Tag Archives: Wikipedia

Is Wikipedia a good source? 2 college librarians explain when to use the online encyclopedia – and when to avoid it

Is Wikipedia a good source? 2 college librarians explain when to use the online encyclopedia – and when to avoid it

What comes to mind when you think of Wikipedia? Maybe you think of clicking link after link to learn about a topic, followed by another topic and then another. Or maybe you’ve heard a teacher or librarian tell you that what you read on Wikipedia isn’t reliable. As research and instruction librarians, we know people have concerns about […] … learn more→

Wikipedia, a Professor\’s best friend

Michael Gorman, a former president of the American Library Association, wrote some years ago that \”a professor who encourages the use of Wikipedia is the intellectual equivalent of a dietitian who recommends a steady diet of Big Macs with everything.\” If that is true, I must be an intellectual fast-food vendor. I am a professor […] … learn more→

Wikipedia\’s policies force mass exodus of new editors

The self-proclaimed \”free encyclopedia that anyone can edit\” could be in violation of the deceptive statements provision set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, according to a recent study published by the journal \”American Behavioral Scientist\”. Three PhD students, led by Aaron Halfaker of the University of Minnesota, released their findings after conducting a four-year […] … learn more→

Crowd-sourcing — accurately!

Many popular sites, such as Wikipedia and Tripadvisor, rely on public participation to gather information — a process known as crowd data sourcing. While this kind of collective intelligence is often valuable, it is also fallible, and policing such sites for inaccuracies and offensive material is a costly undertaking. But not for long. Prof. Tova […] … learn more→

KSU and KASCT to collaborate on Wikipedia translation program

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed a memorandum of understanding with King Saud University (KSU) for the translation of Wikipedia articles into Arabic, an agreement that was formalized by Dr. Abdulaziz M. Al-Swailem, KACST Vice President for Scientific Research Support, and Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, KSU Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and […] … learn more→