Summary Of Philip Lau's Essay The Limitations Of Wikipedia

Philip Lau, writer of the essay, “The Limitations of Wikipedia”, is successful in persuading his readers that the webpage Wikipedia should not be used for college level research. In his essay, Philip states that, “Wikipedia can be a beneficial starting point in gaining general information on a subject but users should be wary of incorrect information”. The essayist’s use of examples, facts and quotes are what makes his argument so convincing.

The writer wrote this essay to warn fellow college students the dangers of using Wikipedia as an academic research source. No student wants to go through hours of studying and research for a paper and end up using incorrect information. Knowing this, the writer starts by discrediting Wikipedia
Proving that even Wikipedia is aware that there is incorrect information on their site. They then name actual creditable resources, so one can verify that the information found on Wikipedia was accurate or not. Having to research a topic and then research the information one found to make sure it was accurate is absurd. When a college student is researching a topic they want to be confident that the information they find is accurate without having to double or triple check.

Thirdly, the writer explains how as a result of anyone being able to modify a post on Wikipedia, the chances of the user modifying his or her bias opinion is immensely high. The essayist also provides a definition of opinion making it clear to the reader that Wikipedia posts tend to be one-sided. Furthermore, Philip adds Wikipedia’s quote warning users “not to believe everything they read including the information on Wikipedia”. Philip then illustrates how political figures and subjects like abortion are slandered and vandalized on Wikipedia, making it harder for a student to find useful