Monday, January 30, 2012
Encyclopedia vs. Wikipedia
Since we didn't have class on this I will just go off of what I personally know about both of these sources. Some pros about encyclopedias are that they are a reliable source. They also have been around for a long time and you can find a lot of information inside of them. A con about encyclopedias is that you aren't able to check them out so you can only use them when you are in the library. Some pros about wikipedia are that you don't have to go to the library to look at a book you can just go online and everything is there for you. It is very convenient. Some cons about wikipedia are that it isn't such a reliable source as the encyclopedia. Anyone can write something in the internet and you cant always believe what is on it. Wikipedia is a website that anyone can make changes to if they don't feel like the information on it is correct or credible. I didn't look for print or E-encyclopedias because I wasn't really sure how to. I am anxious to learn how to find them because I want to learn more things about my population.
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Hi Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post which shares your initial impressions about encyclopedias and Wikipedia. How did these impressions change after the class on encyclopedias, and after you located an encyclopedia entry and a Wikipedia entry on your topic?
I look forward to your response (which will be your official blog post on the topic--check the questions asked in the homework assignment on the syllabus to make sure you don't miss anything...).
Professor Wexelbaum
After having class on encyclopedias my impressions changed a little bit. There are more cons than I had initially thought there were about them. During class I learned that Encyclopedias are full of opinions. They are also often carried popular biases or tried to sway popular opinions. I also learned that often no credit was given to those who assisted in production. I thought that encyclopedias were very reliable sources but they do have some cons to them. Most of my thoughts about Wikipedia matched everything that was said in class. I actually found it kind of shocking when you asked for us to find a Wikipedia entry because all throughout high school when I needed to do a research project my teachers would say that Wikipedia is not a source that we would be able to use. Most of my college professors have said the same things. When I looked for a print encyclopedia in the library catalog I had 6 results that showed up. I was able to find them with the call number that was given. I did have trouble finding 2 of them and I asked the reference desk for help and they were able to help me find it. I wasn't able to find any E-encyclopedias. After locating and reading an encyclopedia and Wikipedia entry on my topic I thought that the encyclopedia was more appropriate for my research presentation because it had a lot more information and a variety of information than the Wikipedia entry had.
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteWhether or not an encyclopedia or Wikipedia is more appropriate for research varies on a case by case basis. It may be possible that, for some topics, Wikipedia is a better resource than a traditionally published encyclopedia, and vice versa.
Sincerely,
Professor Wexelbaum