Wikipedia's Accuracy

[oppp7]

So my old school didn't accept Wikipedia as a source due to the possibility of it being edited, and I doubt my college is different. How accurate do you think Wikipedia is? Ever found false information(not vandalism)?

 

[Robert632]

It's far more accurate then you'd think, but I still don't trust it completetly.

 

[Nunny]

Its generaly accurate, but not accurate enough to be a credible source or something like that.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Don't use Wikipedia as a source, that's just lazy. But the site is mostly accurate.

 

[Ledan]

even if it were accurate, it's an encyclopedia. They don't cover in-depth info, and are meant to be used as a stepping stone.
That said, I find it pretty accurate.

 

[Mozza444]

It's great for getting the general idea on something, just not as accurate for the smaller facts.
It's very good just don't trust it completely.

 

[Tethalaki]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4530930.stm

From: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html


Yes, it's accurate, no you can't ever use it as a reference.

 

[Zacharine]

Fairly accurate, I would say. But I rarely if ever trust wikipedia as a source, and never use it with anything even halfway serious such as a short university language-class presentation. Rather, I directly check the sources referenced by wikipedia, or go for actual books/sites I objectively know to be trustworthy (such a internet journals or articles of peer-reviewd papers.)

 

[mad825]

If you are ever going to use Wikipeaia as a source, do not take the information off it directly however do go the sources that they provide and check to see if the site is reasonably accurate then copy that.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Wikipedia is a very accurate site, however, due the fact that it can be edited into anything it's not an accepted source material for college and high school papers.

 

[thahat]

its as accurate as a balistic pie.
hmmm.
pieeeeee..

 

[Fists]

I'm not sure what level of education your at thanks to every country using different terms for each level but my assignments now require references to be from published, peer-reviewed, journals. The reason wiki isnt suitable because the content isnt necessarily written or checked by people with "credentials"

 

[deth2munkies]

It's 99.9% accurate. Just go to the bottom, click on the cites, and cite them.

 

[RobThePrezodent]

it's ok for getting a general overview of something, but not as a historical source or anything. It tends to be quite full of opinion, so i don't tend to use it that much

 

[Anthropaphagi]

The universities I've worked for and attended will not accept Wikipedia as a reliable source because the information is not peer reviewed and anyone can add content. Students are therefore discouraged from using it for anything other than a quick search to give them an idea of information that *MAY* be available on a topic. If it shows up in an actual assignment, students are graded accordingly.

Part of being a student, particularly at University level, is being able to critically evaluate sources, and while peer reviewed journals are far from objective in what they may publish, at least most attempt to ensure the work is of a particular quality and accuracy.

 

[Acidwell]

What i do is i use it as a starting point. It gives you the basic information and where to look for more/what topics to follow. Then go with that to a "proper" source.

 

[Blind Sight]

Use wikipedia to find other sources, that's what it comes in handy for in college, read the information, then go down to the citations and see if its legitimate. It's usually fairly accurate, and a lot of articles have very good backing.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'll tell you what I tell everybody asking this: No, Wikipedia isn't 100% reliable. And if you can find a source that is, I'd reckon there's some sort of Nobel Prize for people like you.