Evaluating the reliability of Wikipedia

Abstract

The appearance of internet has meant radical change in allwalks of life, leaving neither librarianship nor information science intact. The number ofinformation sources has grown, along with easier access to information, consequently onlineinformation acquisition has become more popular. Due to its numerous advantages, usersoften look for advice and answers on the web instead of conventional knowledge containers.However, the world of internet is full of dangers. Since there is no control mechanism on theinternet, the reliability of online documents is often questioned. Parallel to this, the process ofinformation acquisition has changed; much depends on individual information seekingbehaviour, as well as its methods and tools. It has become a goal of strategic significance forthe members of any information society to develop a critical approach related to computerliteracy. For the current study a specific criteria system was developed which facilitates theassessment of the reliability of Wikipedia. The choice was Wikipedia because of itspopularity, its encyclopaedic nature and increasing application in the field of education. Thisresearch is expected to help not only Wikipedia users, but will also be a useful aid for bothlibrarians and information professionals, for supporting efficiency in tomorrow’slibrary.