The Debate Concerning Wikipedia: Is Wikipedia Quotable?

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Recommended: Is wikipedia a reputable source

Wikipedia has been the subject of considerable debate for some time now. Some think the site is not quotable, while others argue that it is. Many teachers do not accept Wikipedia pages as a source of information, because anybody can add information to such pages. However, this policy of everybody being able to add has changed, and the present-day Wikipedia team works hard to prevent inaccuracies on their website. Wikipedia pages nowadays indicate the sources of information. Moreover, Wikipedia pages are checked on inaccuracies. Furthermore, Wikipedia is more up-to-date than any encyclopaedia in book form. Additionally, Wikipedia covers more topics than a regular encyclopaedia. Wikipedia is therefore a useful source of information.

First of all, Wikipedia articles include a works cited list with the sources. At the end of every web page is a reference list. The page about London, for example, has a list of 214 articles or books that were quoted (“London” par 11). After every quote or paraphrased sentence a link is placed to the relevant reference. The reference is also clickable, so that the reader can look up the article. When a source is lacking, a note is placed on top of the page, indicating that “[t]his article does not cite any references or sources” (“Henry” par 1). This can be seen on the page about King Henry VII, where there is only one footnote representing a source (“Henry” par 9). There are not enough sources quoted, so an editor has placed a note on top of the page to show that this page is not fully trustable. Concluding, Wikipedia pages are useful, because their works cited list makes them reliable. The lack of a source is noted, so that the reader is fully aware of possible false information.

Second of all, a te...

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...07. 9 March 2009.

< http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2007/07/death_on_wikipedia.html>

“Henry VII of England”. Wikipedia. 5 March 2009. 9 March 2009. < http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Henry_VII_of_England>

O’Leary, Mick. “Wikipedia: Encyclopdedia or not?”. Information Today. Vol. 22 Issue 8.

p49-53. September 2005. 8 March 2009.

“List of Wikipedias”. Wikipedia. 4 March 2009. 9 March 2009. wiki/List_of_Wikipedias> “London”. Wikipedia. 9 March 2009. 9 March 2009.

“Wikipedia”. Wikipedia. 8 March 2009.

“Wikipedia: Protection Policy”. Wikipedia. 8 March 2009. 9 March 2009.

< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Protection_policy>

“Wikipedia survives research test”. BBC News. 15 December 2005. 8 March 2009.

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

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