Can the Wikipedia be Trusted?
As Bollier points out, 'The debate about whom to trust - Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica - is fascinating because it reveals so much about the changing nature of 'authority' in modern culture.' Bollier agrees that both the Wikipedia and traditional encyclopedia are of value and should be assessed differently. Meanwhile, marketing professor Peter Fader, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, feels that the Wikipedia does show that 'there is wisdom in crowds' but better controls are necessary to ensure the integrity of the Wikipedia’s information2, (par. 7).
The model of commons-based peer production, which the Wikipedia adopts, means the Wikipedia responds to a variety of motivational factors and social signals. The Wikipedia and the community of Wikipedians are able to evolve to address the legitimate concerns about vandalism and misinformation on the online encyclopedia.
The Wikipedia’s founder Jimmy Wales acknowledged that the Wikipedia is "a work in progress" and will continue to evolve in order to deal with vandalism more effectively3. Though Wales feels that encyclopedias like the Encyclopedia Britannica or the Wikipedia should be cited, he thinks it is more reliable to read the Wikipedia for background information on a subject, rather than 'random web pages on the internet'3
Effectiveness of the Wikipedia