Wikipedia tells us that it is a free online encyclopaedia in multiple languages, written, edited and maintained by volunteers. It was launched in January 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger as an American non-profit venture that would not host any ads. Wikipedia has succeeded in staying like that. But is it as dependable as the Encyclopaedia Britannica? And if not, why so? Let’s find out.
Pros of using Wikipedia
Let’s start with the sunny side and see what’s so good about Wikipedia.
Cons of using Wikipedia
Since Wikipedia is so attractive, accessible and easy to use, students started copying and pasting information from it without verifying the sources and citations, and in some cases, without even reading the entry. Therefore, quoting Wikipedia as source is no more accepted in for academic purposes. What are the cons that led to this?