Wikipedia is an online data source. It is where most people can edit and provide information on any topic and most of it all, it is free for all to use and add information. Many times I and other scholars have been told that Wikipedia is an unreliable source for credible information, especially when this info is being used for research essays and other information outlets that are used to educate others. Even with all this, I still find myself looking to Wikipedia for quick and easily accessible information especially since its the first search response result to come up when I type a word or phrase on Google. This is why I was delighted to be part of the Wikipedia assignment designed by Dawn Bazely for the Biology 4095 course. In my experience, I was opportuned to edit three public pages and through it all, I learned a lot about these topics while also making sure to provide references. The problem most people have with Wikipedia is that since it is free and online, anyone from a regular individual to a PhD holding individual can add information irrespective of their level of expertise in the topic or their ability to gather credible information on the topic. This is why we all have been warned about obtaining information from there. This assignment, however, helped me learn more about Wikipedia and also practise my citation skills. The training modules on Wikipedia Edu also provided more insight on how to use Wikipedia to provide correct and useful information. I was enlightened on the different types of pages on Wikipedia, an information I was unaware of prior to this assignment. Steps on how to properly edit a page and navigate Wikipedia was also a skill I mastered. Adding pictures was an asset for me in editing the pages and I am glad I was able to lean how to do that. Going through the dashboard for Wikipedia was also very easy and quick.
All in all, Wikipedia is not such a bad online source, we all just need to know how to use it for good and to our own advantage. If everyone knew how to properly use and edit a Wikipedia page with the people training and guide, then maybe it can one day be considered a credible source to gather information.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 