Britannica.com
Throughout high school, we were always taught to never use wikipedia.org for any form of research. On the other hand, we were aloud to use britannica.com, or better known as Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica “is a leading provider of learning and knowledge products. We're proud to be one of the world's most trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable - from the origins of the universe to current events and everything in between.”
Britannica is a credible website with an editorial board. They have a board of editors and staff who they have trusted to take care of their website. The board consists of many people from different fields. Some people include “Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners, the leading scholars, writers, artists, public servants, and activists who are at the top of their fields.” When compared to Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica is a much better site to use when someone is trying to research a topic. Wikipedia is a form of an encyclopedia that allows people to write whatever they please about any topics that is posted on the website. According to the websites about Wikipedia page, “Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers who write without pay. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or with their real identity, if they choose.”
When researching any academic, or non-academic topic, the researcher is able to use Britannica not only for background information, but can also pull quotes off the website and know that the information he or she is using is accurate. For instance, when you search Martin Luther King Junior on Britannica.com you are bombarded with mass amounts of information you get in return. If you scroll down to the bottom of the article, you find the sources and authors. You are also shown all of the individual people that contributed to the article and where they each got the information. Also, because of the fact that all of the quotes and information are well cited, that means that the quotes you pull off the website are accurate as well. For example, when compared to another encyclopedia website, such as Wikipedia, various quotes on the website are not bias, or opinions. All the quotes state proper facts in an orderly timeline.
When someone would like to contribute information to Britannica, it is not as simple as it sounds. You have to go through a process of writing what you would like to add, and than have it go through the board of editors before it is passed and published in print or online. Wikipedia can be very easily accessed for anyone with internet. People of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, are able to sign on and create an account. “People of all ages, cultures and backgrounds can add or edit article prose, references, images and other media here. What is contributed is more important than the expertise or qualifications of the contributor.” Wikipedia does not have a team of authors who are 100% responsible for everything that is written on their website. On Britannica.com you are able to leave comments on various articles and merely suggest edits that you think the article needs. However, you are not aloud to create an account for no reason. Unless you are on the board, or are using the site to make a blog, you are unable to do anything other than make comments and suggest edits.
In conclusion, Encyclopedia Britannica is a non bias online website where you can go and research many different topics and know that you are getting credible and accurate information at the same time. While doing research, it is always a reassuring feeling to know that you are receive and using quotes and information that are up-to-date and true. I would recommend using Encyclopedia Britannica over other encyclopedia websites, such as Wikipedia, for the reasons that you can trust that your using valid information.
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