My review

Ask for my review by sending me a link to your sandbox.

The best way to see my edits and feedback is diff view. For example, see my review of Great Scott (music venue).

Proceeding

• If I’ve asked you to proceed
  • and this is …
    • a new article: follow the directions and tutorial in the syllabus on moving your page to the main space. You can ask me for help, or click the “Get Help” button at the top of your page, prompting our WikiEd expert to have a look.
    • an extension: start porting your revised and new sections over to the existing article.
  • Create a section on the Talk page inviting feedback.

Peer review

• I will assign peer reviews soon.
• Once live in mainspace, you should also look for Wikipedians for collaboration and feedback.
• Respond to any feedback you get toward making a “perfect article.”

Perfect article

Reasons for pushback

• Not notable
  • not enough reputable secondary sources
  • overly reliant on primary sources
• Overly promotional
  • promotional and non-encyclopedic tone
  • too many links to primary source (seen as link-spam)

{{advert}}

This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view.

WP is not a soapbox or promotional

5. … must be written in an objective and unbiased style, free of puffery. All article topics must be verifiable with independent, third-party sources, so articles about very small “garage” or local companies are typically unacceptable. Wikipedia articles about a company or organization are not an extension of their website or other social media marketing efforts. External links to commercial organizations are acceptable if they identify notable organizations which are the topic of the article….

Puffery

Words to watch

legendary, great, acclaimed, visionary, outstanding, leading, celebrated, award-winning, landmark, cutting-edge, innovative, extraordinary, brilliant, hit, famous, renowned, remarkable, prestigious, world-class, respected, notable, virtuoso, honorable, awesome, unique …

Puffery example

Peacock example:

Bob Dylan is the defining figure of the 1960s counterculture and a brilliant songwriter.

Just the facts:

Dylan was included in Time’s 100: The Most Important People of the Century, in which he was called “master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation”.[refs 1]

Unsupported attributions

Words to watch

some people say, many scholars state, it is believed/regarded, many are of the opinion, most feel, experts declare, it is often reported, it is widely thought, research has shown, science says, scientists claim, it is often said …

Editorializing

Words to watch

notably, it should be noted, interestingly, essentially, actually, clearly, of course, without a doubt, happily, tragically, aptly, fortunately, untimely, unfortunately, …

What else do do?

• Find reputable secondary sources for information (e.g., books and newspapers).
• Reduce number of links to subject’s website, which can be interpreted as spam.
• Remove particulars of a subject (e.g., business hours and payment options) that are likely to change and be interpreted as promoting the subject.
• Be civil, ask for help and specific suggestions, make piecemeal improvements, and discuss on article talk page.

Miscellaneous

• Wikipedia’s date format/parsing is dreadful.
  • no “th”: “October 28th 2018”
  • need comma: “October 28, 2018”
  • preferred: “28 October 2018”
  • preferred: “2018-10-28”

Should I find a new topic?

• You could still do so, if you act quickly.
  • You now have the hang of WP.
  • Finding reputable secondary sources is the most important thing.