Welcome to the assessment department of WikiProject Albums. This department focuses on assessing the quality of Wikipedia's album articles. While much of the work is done in conjunction with the WP:1.0 program, the article ratings are also used within the project itself to aid in recognizing excellent contributions and identifying topics in need of further work.

The ratings are done in a distributed fashion through parameters in the {{Album}} project banner; this causes the articles to be placed in the appropriate sub-categories of Category:Album articles by quality and Category:Album articles by importance, which serves as the foundation for an automatically generated worklist (Index · Statistics · Log).

Shortcut: WP:ALBUM/A

Contents 1 How to nominate a page 2 How to review an article 3 Frequently asked questions 4 Instructions 4.1 Quality assessments 4.2 Quality scale 4.3 Importance assessment 4.4 Importance scale 5 Requesting an assessment 6 Assessment log

[edit] How to nominate a page

If you have made significant changes to an article and would like an outside opinion on a new rating for it, please place it at the bottom of the section for assessment requests below, using the syntax:

 # {{la|ArticleName}} ~~~~  

with an edit summary of "Nominating [[ArticleName]]". Please note that articles can only be given a rating up to B-class here. For Good Article class and higher, more formal reviews are needed (see table above for details).

[edit] How to review an article

1. Check that you have logged in; anons may not review articles.
2. Choose an article to review, noting:
   • You cannot choose an article if you have made significant contributions to it.
   • Nominations near the top of the lists are oldest, and should be given higher priority.
3. Read the whole article.
4. Place the {{Album| class=| importance=}} tag at the top of the article's talk page if it does not already exist.
   • Read the quality scale and set the class parameter to B, C, start, stub or NA.
   • (optional) Read the importance scale and set the importance parameter to Top, High, Mid or Low.
5. Save the talk page. If you wish to leave detailed comments about your assessment, there is an option to do so on the project banner.
6. Remove the article from the section for assessment requests using the edit summary "Assessed [[ArticleName]]".

[edit] Frequently asked questions

Why can articles only be assessed up to B class here? 

Higher classes need a more formal assessment so that standards are maintained.

• Good article nominations are processed here.
• A-class reviews are not performed by the albums Wikiproject at the moment. As an alternative, you may request a peer review.
• Featured articles candidates are processed here.

Why didn't the reviewer leave any comments? 

Unfortunately, due to the volume of articles that need to be assessed, we are unable to leave detailed comments in most cases. If you have particular questions, you might ask the person who assessed the article; they will usually be happy to provide you with their reasoning.

What if I don't agree with a rating? 

You can list it in the section for assessment requests below, and someone will take a look at it. Alternately, you can ask any member of the project to rate the article again.

Aren't the ratings subjective? 

Yes, they are, but it's the best system we've been able to devise; if you have a better idea, please don't hesitate to let us know!

If you have any other questions not listed here, please feel free to ask them on the discussion page for this department.

[edit] Instructions

[edit] Quality assessments

An article's quality assessment is generated from the class parameter in the {{Album}} banner on its talk page:

{{Album| ... | class=??? | ...}}

class

This optional parameter records the Project quality assessment rating currently assigned to the particular article on whose talkpage the project banner appears.

If unassigned, or an invalid value is given, the parameter defaults to "unassigned" and the template places the talkpage into Category:Unassessed Album articles.

The class should be assigned according to the quality scale below.

After assessing an article's quality, comments on the assessment can be added either to the article's talk page or to the /Comments subpage which will appear as a link next to the assessment. Comments that are added to the /Comments subpages will be transcluded onto the automatically generated work list pages in the Comments column.

Valid values for this parameter, their associated meanings and categories are given in the table below. Values should be typed as shown (eg |class=GA ):

Class parameter values (Category:Album articles by quality)

Value	Use for	Adds article to the category	What it looks like
For articles
FA	Featured articles	FA-Class Album articles	FA
FL	Featured lists	FL-Class Album articles	FL
A	A-class articles	A-Class Album articles	A
GA	Good articles	GA-Class Album articles	GA
B	B-class articles	B-Class Album articles	B
C	C-class articles	C-Class Album articles	C
Start	Start-class articles	Start-Class Album articles	Start
Stub	Stub-class articles	Stub-Class Album articles	Stub
List	List-class articles	List-Class Album articles	List
Current	Articles on current or recent events/topics.	Current-Class Album articles	Current
Future	Articles on future topics, for example an album yet to be released.	Future-Class Album articles	Future
Needed	Articles that do not yet exist but have been identified as subjects that should be covered.	Needed-Class Album articles	Needed
Merge	Articles that the project has marked for merger into other articles.	Merge-Class Album articles	Merge
For non-article pages
Category or Cat	Categories	Category-Class Album articles	Category
Disambig or Dab	Disambiguation pages	Disambig-Class Album articles	Disambig
File	Image, sound, and other media files	File-Class Album articles	File
Portal	Pages that are part of the Albums Portal namespace.	Portal-Class Album articles	Portal
Project	Pages that are part of WikiProject Albums namespace.	Project-Class Album articles	Project
Redirect	Pages that exist only as redirects.	Redirect-Class Album articles	Redirect
Template	Templates that are part of the project and portal.	Template-Class Album articles	Template
NA	Any other pages that are not articles or where assessment is unnecessary.	NA-Class Album articles	NA

[edit] Quality scale

This scale describes specific criteria for album articles. For the main Wikipedia Version 1.0 WikiProject article progress grading scheme, go here.

WikiProject Albums article progress grading scheme

Label	Criteria	Reader's experience	Editing suggestions	Example
FA {{FA-Class}}	The article has attained Featured article status. This is not assessed by this project; the article must have passed the FA review process. More detailed criteria The article must meet the featured article criteria: A featured article exemplifies our very best work and is distinguished by professional standards of writing, presentation, and sourcing. In addition to meeting the requirements for all Wikipedia articles, it has the following attributes. It is— (a) well-written: its prose is engaging, even brilliant, and of a professional standard; (b) comprehensive: it neglects no major facts or details and places the subject in context; (c) well-researched: it is a thorough and representative survey of the relevant literature on the topic. Claims are verifiable against high-quality reliable sources and are supported with citations; this requires a "References" section that lists these sources, complemented by inline citations where appropriate; (d) neutral: it presents views fairly and without bias; and (e) stable: it is not subject to ongoing edit wars and its content does not change significantly from day to day, except in response to the featured article process. It follows the style guidelines, including the provision of— (a) a lead: a concise lead section that summarizes the topic and prepares the reader for the detail in the subsequent sections; (b) appropriate structure: a system of hierarchical section headings and a substantial but not overwhelming table of contents; and (c) consistent citations: where required by criterion 1c, consistently formatted inline citations using either footnotes (<ref>Smith 2007, p. 1.</ref>) or Harvard referencing (Smith 2007, p. 1)—see citing sources for suggestions on formatting references; for articles with footnotes, the meta:cite format is recommended. Images. It has images that follow the image use policy and other media where appropriate, with succinct captions, brief and useful alt text when feasible, and acceptable copyright status. Non-free images or media must satisfy the criteria for inclusion of non-free content and be labeled accordingly. Length. It stays focused on the main topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).	Professional, outstanding, and thorough; a definitive source for encyclopedic information.	No further content additions should be necessary unless new information becomes available; further improvements to the prose quality are often possible.	In Utero (as of May 2009)
FL {{FL-Class}}	The article has attained Featured list status. This is not assessed by this project; the article must have passed the FL review process. More detailed criteria The article must meet the featured list criteria: Prose. It features professional standards of writing. Lead. It has an engaging lead that introduces the subject and defines the scope and inclusion criteria. Comprehensiveness. (a) It comprehensively covers the defined scope, providing at least all of the major items and, where practical, a complete set of items; where appropriate, it has annotations that provide useful and appropriate information about the items. (b) In length and/or topic, it meets all of the requirements for stand-alone lists; it is not a content fork, does not largely recreate material from another article, and could not reasonably be included as part of a related article. Structure. It is easy to navigate through and includes, where helpful, section headings and table sort facilities. Style. It complies with the Manual of Style and its supplementary pages. (a) Visual appeal. It makes suitable use of text layout, formatting, tables, and colour; and it has a minimal proportion of red links. (b) Media files. It has images and other media, if appropriate to the topic, that follow Wikipedia's usage policies, with succinct captions and alternative (alt) text if necessary. Non-free images and other media satisfy the criteria for the inclusion of non-free content and are labeled accordingly. Stability. It is not the subject of ongoing edit wars and its content does not change significantly from day to day, except in response to the featured list process.			List of recordings preserved in the United States National Recording Registry (as of May 2009)
A {{A-Class}}	Not used by this project	NA	NA	NA
GA {{GA-Class}}	The article has attained Good article status. This is not assessed by this project; the article must have passed the GA review process. More detailed criteria The article must meet the good article criteria: Well-written: (a) the prose is clear and the spelling and grammar are correct; and (b) it complies with the manual of style guidelines for lead sections, layout, jargon, words to avoid, fiction, and list incorporation. Factually accurate and verifiable: (a) it provides references to all sources of information in the section(s) dedicated to the attribution of these sources according to the guide to layout; (b) it provides in-line citations from reliable sources for direct quotations, statistics, published opinion, counter-intuitive or controversial statements that are challenged or likely to be challenged, and contentious material relating to living persons—science-based articles should follow the scientific citation guidelines; and (c) it contains no original research. Broad in its coverage: (a) it addresses the main aspects of the topic; and (b) it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style). Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without bias. Stable: it does not change significantly from day-to-day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute. Illustrated, if possible, by images: (a) images are tagged with their copyright status, and valid fair use rationales are provided for non-free content; and (b) images are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.	Useful to nearly all readers, with no obvious problems; approaching (although not equalling) the quality of a professional encyclopedia.	Some editing by album and style experts is helpful; comparison with an existing featured album article may highlight areas where content is weak or missing.	London Calling (as of May 2009)
B {{B-Class}}	The article is mostly complete and without major issues, meeting the six B-Class criteria. It should have all of the C-Class criteria as well as: A complete infobox, including cover art and most technical details. A full list of personnel, including technical personnel and guest musicians. No obvious issues with sourcing, including the use of blatantly improper sources. No significant issues exist to hamper readability, although it may not rigorously follow WP:MOS.	Most readers should feel satisfied by the content, although it may not satisfy more expert readers. There are no obvious omissions, but also no obvious extraneous information—such as "trivia". The article flows well and logically.	While a few aspects of content and style may need to be addressed, the article overall complies with tone and content guidelines.	...Baby One More Time (as of May 2009)
C {{C-Class}}	The article is substantial and has some references to reliable sources, but is still missing important content or contains a lot of irrelevant material. It should have all the Start-Class criteria as well as: A reasonably complete infobox, including cover art. At least one section of prose (in addition to the lead section). A track listing containing track lengths and authors for all songs. A "personnel" section listing performers, including guest musicians.	A casual reader should learn something about the album.	Possible subjects to include are the events leading up to its recording, stories of its recording and release, critical reception, reception by fans or its influence in the music world. Alternately, descriptions of the songs and the album in general may be included.	Creatures of the Night (as of May 2009)
Start {{Start-Class}}	An article that is developing, but which is quite incomplete and lacks adequate reliable sources. It should have: An infobox. A lead section giving an overview of the album. A track listing. Reference to at least primary personnel by name (must specify performers on the current album; a band navbox is insufficient) Categorisation at least by artist and year.	Provides some meaningful content, but the majority of readers will need more.	Provision of references to reliable sources should be prioritised; the article will also need substantial improvements in content and organisation.	In the Land of Hi-Fi (as of May 2009)
Stub {{Stub-Class}}	A very basic description of the album. Provides very little meaningful content; may be little more than a title and track listing.	Possibly useful to someone who is not familiar with the album, but may be useless to a reader who is passingly familiar with the album.	Editors should place a stub template at the bottom of the article, just above the categories (see Wikipedia:WikiProject Albums/album stub category list). Focus should be on expanding the lead section, adding an infobox, and fleshing out the basic details of the album.	!!! (album) (as of May 2009)
List {{List-Class}}	Used for stand-alone list articles such as discographies, until such time as they have passed the FL review process and can be marked as Featured lists.	The organization of the list should be logical and useful to the reader.	The list should be organized and follow a logical format. Discography articles should follow the standards of WikiProject Discographies.	List of Pixies tribute albums (as of May 2009)

[edit] Importance assessment

An article's importance assessment is generated from the importance parameter in the {{Album}} banner on its talk page:

{{Album| ... | importance=??? | ...}}

If unassigned, or an invalid value is given, or the class parameter is set to "NA", the parameter defaults to "unassigned" and the template places the talkpage into Category:Unknown-importance Album articles.

Class parameter values (Category:Album articles by importance)

Value	Use for	Adds article to the category	What it looks like
For articles
Top	Articles about the most well-known or culturally or historically significant albums.	Top-importance Album articles	Top
High	Articles about albums that are moderately well-known but still culturally or historically significant.	High-importance Album articles	High
Mid	Articles about albums that may or may not be commonly known outside the community of music fans.	Mid-importance Album articles	Mid
Low	Articles about albums that are not generally well-known outside the community of music fans.	Low-importance Album articles	Low
For non-article pages
NA	Non-article pages such as templates and project pages.	NA-importance Album articles	NA

[edit] Importance scale

Label	Criteria	Reader's experience	Editor's experience	Example
Top {{Top-importance}}	The article is about one of the most historically and culturally notable albums. These are the articles with the highest potential for being elevated to featured article status.	A reader who is not necessarily a music fan will have high familiarity with the album and should be able to relate to it easily. Only the most culturally and historically significant albums will be assessed with Top importance, as these are the most likely to have large amounts of reliable secondary sources available to reference the article.	As they appeal to the wides range of readers, articles in this importance range are written in mostly generic terms, leaving technical terms and descriptions for more specialized pages.	A Hard Day's Night (album) (as of May 2009)
High {{High-importance}}	The article is about an album that is historically and culturally notable. These articles have a high potential to be elevated to featured article status.	Most readers will have some knowledge of the album. Top-selling or top-charting albums may have High importance, as it is likely that a good number of reliable secondary sources exist that could be used to reference the article.	Articles at this level use some specific and specialized terms, as they appeal to readers who are likely familiar with the terminology related to albums.	Blood Sugar Sex Magik (as of May 2009)
Mid {{Mid-importance}}	The article covers an album that has a strong but not vital level of notability. They should still have the potential to reach good article or featured article status with work. High-selling or high-charting albums may be rated mid-importance, even if they do not have a high level of historical or cultural significance.	Many readers will be familiar with the album, but a larger majority of readers may have only cursory knowledge of it. Moderately well-known albums will be marked with Mid importance, as it is less likely that a high number of reliable secondary sources exist that cover it.	Articles at this level will cover albums that are well known but not necessarily vital to an understanding of music. Mid-importance articles will generally have more technical terms used in the article text. Most albums familiar only to music fans will be rated in this level.	Barbra Joan Streisand (album) (as of May 2009)
Low {{Low-importance}}	The article covers an album that has a low level of historical or cultural notability. Albums with low sales, those that did not chart, or were released only in small numbers may be rated Low importance, as they have far less potential to be advanced to good article or featured article status than more notable albums.	Few readers who are not music fans may be familiar with the album. It is unlikely that the typical reader knows anything at all about the album before reading the article. Lesser known albums might be listed with Low importance, as as it is unlikely that many reliable secondary sources exist that cover it.	Articles at this range of importance will often delve into the minutiae of the subject, using technical terms (and defining them) as needed. Topics at this level include obscure or minor releases.	1,000 Pies (as of May 2009)

[edit] Requesting an assessment

1. Magnapop discography (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 09:12, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
2. Back on Top (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) Kitchen roll (talk) 17:33, 4 January 2010 (UTC)

[edit] Assessment log

An automatically generated log of assessments is available at Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Album articles by quality log. Please don't change anything in the log manually.