Profs Question Students by Torbati - Assignment Example

As an example of the inaccuracy of the information is the article uploaded by John Behan in 2010 regarding emysphilia (Torbati, 2007, par. 1-3). Since there was an air of authority on how it was discussed, the article was found believable by many students.

History Department Chair Paul Freedman said that Wikipedia can be used “for general orientation, as an introduction to a topic” but not as an authority on a particular subject (Torbati, 2007, par. 9). Dean Stephen Lassonde finds Wikipedia prone to many errors compared to hard copies, which undergo rigorous editing standards (Torbati, 2007, par. 13). The inaccuracy of the website pushed the History Department at Middlebury to ban it as a citation source (Torbati, 2007, par. 15-16). Students may use Wikipedia for finding a simple background of the subject they are working on but it should not be their only source.

The legitimacy and authority of hard copies have more definite and factual information rather than a web-based encyclopedia, especially one that is open for everyone to upload information to. Not because it is written “like it’s something possible…because of (its) authoritative pronouncement” does not mean that it’s real and true (Torbati, 2007, par. 32). It is still important to search other books, especially the recommended reading materials given to the students to cross-reference its veracity.