Wikipedia Friend Not Foe Summary

711 Words2 Pages

According to Darren Crovitz and W.Scott Smoot, authors of the article “Wikipedia Friend, Not Foe”, “Wikipedia provides a unique opportunity about writing for a real audience, meeting genre expectations, establishing credibility, revising for clarity and purpose, and entering public discussions about the nature of truth, accuracy, and neutrality”(www.ncte.org). Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that provides information on almost any topic. Understanding the various advantages that Wikipedia provides users with, makes it easy to see why so many seek to gain knowledge here. Even though Wikipedia has some drawbacks, students should be able to use Wikipedia because it is a revolutionary way to educate and inform students.
Some may argue, in …show more content…

Wikipedia provides users with the basic evidence needed to continue and advance the student’s research. In Darren Crovitz, a professor of English, and W. Scott Smoot’s article, “Wikipedia Friend, Not Foe,” they argue that the site is an “entry point into deeper” and higher level information. Although the material might not be the most advanced, Wikipedia can help the research phase by giving references to other sources throughout the page. This then allows the reader to gain clarity and deepen their understanding about the topic. Crovitz and Smoot go on to write that citations, along with footnotes, “provide contextual commentary” to each article. It is also common for articles to provide a link to an opposing viewpoint allowing students to further recognize different perspectives. Wikipedia’s ability to provide information to be used as a foundation for further research makes it a valuable resource for …show more content…

John Simonite states in his MIT Technology Review article, “The Decline of Wikipedia,” there were about 31,000 active editors in the summer of 2013. Wikipedia has a system governance where volunteers have their own roles: Administrators, Importers, and Oversighters. These roles work together to build Wikipedia into a reliable resource. If Wikipedia has thousands of volunteers editing and reviewing new or updated posts, then Wikipedia can be a credible source. If Wikipedia is a credible source, then students should be allowed to use Wikipedia for research. Therefore, if Wikipedia has thousands of volunteers editing new posts, then students should be able to use Wikipedia. The amount of correct information that most Wikipedia articles contain outweigh the few inaccuracies that may

Open Document