[Dclug] Open Source Science... caution is needed...

[Kevin Cole]

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 15:18,  <nicholasdonovan at netscape.net> wrote:
> As an example,I am a medical student with a focus on neurology/sports
> medicine and there was a debate on WikiAnswers in which people that refuse
> to cite scientific sources. I have stated a USMLE text, various board exam
> texts and neurosurgery journals/books as the resource I am basing my answer
> on and these undergraduate kids insist that thebigbookofeverything.com is a
> valid resource.

It's like trusting Fox News for news. ;-)

When I'm digging for an answer on the web, I try to use the
pseudo-scientific method. ;-)  In other words, I try to get results
that are repeatable and consistent -- in other words, multiple sources
that have steered me in the right direction previously and that agree
with each other.  It helps some if they have an established rep for
monitoring and policing their works and/or some sort of peer review.
I don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.  Wikipedia
often gives me a clue, watering down an idea to where I can digest it,
and then I look for supporting evidence that it's not all complete
ravings of lunatics.