Talking with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants and CLNC® students, I sometimes hear things that take my breath away. The most recent incident occurred when a student asked whether or not she could cite Wikipedia in her work product.
I’m giving her credit for at least asking in advance because there’s apparently an entire class of people who think Wikipedia is an authoritative resource. I myself use Wikipedia, but when I do I’m never sure why, because Wikipedia is nothing more than a collection of fact, fiction, opinion and speculation. It’s often moderated and edited by people who often have little or no knowledge regarding the subject matter and the content can easily be manipulated by people with an interest in the subject matter of the article.
Occasionally you’ll find a well-written and researched article, but use it for your own convenience only (and even then, cross reference what you learn). Never cite Wikipedia in your medical research to an attorney. Attorneys are used to citing the law in their briefs and legal documents. They know the difference between fact and fiction. Citing Wikipedia is the kiss of death for your professional relationship. That’s a fact.
3 thoughts on “The Kiss of Death or Authoritative Resource?”
I do use Bing™, Google®, and Google Scholar to help me quickly zero in on authoritative resources online. But CINAHL and PubMed tend to be my primary online resources. The iPad® apps Epocrates, Medscape, and Eponyms have also been handy when I’m in a meeting with a client, but not to be cited as authoritative sources. Thank you very much for highlighting what Wikipedia actually is and is not!
Thank you Vickie for pointing out the harm Wikipedia can to to our business. I remember during graduate school the instructors were serious about not using the website for articles and to never cite Wikipedia. I was told it can help spark ideas of what you want to research, but it is not authoritative or reliable. When I became an instructor I had students who tried to give me citations from the source, so they had to be re-educated. I believe you are right Vickie. There is an entire class of people who think Wikipedia is an authoritative resource. During a search of any word it seems Wikipedia always pops up. Poorly conducted research and poorly written articles should also be at the top of the list of what not to use.
I just saw a video clip of two attorneys discussing the use of Wiki sources and Google®. They also cited other sources but promoted Google and Wiki as authoritative! I could not believe my ears! Those attorneys got a letter from this CLNC® consultant! I did not criticize. I just pointed out how one of my services is to find authoritative sources of research and articles and pointed out the “pitfalls” of such sources as Wikipedia.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
I do use Bing™, Google®, and Google Scholar to help me quickly zero in on authoritative resources online. But CINAHL and PubMed tend to be my primary online resources. The iPad® apps Epocrates, Medscape, and Eponyms have also been handy when I’m in a meeting with a client, but not to be cited as authoritative sources. Thank you very much for highlighting what Wikipedia actually is and is not!
Thank you Vickie for pointing out the harm Wikipedia can to to our business. I remember during graduate school the instructors were serious about not using the website for articles and to never cite Wikipedia. I was told it can help spark ideas of what you want to research, but it is not authoritative or reliable. When I became an instructor I had students who tried to give me citations from the source, so they had to be re-educated. I believe you are right Vickie. There is an entire class of people who think Wikipedia is an authoritative resource. During a search of any word it seems Wikipedia always pops up. Poorly conducted research and poorly written articles should also be at the top of the list of what not to use.
I just saw a video clip of two attorneys discussing the use of Wiki sources and Google®. They also cited other sources but promoted Google and Wiki as authoritative! I could not believe my ears! Those attorneys got a letter from this CLNC® consultant! I did not criticize. I just pointed out how one of my services is to find authoritative sources of research and articles and pointed out the “pitfalls” of such sources as Wikipedia.