Argumentative Essays (MEDIA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Role and Authenticity of Wikipedia - Essay Example As the paper outlines, the example of Wikipedia, an online information source, can be deemed as vital to understand the importance of media, especially in the field of research. It has been observed that Wikipedia is an internet-based encyclopedia that works on the principle of collaborative editing. The source provides information to internet users all over the world in different languages. Furthermore, analyses suggest that since its inception, this internet-based encyclopedia has been providing more than 30 million articles in over 200 distinct languages to its users all around the world. However, the authenticity, as well as the reliability of this source, has been under the scanner, especially on the grounds of authenticity (Clark, â€Å"Wikipedia: What Is It Good For?†). This thesis will, therefore, present an argumentative essay which will adopt both supportive as well as criticizing stand on the authenticity and the role of Wikipedia in supporting the modern day resear ch needs. The presence of online published sources is enhancing with every passing day in various fields including research; may be academic or business oriented. The ability of these sources to provide information about every topic and in distinct languages has gathered popularity from millions of users all around the globe. Concerning these features, the position of Wikipedia can be considered as exemplary which further places it among the successful internet sites used to gather adequate information regarding a vivid range of topics and aspects. However, the biggest threat for the source in its successful operation has been the increasing criticism it faces on the basis of authenticity and reliability of the information published in comparison to other academic and peer-reviewed sources. This is owing to the fact that this internet source renders due significance to collaborative editing by engaging its users which is again not restricted on the basis of any particular eligibilit y criteria. In simple words, anyone who has the desire to share their knowledge regarding any topic can use Wikipedia as a platform; not only to publish new information but also to edit the previously published data. Thus, the high possibility exists for the data, published in Wikipedia in an editable form, to be exaggerated. The source does not demand any sort of expertise from the editors or neither has it set any sort of criteria for the users to express their knowledge through the source. Owing to its principle of being open for editing, the information provided by the source is often considered to be unreliable and unauthentic. Besides, the source can also be criticized on the basis of the fact that some of the information edited or provided by the users involves maximum plagiarism, i.e. the information published by unauthorized editors are often copied and pasted from other sources which again increases the risks of infringement of intellectual rights held by the publishers of that information. Consequentially, the information cannot be considered authentic as well as a quality work to support a research process, especially in an academic field. The source is also criticized due to the fact that much false information is being embedded in most of the articles published through Wikipedia and similar sources in the absence of any rules.