W8.1 April 22 (Mon)—CHENG SHIYI

1.Summary

 Wikipedia, the world's largest online encyclopedia, is one of the main sources of knowledge and information for people. Its uniqueness lies in its openness and collaborative nature. This paper begins by introducing us to Wikipedia's source policy and verifiability policy. It emphasizes the need for Wikipedia articles to be based on reliable published sources and to cover the majority and significant minority viewpoints in those sources. This is followed by a specific description of Wikipedia's source policy, which has:

  • Definition of a source.Articles must be based on reliable, independent, open sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy.
  • Definition of published.Examples include books, articles, authors, publishers, etc. Any of these may affect the reliability of the source.
  • Context matters.The reliability of a source depends on the context. Each source must be carefully weighed to determine its reliability.
  • Context relates to specific facts, not just the source.The same source may be reliable for one fact and unreliable for another.
  • Age matters.Older sources may be inaccurate, so newer, more up-to-date sources are prioritized in scientific, academic and other fields.

 The second part is an introduction to Wikipedia's requirements and caveats for the use of various sources:

  • Scholarship.Including there:Prefer secondary sources, Reliable scholarship, Dissertations, Citation counts, Isolated studies, POV and peer review in journals, Predatory journals, Preprints.
  • News organizations.News reports are usually reliable, but lesser-known media reports may not be reliable enough, and editorials and opinion pieces should be treated with caution.
  • News aggregators.Prioritize links from the original source over links from aggregators.
  • Vendor and e-commerce sources.Try to avoid using e-commerce links as sources unless used to validate specific content.
  • Biased or opinionated sources.Although potentially biased, they can still serve as reliable sources in some cases, and editors should carefully consider their compliance with the requirements of a reliable source.
 Part III describes how this text mentions a number of unreliable sources of information, such as questionable sources, sponsored content, symposia and supplements to scholarly journals, self-published materials, and user-generated content, which may lack editorial oversight and independent review, and which are not suitable as reliable sources of information.

 Part IV describes Reliability in specific contexts, which includes having:

  • Biographies of living persons.
  • Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
  • Medical claims
  • Fringe theories
  • Quotations
  • Academic consensus
  • Usage by other sources
  • Statements of opinion
  • Breaking news
  • Headlines
 The last section describes that deprecated sources are sources that have been explicitly discouraged on Wikipedia. They may have serious factual accuracy issues, such as fabricating history or spreading unfounded conspiracy theories. Editors should avoid using deprecated sources to support factual claims, and comments on their opinions should come from independent secondary sources.
 Overall, according to this paper's for Wikipedia Reliable Sources Policy found that Wikipedia's requirement for every sentence to be backed by a reliable source is to ensure the accuracy, credibility and authority of its content. This policy is one of the keys to Wikipedia's successful operation and one of the major reasons why it is one of the most popular online encyclopedias in the world. By strictly adhering to this rule, Wikipedia is able to provide users with high-quality knowledge and information, and promote the sharing and dissemination of knowledge, thus making it easier for people to access the knowledge and information they need.

2.Interesting Point

Wikipedia, as an electronic publication, can update its content quickly, but it is not a newspaper and does not need to report all the details of an event instantly. Instead, Wikipedia takes a cautious approach, advising editors to wait a day or two to ensure that enough information has been gathered and to verify the veracity of an event.

3.Discussion

How are Wikipedia's criteria for what sources are considered reliable developed and updated? Have these criteria changed over time?

Comments

  1. Huang YanhanApril 27, 2024 at 4:56 AM

    Wikipedia's criteria for determining reliable sources are developed and updated through community collaboration and ongoing assessment. These criteria have evolved over time to adapt to changes in technology, publishing practices, and societal trust dynamics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ZHANG RUIQINGApril 27, 2024 at 5:27 AM

    Wikipedia's criteria for reliable sources are developed and updated by the Wikipedia community. These standards may be adapted and updated over time to reflect developments in knowledge and changes in society. For example, the authority and reliability of certain sources may change as new research results and scholarly opinions emerge. The Wikipedia community regularly reviews and updates these standards to ensure the quality and credibility of Wikipedia content.

    ReplyDelete
  3. HUANGQIHAOJune 9, 2024 at 1:11 AM

    One of the criticisms of Wikipedia's verifiability policy may be that while such a policy ensures the accuracy and trustworthiness of content, it can also cause the editing process to become more complex and time-consuming, thus affecting the timely updating of content and the efficiency of editing

    ReplyDelete
  4. HUANGQIHAOJune 9, 2024 at 1:11 AM

    Another comment might be that this policy is one of the key factors in making Wikipedia one of the most popular online encyclopedias in the world, as it ensures that users can trust and rely on the information Wikipedia provides.

    ReplyDelete

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