Reference analysis of Wikipedia history.

Abstract

As Wikipedia has grown in use and relevance, debates have arisen over the credibility of information which the online encyclopedia provides. The open nature of Wikipedia encourages contributions to its content from the public, but leaves the online encyclopedia vulnerable to vandalism and misinformation. Many intellectuals and information professionals have expressed doubts over the credibility of the information from Wikipedia and do not feel that the online encyclopedia should be taken seriously as a reference work. However, the growing use of Wikipedia by the public means that Wikipedia should not be ignored. This study investigates the issue of information quality of Wikipedia by using reference and citation analysis to examine the references used to write history article on Wikipedia. Characteristics of the literature used to write history on Wikipedia will be examined and comparisons will be made with past reference and citation studies on history.