Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia containing a collection of articles from various authors. It is among the most popular websites globally. Most daily internet users access Wikipedia pages making the website stand out as a common source of essential information. Users can add new works or edit the contents of other users’ articles. According to Hasty et al., “Since its 2001 launch, Wikipedia has become the most popular general reference site on the Internet, ranking sixth globally based on Internet traffic” (368). With many volunteers around the world, Wikipedia has massive content that is distributed in different languages. The size and popularity of the platform make it a common source of general information for various people such as students
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Furthermore, anyone can edit information previously posted by others and add new views. Hasty et al. states that “Wikipedia’s prominence has been made possible by its fundamental design as a wiki, or collaborative database, allowing all users the ability to add, delete, and edit information at will” (368). Users can easily access Wikipedia and any misinformation can mislead many people. There have been various security issues concerning online information because vandalism has increasingly affected information channels. Thus, the credibility of Wikipedia sources is highly questionable in terms of correctness and security of information. Various professors have indicated that incomplete entrances have channeled misinformation on the website. In one instance, several students provided similar erroneous details sourced from Wikipedia. In another occasion, a group of students deliberately edited information in Wikipedia articles to prank their friends. Although they were later caught and restricted from editing, it shows that just anyone can post anything on the platform and mislead others. People adding information on Wikipedia may easily give false or misleading information leading to half-truth data. Such occurrences may lead to wrong details that mislead students when they apply the same information in their ERAU research papers. …show more content…
The unreliability of information in the website makes it hard to be acceptable for use as a valid source for research carried out by ERAU students. The students should rely on original sources rather than tertiary ones. The information contained in tertiary sources may be distorted. Nevertheless, Murley indicates that editors require verifiable online resources for an article to be accepted and subsequently be published (596). One of the important components of quality Wikipedia articles is the reliable online sources that the article cites from to enhance its reliability. The use of reliable articles from journals and other authentic online channels makes the information verifiable and reliable. Articles that properly meet this quality can be an excellent source of preliminary research information. However, misinformation has been witnessed several times because of negligence. A research student once posted a fake Wikipedia quotation of a renowned artist without reliable sources. Although the editorial team initially rejected the article, the post could remain. After some time, several major newspapers picked up the information and reported it without conducting further research. This indicates that despite the requirement of reliable sources in the articles posted, some contain misleading information that leads to misinformed sourcing of facts. ERAU students should use the encyclopedia as a guide for
Furthermore, anyone can edit information previously posted by others and add new views. Hasty et al. states that “Wikipedia’s prominence has been made possible by its fundamental design as a wiki, or collaborative database, allowing all users the ability to add, delete, and edit information at will” (368). Users can easily access Wikipedia and any misinformation can mislead many people. There have been various security issues concerning online information because vandalism has increasingly affected information channels. Thus, the credibility of Wikipedia sources is highly questionable in terms of correctness and security of information. Various professors have indicated that incomplete entrances have channeled misinformation on the website. In one instance, several students provided similar erroneous details sourced from Wikipedia. In another occasion, a group of students deliberately edited information in Wikipedia articles to prank their friends. Although they were later caught and restricted from editing, it shows that just anyone can post anything on the platform and mislead others. People adding information on Wikipedia may easily give false or misleading information leading to half-truth data. Such occurrences may lead to wrong details that mislead students when they apply the same information in their ERAU research papers. …show more content…
The unreliability of information in the website makes it hard to be acceptable for use as a valid source for research carried out by ERAU students. The students should rely on original sources rather than tertiary ones. The information contained in tertiary sources may be distorted. Nevertheless, Murley indicates that editors require verifiable online resources for an article to be accepted and subsequently be published (596). One of the important components of quality Wikipedia articles is the reliable online sources that the article cites from to enhance its reliability. The use of reliable articles from journals and other authentic online channels makes the information verifiable and reliable. Articles that properly meet this quality can be an excellent source of preliminary research information. However, misinformation has been witnessed several times because of negligence. A research student once posted a fake Wikipedia quotation of a renowned artist without reliable sources. Although the editorial team initially rejected the article, the post could remain. After some time, several major newspapers picked up the information and reported it without conducting further research. This indicates that despite the requirement of reliable sources in the articles posted, some contain misleading information that leads to misinformed sourcing of facts. ERAU students should use the encyclopedia as a guide for