Science information on Wikipedia
Science information on Wikipedia includes the information that
Impact
A 2016 study found evidence that Wikipedia increases the distribution and impact of
Editors
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/AAAS_annual_meeting_2016_34.jpg/220px-AAAS_annual_meeting_2016_34.jpg)
In 2016 the Wiki Education Foundation and the Simons Foundation presented an outreach program called the "Year of Science." In this program, Wikipedia educators visited academic conferences and invited scientists to contribute information from their field of expertise to Wikipedia.[6] Some universities have programs to encourage students to edit Wikipedia's science articles as part of the learning experience.[7] The Wikipedia community invites academics to edit Wikipedia articles.[8] Various academic societies have encouraged their membership to edit Wikipedia.[9]
Quantity and quality
A study in 2017 determined that: "Depending on the definition and methods used, roughly 10–20% of Wikipedia articles are on scientific topics (0.5–1.0 million out of about 5 million)."[2]
Wikipedia has a broad and diverse practice of citing scientific publications of all fields.[10] A 2005 study published in the journal Nature compared 40 Wikipedia articles on science topics to their Encyclopædia Britannica counterpart. Subject experts found four "serious errors" in each encyclopedia. They also found 162 less serious problems in Wikipedia, and 123 in Britannica.[11] A popular science writer for Vice complained in 2017 that Wikipedia's science articles were too technical.[12] Various scientists and media organizations have questioned and critiqued the extent to which Wikipedia articles on science influence political decisions relating to science.[13][14][15]
See also
- Academic studies about Wikipedia
- List of years in science
- Health information on Wikipedia
- Open science
- Public awareness of science
References
- S2CID 10220883.
- ^ S2CID 30918097.
- .
- ^ Natural Sciences Sector (9 May 2017). "The UNESCO Science Report finds a new public on Wikipedia". UNESCO. United Nations.
- S2CID 4933390.
- ^ Simons Foundation (1 March 2017). "Mind the Gaps: Improving the Science on Wikipedia". Simons Foundation.
- ^ Neal, Meghan (11 February 2016). "Science Students Are Writing Wikipedia Articles Instead of Term Papers". Motherboard.
- S2CID 19075849.
- ^ Goldstein, Evan B. (27 January 2017). "Three Reasons Why Earth Scientists Should Edit Wikipedia". Eos. American Geophysical Union.
- PMID 32040488.
- ^ Terdiman, Daniel (16 December 2005). "Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica". CNET. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Byrne, Michael (12 October 2017). "Wikipedia's Science Articles Are Elitist". Motherboard.
- .
- ^ Clark, Liat (17 August 2015). "Wikipedia wars are harming politically charged science". Wired.
- ^ Collins, Nathan (18 August 2015). "The Political Controversy of Wikipedia Science Articles". Pacific Standard.