Just How Useful Is Wikipedia?

Question

My teacher said that wikipedia is wrong

Answer 1

Your teacher is both right and wrong! Wikipedia contains some very useful information, but like any information presented to us, its source needs to be examined before we can even begin to determine accuracy. Wikipedia also has the positive and negative aspect of being written and edited by anybody. This can be a bad thing in that anybody can say anything about any topic, but the upside is that there are umpteen million editors who can verify and change inaccuracies.
While the internet can provide a plethora of information, it also makes it easy for the spread of misinformation and inaccuracy. Just as we can find mistakes in newspapers, we can also find them on Wikipedia.
Check your sources of information, and find confirmation from other independent sources if possible before assuming anything you read or hear is accurate.

Answer 2

It's very useful, because it's user submitted information and there are many articles on things you wouldn't dream of. However there are disproportionately more info on popular topics, like Paris Hilton and very little on important historical figures. And you have to watch out for wrong information, I've found out lots so your teacher is right. Always cross check wikipedia with a different source. My most disturbing experience with wikipedia was when I was reading about Great Expectations and there was a whole paragaph about how Estella abused Pip in graphic detail. Really nasty. Fortunately users can delete material (which I did immediately.) But there should be a warning about this.

Answer 3

You should always double-check your sources, regardless of whether it is Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Brittanica. Wikipedia makes this easy by 1) showing web links to sources and 2) pointed out where in the articles a person does not have verifying resources linked. So, while there are always errors in sources, Wikipedia does make it simpler than normal to check sources and cross-reference, which is priceless for any reliable information that doesn't come from primary sources.

Answer 4

It is a useful tool, but don't take what is written there for the gospel. Say I edit wikipedia and write,"The sky is blue." Another editor can come behind me and change it to say, "The sky is green." We know that isn't true (unless some bizarre weather is occurring). An editor can change info on the site based on his/her own bias and not be impartial or not have the whole story. Your teacher is correct. I won't accept Wikipedia as a source when a student hands in a paper for that reason.

Answer 5

Wikipedia is a good starting place for research, but since anyone can add and edit it, it is not a reliable source. I use it to get started sometimes, or if I need info on something that does not need a scholarly reference. What you should probably do is start there, and then fact check at a government or education website (.gov or .edu). Those are the most reliable, and Wikipedia usually has links on their site.

Answer 6

Wikipedia can be very useful, but you have to understand it for what it is. It's an open-source, publicly edited, online encyclopedia. Anyone can add to it or edit the content, which means that the information may or may not be correct; no one is double-checking what's posted.

Use it to help start your research, but make sure you verify what you find. It's not always wrong, I've often found it to be right on the money, but I still confirm with other sources.

Answer 7

Most information on Wikipedia is ok, but it is a free source which means anyone can add to it or edit it with incorrect information. You are better off going to refdesk.com and picking out a closed reference encyclopedia. If you use Wikipedia , double check the information.

Answer 8

It's not wrong. You just have to be careful since anyone can edit the pages. They do, although, have administrators that monitor page edits so they keep false information away. But it still gets on there sometimes. Just be careful what you believe on Wikipedia. I actually edit Wikipedia and any page I edit I use only factual information.

Answer 9

Wikipedia is amazingly useful. Your teacher said Wikipidea was wrong because any one can edit it. But it has a very big dedicated community that usually finds and fixes errors.

Answer 10

A Wikipedia article can be written by ANYONE, so you just have to be careful. Perhaps you can start there, but you always want to find another source to back up what you've found there.