The Internet can feel like a seemingly endless black hole of information. Thankfully Google and other search engines make information more accessible and findable, but you still have to carefully discriminate fact from almost-fact and fiction. For many topics, Google search engine result pages include links to Wikipedia. It sounds credible enough-almost like an encyclopedia-but exactly what is it?
What is Wikipedia? Wikipedia combines the Hawaiian word “wiki,” meaning “fast,” with encyclopedia. Because of the wikipedia bahasa indonesia phenomenon, a new meaning for wiki has evolved, and it now can refer to any website or effort that is built through collaboration of a larger community. So, wikipedia is a quick-reference, online encyclopedia built through the collaboration of multiple contributors.
Who Can You Trust? “Multiple contributors” means anyone and everyone. The only requirement is signing up for a free Wikipedia account. You can start new pages about unfound topics or edit existing entries about everything from historic events to celebrities and pop culture. Right now, your neighbor, or even your neighbor’s kid, could be editing a Wikipedia article about the Byzantine navy.
Don’t panic yet. It’s much more likely that a renowned historian studying the Byzantine Empire created the article. It’s also very likely that the historian’s colleagues or students have found the article, added helpful information, edited existing information and created a reliable source of information.
Wikipedia has several policies and self-governing processes in place to help prevent or quickly correct inaccurate information. Contributors must protect their reputations to avoid getting blocked from the site. Anyone can view a history of all edits by all contributors giving you a step by step look at the articles evolution. If necessary, you can use this history to draw your own conclusions about the stated facts.
Some facts may be open to interpretation, and Wikipedia is a way for people with opposing views to work out their differences and reach a compromise, so be aware that any article you view could be in the midst of this type of editing.
Is it a Primary Source? There probably isn’t a lot of new information coming out about the Byzantine navy, but edits and updates to pages about Michael Jackson and General Motors have been flying fast and furiously. Since the quality and reliability of articles can vary greatly, Wikipedia tries to alert users of possible misinformation by posting system-generated messages at the top of articles that may be missing references or include information that is too new to trust.
Follow reference links in articles is a way to check facts against a more primary source. When used, reference links appear within articles as a superscript number in brackets. Click on the number and the page will jump down to show you the original source of the information.
Another option for noobies who prefer more original sources of information is to scroll to the bottom of an article and look for “Further Reading” or “External Links,” which should take you to helpful books, articles and websites. This is a great way to jump-start your own research.
Wikipedia vs. Encyclopedia Companies like World Book and Britannica still print encyclopedias, but they’ve also had to reinvent their business models to include online components. For some noobies, there will always be a modicum of credibility for any information that gets printed and bound. But, the reality is that encyclopedias only get printed once a year, which means much of the information they contain is outdated before coming off the presses. And, at more than $1,000 a set, you’re not likely to reinvest in new tomes every year.
Besides, think back to the Wikipedia article about the Byzantine navy. Wikipedia could potentially give you access to expert research and resources that you otherwise may only have uncovered after years as a doctoral student. And when you want a bit of information about recent events or popular culture, you may find Wikipedia more helpful than a search engine. You’ll be glad someone else cared enough to contribute their knowledge-especially people with intimate knowledge or fist-hand experiences.
Wiki What? The popularity of Wikipedia has spawned a whole genre of wikis-sites built with content contributed by community participants. The Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit entity that created Wikipedia, has other wiki projects, including Wiktionary, Wikiquote and Wikibooks. All of its projects are available to the public free of charge, and the company relies on tax-deductible donations to cover its operating costs.
Exploring Wikipedia Are you ready to start exploring? Not sure where to start? The Wikipedia home page features an article a day and highlights facts from newer entries. If you get bored with one topic, simply click “Random Article” in the left navigation bar of every page. You can instantly dive into a new, surprisingly interesting topic-like the Byzantine navy. Before you know it, you’ll be the next noobie to say, “I love Wikipedia!”
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