Is Wikipedia Reliable?

Mark Goodacre, Associate Professor in New Testament at the Department of Religion, Duke University, has written a couple of articles defending the use of Wikipedia for research. I think he’s on target with his analysis. The context for his discussion is academia, but I think much of what he says applies to its use by pastors. I use it frequently and often find it very helpful. It’s a good starting place for research on people, terms, ideas, events, etc. Of course you need to read with discernment, but its breadth, up-to-dateness, and connectedness to additional sites make it a valuable resource.

Here are the two articles:

• In Defence of Wikipedia
• In Defence of Wikipedia Response

Another site that you might find helpful is Theopedia—an online encyclopedia of biblical Christianity.

See also:

• Wikipedia is good for academia
• We Can’t Ignore the Influence of Digital Technologies

Like this post? Subscribe to our feed .