Wikis
Wikis are an online group of documents/web pages that many different users can add to and edit freely online.
Wikis allow users to create new pages on subjects that interest them. The most famous wiki is the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. There are also many wikis for more specific subject areas.
All wiki pages are co-created by a group of collaborating individuals, rather than a single author. As current information covering a broad range of topics, many people turn to wikis as their first port of call when checking facts online. A good wiki will include references to reliable websites, so users can immediately check all the claims made within the article.
One problem with wikis is that, because they are open to public editing, pages can be vandalised and meanings can be altered to fit a particular point-of-view. Facts can be incorrect due to bad research by untrained researchers. The quality of writing may also be poor.
Vandalism may also be a problem. Many wikis have developed systems for quickly spotting and removing vandalism but when reading a wiki page, always be aware that it could have been subject to recent, subtle vandalism.
If contributing to a wiki, remember that this is collaborating with others and that what’s written will eventually be rewritten or edited. Wikis allow users to contribute as much as they like, however the point of a wiki is to work with a community to reach a general consensus on a subject. If that can’t be found, the wiki may display a warning that the wiki is not neutral—and a more neutral party will be sought to ‘clean up’ the page.