Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
The Democratization of Information? |
| Authors: |
Wallace, Danny P., Van Fleet, Connie |
| Source: |
Reference & User Services Quarterly. Winter2005, Vol. 45 Issue 2, p100-103. 4p. |
| Subjects: |
Electronic encyclopedias, Electronic reference sources, Electronic information resources, Reference sources, Information resources, Encyclopedias & dictionaries |
| Abstract: |
The article discusses the concept of a democratized reference resource promoted by Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, an online information resource whose data is provided by users. The six fundamental evaluation criteria for reference sources include purpose, authority, scope, audience, cost and format. A brief examination of Wikipedia in light of those criteria is offered. The outcome of the evaluation should be of no surprise to dedicated Wikipedians, the people who write and edit articles for Wikipedia--the value of Wikipedia may lie entirely in the democratic circumstances under which its articles are created and revised. |
| Database: |
Engineering Source |
