In another study completed in 2014 by the Public Library of Science, they compared Wikipedia’s accuracy on Drug information compared to other sources.
Explanation
The statement claims that a 2014 study by the Public Library of Science evaluated Wikipedia's accuracy regarding drug information against other sources. Upon investigation, one study that matches this description is the article titled "Accuracy and Completeness of Drug Information in Wikipedia," authored by Nisha Kupferberg and published in PLOS ONE in 2014. This study did indeed examine the accuracy of drug information in Wikipedia, finding that its accuracy was approximately 99.7% when compared to established textbook data. However, the claim that it compared Wikipedia specifically to 'other sources' may be misleading, as the study focused mainly on the accuracy of Wikipedia in relation to more traditional medical textbooks rather than a broad comparison with multiple different types of sources. Additionally, it should be noted that while Wikipedia can present accurate drug information, the reliability of such information can vary, and readers are generally advised to consult multiple sources, particularly for medical-related queries. Thus, while there is a basis for the claim, the nuance regarding the types of sources compared does warrant attention, affecting the overall validity of the statement.
Key Points
- The 2014 study by Kupferberg does analyze Wikipedia's drug information accuracy.
- Wikipedia's drug information was found to be highly accurate at 99.7% compared to textbooks.
- The statement oversimplifies the comparison to 'other sources,' as it primarily focused on textbooks.
