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On Trusting Wikipedia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

P. D. Magnus
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Abstract

Given the fact that many people use Wikipedia, we should ask: Can we trust it? The empirical evidence suggests that Wikipedia articles are sometimes quite good but that they vary a great deal. As such, it is wrong to ask for a monolithic verdict on Wikipedia. Interacting with Wikipedia involves assessing where it is likely to be reliable and where not. I identify five strategies that we use to assess claims from other sources and argue that, to a greater of lesser degree, Wikipedia frustrates all of them. Interacting responsibly with something like Wikipedia requires new epistemic methods and strategies.

Type
Research Article
Information
Episteme , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 74 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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