Go ahead and use Wikipedia for research

Dismiss the online encyclopedia no longer. It may just be one of the most reliable sources on the internet.

By Sam Wineburg and Nadav Ziv

Boston Globe

Updated

October 17, 2024

In their article "Go Ahead and Use Wikipedia for Research" (published on October 17, 2024), Sam Wineburg and Nadav Ziv argue that Wikipedia has evolved into a highly reliable and valuable resource, especially for educational and research purposes. Despite its initial reputation as an unreliable source, Wikipedia has grown through the years to become a rigorously self-correcting platform that uses transparency, evidentiary standards, and community oversight to ensure the accuracy of its content. Educators and researchers are increasingly finding value in the website as a reliable reference.

Wikipedia’s Evolution and Guardrails

When Wikipedia was first launched in 2001, it was met with skepticism. Concerns arose over its crowdsourced nature, which allowed anyone with an internet connection to edit its pages. In the early years, there were legitimate issues, including politically motivated edits and instances of misinformation, such as the case of Russian agents altering information about the MH17 flight crash. Criticism of Wikipedia often compared it unfavorably to traditional encyclopedias like Britannica, which were seen as more credible due to their curated, expert-reviewed content.

Over time, however, Wikipedia has implemented multiple layers of oversight to improve its reliability. These include bots that monitor changes, alerts for edits to controversial topics, and restrictions on editing certain pages, especially high-profile or contentious entries like those about political figures. The myth that "anyone can edit" Wikipedia remains persistent, but in practice, many pages are protected from changes by unverified users.

Reliability and Use in Professional Settings

The authors emphasize that Wikipedia’s transparency is one of its strongest assets. Each page has a "Talk" section where editors openly discuss changes, ensuring accountability and collective review. For example, on Wikipedia pages dealing with complex topics, such as the "Israel-Hamas war," there are extensive debates about phrasing and sources. Wikipedia also adheres to strict rules that require every claim to be backed by external references, which allows users to trace information back to its source.

Due to these safeguards, professionals from various fields, including journalists and doctors, regularly use Wikipedia for fact-checking and quick reference. This evolution in its usage is supported by research that shows Wikipedia now serves as an essential tool for fact-checkers in news organizations. Its reliability is attributed to the transparency of its editing process and the stringent requirement for citations.

Comparison to AI Tools

The authors argue that Wikipedia’s transparent and traceable nature offers a model for future artificial intelligence tools. They caution that current AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, often provide information without citing sources, making it difficult for users to verify the accuracy of the information they receive. This lack of transparency is a significant drawback compared to Wikipedia, where the origin of every fact can be traced. Wineburg and Ziv suggest that the development of AI tools should strive to meet the "Wikipedia test," a standard based on transparency, evidence, and collective human wisdom.

Conclusion

Wineburg and Ziv advocate for educators and students to embrace Wikipedia as a reliable research tool. As it continues to refine its processes and incorporate user feedback, Wikipedia provides a transparent and community-driven platform that offers valuable resources. Furthermore, they propose that the principles that make Wikipedia successful—transparency, traceability, and collective human intelligence—should serve as a model for AI development in education and other fields.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com