Wikipedia: Ban It or Boost It

Wikipedia: Ban It or Boost It?
Karen Craig
EDU 533W Micaela Boesche


My Digital Immigrant status is confirmed with this assignment. I didn’t know what Wikipedia was or how it worked so I am glad to be learning about it now. In the past it seemed that whatever I was looking for on the internet, I started by searching key words in google, and I was often taken to Wikipedia. I would read it, and ignored, actually didn’t even notice, any warnings about the reliability of the page. I used it most recently while studying for the ORELA, and found that it was more accurate for my purposes than the $60 ORELA study guide I purchased at Barnes and Noble.
Doug Johnson says “The voice of the common man, vox populi, is being heard and heeded as a source of authentic, reliable information.” He goes on to explain that when selecting a hotel, he chooses based on this vox populi concept. This is great for choosing hotels, airlines, or buying a car. I also like the point Johnson makes about how up-to-date the information is on Wikipedia. It is being updated and edited constantly, and “Wikipedia may be one’s only reference source on recent technologies and events.” However for a research project with factual statements, a reliable resource is needed. If a student finds information on the site he or she would like to use for a project, then the information should be crossed checked.
As a Health Teacher I would not accept Wikipedia as the only reference for a research project. It is a good starting point, and may be a quick way for students to gather their thoughts and data. However, there are so many other great resources and websites out there, it should not be difficult to verify the information they find on Wikipedia. I believe that for a research paper a student should know who he or she is getting the facts from.
The article by Doug Johnson supports my view in one aspect as he says; “Basic references sources-whether Wikipedia or World Book-should b used to get a general overview of a topic or put a topic in context, not be used as a sole and final authoritative source.” I would base my policy on internet research on this statement. The information needs to be referenced to creditable sources that I would be able to easily check myself.