Every time I get assigned work, I feel like the first instruction I get is that Wikipedia is not to be used as a source or reference for the assignment. I understand why it is not regarded as a valuable source or credible information yet, as Wikipedia still has improvements to make in order to prove themselves as a totally reliable source of information, but I am beginning to feel that Wikipedia is improving as a research tool. In the past, I totally avoided using Wikipedia as a source of finding any information, academic or otherwise. However, more and more I do find myself accessing the site to find information about various different topics – from communication theories to rogue sharks in Australia. In my experience, I have found that the information is generally accepted as correct and accurate.
Although Wikipedia is a “wiki” and can be edited by anyone, there are rules and safeguarding practices that are in tact in order to ensure that information is accurate. With that being said, I think there is a greater amount of acceptance in the use of Wikipedia as a source of information currently. As a result there is more pressure on Wikipedia to ensure the information is accurate in order to protect their reputation. Do you think that Wikipedia is doing enough to ensure the information is accurate? If they were to do more, would it take away from the spirit of wikis? And lastly, Do you think that sooner than later students will be able to openly use Wikipedia as a source of information?
Personally, the first site i will look for information of new stuff is Wikipedia. I know Wikipedia is not accepted as reference or bibliography in academic, but it gives me an overall understanding about the new thing. Though Wikipedia might not have good reputation in academic world, it is widely used by millions of people. To protect its reputation, it can hire experts from different fields as consultants to monitor the content on Wikipedia. Wikipedia, however, is hardly accepted by academia because it is not an orthodox reference and is hard to have standard answers with people constantly editing.
ReplyDeleteI think any college student can safely say that Wikipedia is their first and major tool when writing a research paper. I always back up the information using other sites but after reading how much credibility on Wikipedia has improved I think it should be an acceptable source for a research paper. In fact, it is more credible than other books or sites on the web because of how many people actually do edit it. I feel like professors think it is too easy to say that Wikipedia can be used because it literally covers everything on every topic, there is no need to find another source.
ReplyDeleteAs with everything in life, perception is everything. First impressions rule the world, and sadly for Wikipedia, it might take years for the company to gather credibility as a reliable source of information. I feel like, contrary t what you said at the beginning of your entry, I do go to Wikipedia for a first contact whenever I am assigned any sort of work. On the other hand, I only take the information there as an introduction, with facts or details that I might want to confirm later. It might take some time for the site to grow, but I feel like that growth won’t be recognized or perceived unless they make some sort of visual change that indicates that change and evolution are part of the site.
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