Wikipedia as Source of InformationEssay Preview: Wikipedia as Source of InformationReport this essayWikipedia as Source of InformationThe reliability of Wikipedia as source of information has been controversial since its foundation 10 years ago. In our team discussion both accuracy and reliability were the main subjects brought up by the elements against its use for research. The defendants of its use argued that Wikipedia should be used for an initial study owing to its large data content.
Many authors defend the use of Wikipedia as a start point for research and to acquire knowledge; however, its accuracy and reliability flaws are the main concern in the academic world. Wikipedia is known for being “the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit” (National Public Radio, 2011, para. 1). This and other attributes does not entitle its use for academic research, but because of its over 3.5 million articles and access speed Wikipedia is a valid source for gaining initial information.
On the week of Wikipedias 10th anniversary the National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed its fans on Facebook and Twitter and asked the most interesting things they learned through Wikipedia. The responses varied from how users found the whereabouts of old boyfriends that became a public figure in Greece to the legend of cactus cats who cuts open cacti and drink its juice, becoming drunk (National Public Radio, 2011). It is undeniable the amount of interesting source of information that one can obtain from the website, yet it is the validity of the information that concerns scholars when these information are used in academic research.
Wikipedia in its own webpage, in the About Wikipedia section (Wikipedia, 2011) states that “Users should be aware that not all articles are of encyclopedic quality from the start: they may contain false or debatable information” (para. 7). “Allowing anyone to edit Wikipedia means that it is more easily vandalized or susceptible to unchecked information, which requires removal” (para. 10). Additionally it states that “Wikipedia is written largely by amateurs. Those with expert credentials are given no additional weight” (para. 10). Among its strengths Wikipedia emphasize that it is “open to a large contributor base, drawing a large number of editors from diverse backgrounds. This allows Wikipedia to significantly reduce regional and cultural bias found in many other publications” (para. 10).
Wikipedia in its own webpage, in the About Wikipedia section (Wikipedia, 2011) states that is “Wikipedia is not known for its rigorous and exhaustive process, which is often used only for the purposes of research to verify or corroborate its views. A lack of thoroughness and consistency make the Wikipedia process opaque and may deter any edit and discovery community from applying these standards appropriately. While Wikimedia is recognized by the U.S. Council of Academies as a top-down project with wide political, legal and strategic reach the real strength of Wikipedia for many non-governmental organizations, is underdeveloped with a large number of volunteer editors, has a long history of high technical and educational standards, and is considered at-risk of being abused or compromised by others. Wikimedia (US) is currently one of only two public non-profit organizations without major government funding that receive significant funding from private individuals, such as the federal government or the military. By the time of its founding in 1998, the Wikimedia Foundation has received at least $20 million, including $2 million in contributions from the Treasury Department” (para. 17). For the past 20 years we have worked with and for more than 5,300 volunteers, including about 25 who volunteered. The main aim of Wikipedia has been to preserve and advance the interests of all Wikipedia users by providing comprehensive and open source information without being reliant on foreign governments or other third parties for any information they provide and without requiring access to a proprietary system of censorship, manipulation or abuse. Wikipedians use the Internet for information for self-expression based on their personal tastes, opinions, and preferences. It should not be too difficult to read, understand, and discuss some of the many articles or topics that Wikipedians have enjoyed, even more so from an economic viewpoint. Our goal is to serve each and every one of our community members without compromise and to help you find answers to complex, complex and often complex questions. To this end our team creates and reviews content that is accessible to the widest possible readers, based not on the language of language, but based on the knowledge the user has of the articles that have been written with our people. We publish articles in their full-featured formats and as part of the general public. It should not be too difficult or difficult to find new contributors for every single article. We also host Wikipedian in-person courses which offer information on topics including language, culture, content, and other topics that Wikipedians wish to discuss in more detail or contribute to in the future. Wikipedia’s ability to provide a free and open source document is also highly developed because it is part of a global community composed of hundreds of millions of people around the world that is in some way united in their dedication to achieving greater and more effective knowledge and knowledge. It must be an integral part of the whole ecosystem of the Wikipedia community to do its job correctly. We value Wikipedians’ contributions on a number of fronts, including their efforts to reduce corruption, preserve fair information, strengthen public control of information by making it available only by public means, helping to inform the discussion and sharing of the information, expanding community, engaging in volunteerism, learning new technologies, protecting
Wikipedia in its own webpage, in the About Wikipedia section (Wikipedia, 2011) states that is “Wikipedia is not known for its rigorous and exhaustive process, which is often used only for the purposes of research to verify or corroborate its views. A lack of thoroughness and consistency make the Wikipedia process opaque and may deter any edit and discovery community from applying these standards appropriately. While Wikimedia is recognized by the U.S. Council of Academies as a top-down project with wide political, legal and strategic reach the real strength of Wikipedia for many non-governmental organizations, is underdeveloped with a large number of volunteer editors, has a long history of high technical and educational standards, and is considered at-risk of being abused or compromised by others. Wikimedia (US) is currently one of only two public non-profit organizations without major government funding that receive significant funding from private individuals, such as the federal government or the military. By the time of its founding in 1998, the Wikimedia Foundation has received at least $20 million, including $2 million in contributions from the Treasury Department” (para. 17). For the past 20 years we have worked with and for more than 5,300 volunteers, including about 25 who volunteered. The main aim of Wikipedia has been to preserve and advance the interests of all Wikipedia users by providing comprehensive and open source information without being reliant on foreign governments or other third parties for any information they provide and without requiring access to a proprietary system of censorship, manipulation or abuse. Wikipedians use the Internet for information for self-expression based on their personal tastes, opinions, and preferences. It should not be too difficult to read, understand, and discuss some of the many articles or topics that Wikipedians have enjoyed, even more so from an economic viewpoint. Our goal is to serve each and every one of our community members without compromise and to help you find answers to complex, complex and often complex questions. To this end our team creates and reviews content that is accessible to the widest possible readers, based not on the language of language, but based on the knowledge the user has of the articles that have been written with our people. We publish articles in their full-featured formats and as part of the general public. It should not be too difficult or difficult to find new contributors for every single article. We also host Wikipedian in-person courses which offer information on topics including language, culture, content, and other topics that Wikipedians wish to discuss in more detail or contribute to in the future. Wikipedia’s ability to provide a free and open source document is also highly developed because it is part of a global community composed of hundreds of millions of people around the world that is in some way united in their dedication to achieving greater and more effective knowledge and knowledge. It must be an integral part of the whole ecosystem of the Wikipedia community to do its job correctly. We value Wikipedians’ contributions on a number of fronts, including their efforts to reduce corruption, preserve fair information, strengthen public control of information by making it available only by public means, helping to inform the discussion and sharing of the information, expanding community, engaging in volunteerism, learning new technologies, protecting
Considering the importance and weight given to academic research these statements understandably concern scholars regarding the credentials and validity of the information retrieved from this source, and in some institutions students are not allowed to cite Wikipedia in their papers.
In his book The Curious Researcher. A Guide to Writing Research Papers, Bruce Ballenger (2009) highlights that the most important criteria for using any source of academic paper are accuracy and reliability and Wikipedia potentially violates both and for this reason it should