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

[nicholasdonovan at netscape.net]

I'm just curious to get opinions on the Wikipedia, Wikianswers etc. phenomenon. 

While I am all for and OpenSource answer to the encyclopedia, my concern is that much of the knowledge being propagated is pseudo-science and they do no follow real scientific citation or debate protocol.

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.

My concern is that OpenSource will lose in the academic and ultimately professional realms if we allow psedudo-science to reign in the Wiki environments.

Thoughts? 


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