Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia containing millions of articles. Anyone can write and edit the articles. This is seen by some as a weakness and by others as a strength. You can never be sure that the information is not biased, out of date or simply incorrect.
Wikipedia's supporters claim that the fact that so many people are constantly reviewing and updating the articles means that any inaccuracies are quickly spotted and corrected.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Freely available |
Anyone can contribute, whether an expert or not |
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Some entries can be the most up to date information available on obscure issues |
Can be heavily biased |
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History of discussion on some topics which indicates the author’s point of view |
Can be of substandard quality, subject to misinformation and error
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May have useful references to follow up |
Articles can be the target of deliberate misrepresentation or ‘vandalism’
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Jisc and Wikimedia UK are currently collaborating on a project to bring the academic world and Wikipedia closer together. |
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