of what happens life after death.
e. are some sections overly long compared to other sections of similar importance to the topic?
- Some sections go a little more depth than others, providing more information. Other sections are a little vague.
f. does the article lack sufficient references or footnotes?
-All of the sources seem sufficient, besides the headings where there are no cited sources.
g. Look at the “View History” for the article. As you read the conversation there, do you see hostile dialogue or other evidence of lack of respectful treatment among the editors?
No, everyone who edited is mostly adding more references or rewording certain sentences.
__________________________
Part 2:
Evaluate the Wikipedia article you selected using the CARDIO method. Write your answers following each word below:
Currency (When was the last update of this article? hint: check the View History)
- January 19, 2017
Authority (What evidence do you find that the author(s) of this article have the appropriate credentials to write on this topic?)
- Most of the authors that worked on this articles are working on projects similar to the topic of "after-life" and also went to college for religion/something that relates to the topic as well.
Relevance (to your research topic)
not relevant somewhat relevant relevant
|--------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------| (a little more than somewhat relevant)
Depth
Young readers General adults Scholarly readers
|---------------------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------| (more than general adults and less than scholarly readers because anyone can reads this and gain information from it. It is not for young readers because they are generally not interested in life after death, and the vocabulary may be a little more complex.)
Information Format (I hope this one will be easy for you.)
-Research Article
Object (what is the purpose for creating this article?)
-To show the beliefs (religions) of what happens after you die, and also what science and philosophers think of it.