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Writing an Argument

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Wikipedia is a popular online encyclopedia that many rely on as a source for information. However, there are others that question whether the encyclopedia can be cited as a valid and credible source. This argument is based on Learning Team C’s debate on whether Wikipedia is a valid and credible source for information. The viewpoints from both sides will be examined and a conclusion will be drawn as to why Wikipedia is not a credible and valid source for information.
Credible
According to Lizz Shepherd, a freelance writer, Wikipedia has one of the best Google page ranks of any site in the world and is in the top 10 of Alexa. Regardless of what you search for, the Wikipedia entry is probably in the top three results for that topic. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that allows its users to edit and remove content from any page. Because Wikipedia allows its users to change information brings frequent questions about the validity of the information on its pages. The Encyclopedia Britannica is one of the few sources that most people agree on for reliable, accurate information. Encyclopedia Britannica is considered the standard for finding accurate information. In an attempt to compare accuracy, the journal Nature ran a large-scale test of the information in Wikipedia entries versus the same entries in Encyclopedia Britannica (Shepherd, 2010). Nature’s results of the test revealed that both sources had numerous errors, Wikipedia, 2.86% and Encyclopedia Britannica, 2.92% per article. After Nature’s study, Wikipedia hired page editors to raise their accuracy rate. Wikipedia have editors to ensure the facts contained on a page are backed up by linked resources that can be verified. The reviewing of a peer-reviewed study that “42% of damage is repaired almost immediately proves that information changed and restored is what’s supposed to make Wikipedia a credible source.
Not Credible “Wikipedia is free to use and contains pages about everything from protozoa to pop culture, but its accuracy is often debated” (Shepherd, 2010). It uses wiki software, which allows users to edit, add, and remove content from any pages. The reliability of the information is frequently questioned because users are allowed to make changes to the pages. After Natures test on accuracy between Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, the company hired page editors for certain topics to boost their accuracy rate and keep public edits to the pages under review (Shepherd, 2010). In 2009, page editors were assigned to celebrity entries for an even higher accuracy rate; edits to these pages are monitored by editors to keep libelous and untrue information from being added about living people. Is this enough to make Wikipedia credible and valid?
Analysis
Both sides made valid points when arguing their case. The side that agrees that Wikipedia is credible and valid based their argument on the fact that the use of new software eliminates false information and catch potential threats makes them a reliable source for information. The side that agrees Wikipedia is not credible based their argument on the fact that users are allowed to add, edit, and remove information cannot be declared credible and valid as a source for information.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am against using Wikipedia as a credible source for information because there is no guarantee that the information is accurate, the words of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a popular online encyclopedia that allows its users to add, edit, and remove information from its pages. It is for that reason that many teachers inform their students that information from this site will not be accepted. Any site that claims to have information but, is not directly associated with a topic its credibility and validity is questionable.

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