Wikipedia Crediable?
- Submitted by: Latice82
- Views: 529
- Category: Other
- Date Submitted: 10/16/2011 04:04 PM
- Pages: 5
- Report this Essay
Is Wikipedia a credible and valid source of information?
Wikipedia, an international free web-based encyclopedia, offers a wide range of information that is posted, edited, and cited by everyday people. People, such as college students and professional experts, are monitoring and contributing their knowledge to ensure that Wikipedia remains a reputable source of accurate information. Wikipedia has become a very easy and popular source used to retrieve information; for it is almost guaranteed to find an article on any subject matter. In addition, Wikipedia comes with the ease of providing hyperlinks, citations, and discussion forums to support information published. It is protested that Wikipedia’s greatest strength, is that it provides speedy updates of information within minutes. Editor, Alexander Halavais, tested this theory when he submitted a very in-depth and lengthy entry. He reported that within three hours, 13 errors had been corrected (Reference Services Review, 2008). This online encyclopedia truly meets the expectation of its name “Wiki,” which in Hawaiian means “quickly” (Christian Science Monitor, 2006). With the advantages that Wikipedia has to offer, the question of whether or not it is a reliable source of information still remains; yet with a very obvious answer: Wikipedia allows users to supply information without the support of verifying each user’s expertise; therefore, it cannot be accredited as a credible and valid source of information.
The fact that everyone has access to edit, alter, and even delete information posted to Wikipedia at any given time, only ensures that information must be constantly verified for its’ validly. This online encyclopedia cannot provide any proof that its online community is a community of people with upstanding credentials or experts with trustworthy knowledge of the topic at hand. Wikipedia states on its’ own website that information posted should not be considered as a creditable source. It...
Wikipedia, an international free web-based encyclopedia, offers a wide range of information that is posted, edited, and cited by everyday people. People, such as college students and professional experts, are monitoring and contributing their knowledge to ensure that Wikipedia remains a reputable source of accurate information. Wikipedia has become a very easy and popular source used to retrieve information; for it is almost guaranteed to find an article on any subject matter. In addition, Wikipedia comes with the ease of providing hyperlinks, citations, and discussion forums to support information published. It is protested that Wikipedia’s greatest strength, is that it provides speedy updates of information within minutes. Editor, Alexander Halavais, tested this theory when he submitted a very in-depth and lengthy entry. He reported that within three hours, 13 errors had been corrected (Reference Services Review, 2008). This online encyclopedia truly meets the expectation of its name “Wiki,” which in Hawaiian means “quickly” (Christian Science Monitor, 2006). With the advantages that Wikipedia has to offer, the question of whether or not it is a reliable source of information still remains; yet with a very obvious answer: Wikipedia allows users to supply information without the support of verifying each user’s expertise; therefore, it cannot be accredited as a credible and valid source of information.
The fact that everyone has access to edit, alter, and even delete information posted to Wikipedia at any given time, only ensures that information must be constantly verified for its’ validly. This online encyclopedia cannot provide any proof that its online community is a community of people with upstanding credentials or experts with trustworthy knowledge of the topic at hand. Wikipedia states on its’ own website that information posted should not be considered as a creditable source. It...