The aim of this study to find out the student’s evaluation and motivations for searching for information’s in wikipedia. Furthermore, to gain an understanding of college students' information usage regarding Wikipedia.
This paper is divided into first explaining the public goods in science. Followed by the definition of wikipedia the public good itself and then consequently to that the role of public good provision of knowledge. Further topics are followed by explaining the behaviour of college students and their perception of information out of wikipedia and also the reason why the students are using wikipedia. The main risk exists by evaluating the information found on the articles in the encyclopaedia. Is it reliable or not? Since Wikipedia was not trusted by academics, students were not recommended to use it.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of terms
2.1 Public goods in science
2.2 What is Wikipedia
2.3 Role of public good provision of knowledge
3. Is Wikipedia as an open good a reliable source?
4. Why do college students use Wikipedia?
5. Do the students evaluate the information quality of wikipedia?
6. Discussion
7. Conclusion
8. References
Objectives & Core Themes
This paper explores the role of Wikipedia as a public good for scientific information and investigates the motivations and evaluation behaviors of college students when using this platform for academic purposes. It aims to address the conflict between the accessibility of Wikipedia and concerns regarding its academic credibility.
- Wikipedia as a public good and its role in scientific knowledge dissemination.
- Motivations behind students' reliance on Wikipedia for research.
- Evaluation of information quality and credibility by academic users.
- Economic perspectives on the provision of scientific information.
- The impact of open-access vs. paywalled journals on knowledge distribution.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Public goods in science
The public good of knowledge is now globally and internationally recognized today. There are two key characteristics of a public good: no rivalrous consumption, in which no one is deprived of the benefit from another's consumption, and no excludability, where an individual cannot be excluded from enjoying the benefit. Due to the nonrivalry of knowledge, there is no marginal cost to adding another individual to enjoy its benefits. The shared benefits of knowledge are not marginal only because there is no marginal cost associated with them, but also because anyone may be excluded from enjoying them due to their individual circumstances.
Non excludability implies that no individual should be excluded from benefiting from a public good, while its non rivalrous property states that no individual should be excluded. Additionally, this has significant implications. For instance, knowledge can no longer be provided privately. It is possible to exclude some forms of knowledge (or to make them excludable). For instance, trade secrets, such as those employed in the competitive industries. However, some forms of knowledge are thought of as impure public goods because the returns can in some instances be appropriated (Stiglitz, 1999). As a result, pure public goods differ from impure goods in that impure public goods are often excludable (Leach, 2003).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the tension between Wikipedia's accessibility as an open-source platform and the academic requirements for reliable, peer-reviewed scientific information.
2. Definition of terms: This section establishes the theoretical foundation by defining public goods, the specific nature of Wikipedia, and the role of knowledge provision in an economic context.
3. Is Wikipedia as an open good a reliable source?: This chapter analyzes the academic debate surrounding the trustworthiness of Wikipedia and whether its lack of formal peer review renders it unsuitable for university-level research.
4. Why do college students use Wikipedia?: This chapter examines the behavioral patterns of students, highlighting that ease of use and accessibility often drive its usage despite academic reservations.
5. Do the students evaluate the information quality of wikipedia?: This section discusses the literacy levels and evaluation strategies students employ when utilizing information found on Wikipedia.
6. Discussion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, reflecting on the ongoing challenge of balancing information availability with the need for data accuracy in medical and academic research.
7. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes that while students are aware of Wikipedia's potential inaccuracies and maintain a cautious approach, they continue to rely on it as a primary starting point for research.
8. References: This section lists the academic and empirical sources cited throughout the paper.
Keywords
Wikipedia, Public Goods, Scientific Knowledge, Information Quality, Higher Education, College Students, Open Access, Credibility, Research Behavior, Knowledge Dissemination, Peer Review, Economics, Digital Literacy, Information Search, Reliability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this seminar paper?
The paper examines the role of Wikipedia as an open-access public good and investigates how college students utilize it within their academic research processes.
What are the core thematic fields covered in the work?
The core themes include the economics of knowledge, the academic credibility of open-source information, student information-seeking behavior, and the conflict between paywalled journals and open-access resources.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to understand student motivations for using Wikipedia and how they perceive its information quality in the context of academic rigor.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The paper utilizes a review of existing academic literature and empirical studies to analyze the relationship between scientific information dissemination and Wikipedia usage.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body defines the economic characteristics of knowledge as a public good, evaluates the reliability of Wikipedia, discusses the reasons behind its usage on campus, and explores the information literacy of students.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include Wikipedia, Public Goods, Scientific Knowledge, Higher Education, Credibility, and Information Search.
How does the author categorize Wikipedia in terms of economic theory?
The author identifies Wikipedia as a public good, characterized by non-rivalry and non-excludability in its consumption of information.
Does the paper recommend that students stop using Wikipedia?
No, the paper suggests that students use it for an overview to get started, while emphasizing the need for critical evaluation and guidelines from educators.
- Quote paper
- Ali Yavuncu (Author), 2021, Science is shaped by Wikipedia. As a public good, is Wikipedia already more influential for students than science in our digital world?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1193188
