week16-Research on the Issue of Wikipedia Information Outdatedness-JIANGJIASHAN（강가삼)

 

summary：


Medical research progress is rapid, but Wikipedia's medical entries are updated slowly, which may influence public health decisions. For example:  

COVID-19: During the early stages of the pandemic, Wikipedia was frequently updated, but later updates on vaccines, variants, and other information lagged behind.  


New Drugs and Therapies: Entries for certain anticancer drugs or gene therapies do not reflect the latest clinical trial results.The development of the tech industry is rapid, with knowledge in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain updating at an incredibly fast pace. However, many of Wikipedia's tech articles are still stuck at versions from several years ago.The limitations of the volunteer editing model, while Wikipedia relies on global volunteer editors, have led to a decline in the number of editors: active editors have decreased since 2007, resulting in inadequate maintenance. Professional knowledge barriers are high, and technical and medical content requires a professional background, making it difficult for ordinary users to contribute accurate information.


Interesting points:


Public cognitive biases, outdated technology, or medical information can lead readers to misunderstand the latest developments, such as: 1. Patients may rely on incorrect medical advice.  2. Students or researchers may cite outdated data.  

 Damaging Wikipedia's credibility, users may turn to paid academic databases if they frequently discover errors or outdated information.


Discussion:


The issue of information obsolescence on Wikipedia is particularly prominent in the fields of technology and medicine, primarily due to the limitations of volunteer editing models and inadequate professional maintenance. Despite the significant challenges, Wikipedia can still enhance the timeliness and reliability of its content by strengthening expert engagement, optimizing technical tools, and improving community incentives.

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