WIKI

 There is some debate about Wikipedia as a research source. People tend to be either radically for Wikipedia, or radically against its use, particularly in academic settings. These people tend to focus on one simple question: Is Wikipedia good or is it bad? Clearly we need to ask better questions and delve into Wikipedia more deeply in order to decide on its best use.

What is Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that is collaboratively written by a large group of Internet volunteers. The fact that anyone can contribute to an article in Wikipedia is the most frequent criticism of it as a reliable source. Having volunteer contributors (Wikipedia calls them editors) is both Wikipedia’s strength and its weakness. The best articles in Wikipedia can be richer than most other reference sources. The worst articles would never even make it into encyclopedias provided by reputable publishers.

Are Wikipedia Articles Reliable and Accurate?

With Wikipedia, it’s really up to the reader to make judgements about the reliability of individual Wikipedia articles, and to do that, readers need to be “Wikipedia literate”.

Wikipedia articles are more likely to be reliable and accurate when:

Many editors are actively contributing. Find this out by clicking on the View history tab at the top of the article. Here you can see who is editing and how frequently the article is being edited. You can even compare different versions to see how the article has evolved. You can click on any individual editor to view his/her profile and reputation in the Wikipedia community of editors.

It is receiving a lot of scrutiny from Wikipedia users. Go to the View history tab and use the Page View Statistics to see how many people have viewed the article over time.

Wikipedia articles are more likely to be unreliable and inaccurate when:

Only one or a small number of editors are contributing, and the edits are old and infrequent. Check the View history tab to make your assessment.

It receives very little scrutiny from Wikipedia users. Use the Page View Statistics to make your assessment.

What kind of information can be found in Wikipedia?

In a good Wikipedia article you are likely to find:

A general overview of the topic, logically organized into relevant sub-topics

Facts and figures that support the information in the article

References to information sources and links for further exploration.

You will NOT find the following kinds of information in a Wikipedia article:

Contributions from recognized experts. This is the greatest distinction between Wikipedia and other formally published encyclopedias.

Expert analysis. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, which by definition contains only neutral, “factual” information.

Original research. Encyclopedias do not publish original research. An encyclopedia is a secondary source.

What is the best way to use Wikipedia?

Use it like any good reference source, for quick reference or as an entry point into deeper exploration of the topic. An encyclopedia article is a great source for:

A general overview of the topic and related sub-topics

Quick information: facts and figures

References to deeper sources

Links to related information