Wikipedia

The online encyclopaedia Wikipedia challenges our preconceptions about factual information. Before Wikipedia, it was 1 as read that encyclopaedias were written by paid experts. In other 2, before Wikipedia, the 'reader' of an encyclopaedia had no control over the content. Wikipedia has changed all that, as anyone is allowed to edit and add content. The idea has certainly 3 on and, for millions of people, Wikipedia 4 a vital need. Wikipedia's founders 5 that, on the whole, the information on the site is no less accurate than more traditional encyclopaedias. Despite this, critics have 6 the site for its inaccuracies. Articles on the site have certainly 7 things which are not in fact true. However, although these have received wide media 8, they essentially 9 the problem. Most people have little 10 how many inaccuracies there are in traditional printed encyclopaedias too.

According to the rules on the English Wikipedia, 11 entry in Wikipedia must be about a topic that is encyclopaedic and is not a dictionary entry or dictionary-style. A topic should also meet Wikipedia's standards of "notability", which generally means that the topic must have been 12 in mainstream media or major academic journal sources that are independent 13 the article's subject. 14, Wikipedia intends to convey only knowledge that is already established and recognized. It must not 15 original research. A claim that is 16 to be challenged requires a reference to a reliable source. 17 Wikipedia editors, this is often phrased as "verifiability, not truth" to express the idea that the readers, not the encyclopaedia, are 18 responsible for checking the truthfulness of the articles and making 19 interpretations. This can at times 20 the removal of information that, though valid, is not properly sourced. Finally, Wikipedia must not 21 sides. All opinions and viewpoints, if 22 to external sources, must enjoy an appropriate share of coverage within an article. This is known as a neutral point of view (NPOV).