Wikipedia is an online free content encyclopedia project helping create a world in which everyone can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. It is supported by the Wikimedia Foundation and based on a model of freely editable content.
Why Wikipedia is a bad source?
However, citation of Wikipedia in research papers may be considered unacceptable, because Wikipedia is not a reliable source . ... This is because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any moment. Although when an error is recognized, it is usually fixed.
What is Wikipedia used for?
Wikipedia's purpose is to benefit readers by acting as a widely accessible and free encyclopedia ; a comprehensive written compendium that contains information on all branches of knowledge.
Can Wikipedia be trusted?
Wikipedia is not a reliable source for citations elsewhere on Wikipedia. Because it can be edited by anyone at any time, any information it contains at a particular time could be vandalism, a work in progress, or just plain wrong. ... Wikipedia generally uses reliable secondary sources , which vet data from primary sources.
What are the disadvantages of Wikipedia?
- The software can be too difficult for non-technical users to on-board.
- You have a limited search function.
- Sharing information outside your wiki is almost impossible.
- As anyone can make changes in your content, you can't maintain consistency in your knowledge base.
What is the main function of Wikipedia?
Wikipedia's purpose is to benefit readers by acting as a widely accessible and free encyclopedia ; a comprehensive written compendium that contains information on all branches of knowledge.
What are the features of Wikipedia?
- Create a page. To contribute to a Wiki, you'll start by creating a page. ...
- Edit a page. Published pages can be edited by anyone that reads them. ...
- Link between pages. Linking between Wiki pages makes it easier for readers to find secondary materials they may need, especially as your Wiki grows.
Is Britannica better than Wikipedia?
Wikipedia scored highest on all criteria except readability, and the authors concluded that Wikipedia is as good as or better than Britannica and a standard textbook.
How accurate is Wikipedia 2019?
They found that while Wikipedia articles were rated at 83.8 percent for completeness, the information published in the articles was 99.7 percent accurate .
Is Wikipedia information accurate?
“The study did reveal inaccuracies in eight of the nine entries and exposed major flaws in at least two of the nine Wikipedia articles. Overall, Wikipedia's accuracy rate was 80 percent compared with 95-96 percent accuracy within the other sources.”
Does Wikipedia Make Money?
Wikipedia makes money via donations, investments, as well as merchandise sales . In the future, it plans to launch an API that charges enterprises a fee for access to its data. Founded in 2001, Wikipedia has grown to become one of the world's most-frequented websites.
What is an alternative to Wikipedia?
Britannica , formerly the most referenced encyclopedia on earth, offers up expert summaries of a wide range of topics online. Though it's been overshadowed by Wikipedia's crowd-sourced approach in recent years, Encyclopedia Britannica is still one of the most respected reference works in the world.
Can you get in trouble for changing Wikipedia?
But if you persist with vandalism (or you make an account just to vandalize), you may be blocked indefinitely or completely banned from editing Wikipedia, and will be unable to create another account from your IP address. ... Any pages that you vandalize may get protected, making it harder for others to edit legitimately.
What is the benefit of Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is a great place to start your research , giving you background information on your topic and possible keywords to help you conduct more in-depth research elsewhere. 4. Sources used in the articles are cited, allowing further investigation into any topic.
What are the pros and cons of using Wikipedia?
The big pro is that there is likely to be an entry for what ever it is you're searching for. The big con is that the information on that page might not be accurate. Like all sources of information (and particularly those on the web) you have to treat it with a healthy dose of scepticism .
What are the benefits of having a Wikipedia page?
Wikipedia page helps you grab more eyeballs as it is often rank on the first page of almost all search engines. It is kind of an SEO that is free of cost! Wikipedia plays a huge role in buying decisions of customers because people use it at least occasionally as a reference source.
