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Wikipedia Strengths
Strengths
- "Wikiality"
Citizen authored content – anyone can create or edit articles.
- Strong in areas of popular culture, current affairs and science
(see I Want My Wikipedia! article published in Library Journal)
- "Self-correcting"
Wikipedia is constantly improving, as Wikipedians can correct errors in seconds!
With time, articles seem to get better and better.
- Convenient
- Free
Many other online encyclopedias are not.
For more strengths see:
Why Wikipedia is So Great
(According to Wikipedia)
Wikipedia Weaknesses
- "Wikiality"
Are scholars or experts in the field writing and editing these entries? Take your chances.
Some wikipedia contributors have even faked their credentials!
- Entries have errors
Entries may be disorganized, have duplications, and be inconsistent.
Take a look at the long list of Wikipedia articles needing factual verification.
Wikipedia itself makes no guarantee of validity!
- Not definitive
Founder Jimmy Wales notes, “It’s good enough knowledge, depending on what your purpose is.”
- A work in progress
Wikipedia does not declare any of its articles to be "complete" or "finished."
For more weaknesses see:
Why Wikipedia is Not So Great
(According to Wikipedia)