The wikipedia article titled Illegal Drug Trade did serve a purpose for me while I was conducting research because it educated me on all aspects of my topic, even though the facts and quality of the article could have been improved. It covered the drugs involved in illegal drug trade, the areas most affected by drug trade, and the legal aspect of illegal drug trade. I believe the article meets some of Wikipedia’s evaluation criteria . In the article Evaluating Wikipedia by Wikipedia itself, it said the elements of a quality wikipedia article are a lead section that gives a clear overview, a clear structure, balanced coverage of the topic, neutral ( unbiased) content, and reliable sources. The article meets some of Wikipedia’s criteria such as having a strong lead section, a clear structure or format for the article with several headings and subheadings, and it has many reliable sources and footnotes from many government agencies that specialize in illegal drug trade. Even though the article met some criteria the article had a warning box at the top of the page warning readers that the article had grammar, spelling, and tone issues, quality issues, and a bias toward the Democratic political party. It harshly criticized the Republican party during Reagan's administration for its “harsh” approach to the War on Drugs. The article has a history dating back to September twenty- ninth, 2003 and the most recent addition or edit to the article was September third, 2014. It appears to me that the wikipedia user “ The Anome” started the article but their user page has no credentials or personal information regarding their knowledge on illegal drug trade. The article provides seventy- nine references in the reference section and every section has additional links to additional readings on related topics. The links are to other wikipedia pages related to aspects and countries related to illegal drug trade and to government articles from the CIA and the DEA. These websites are educational and informative and have information regarding illegal drug trade around the world.
I am a senior at Rutland High School and I am participating in the science. technology, engineering, and math research program. I am aspiring to one day become a physician assistant who focuses either in psychiatry or general medicine. STEM will allow to focus on the health aspect of science and allow me to research topics I may be professionally involved in the future. I am a huge Red Sox fan and in my free time I love to play golf, softball, and ice hockey along with watching the Red Sox and reading.
"Don't wait for inspiration, be the inspiration." - anonymous