How do you know if answers on WikiAnswers are right or wrong?

Objective assessment of independently verified facts, concensus, and consistency. On the internet, it is generally good advice to be wary of uncited information.

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The dilemma you present is inherent to all topics found on the internet. All you or anyone can do is find a site that is well regulated, & to check your answers with other sources.

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You can't be certain how valid an answer is on a site like this where everyone is encouraged to provide answers.

It never hurts to do a little research on your own once you get an answer and see if the facts match up.

It also helps if people would mention where they got their facts.

And (this should be obvious) if a reply starts with something like "I'm not sure, but..." or "I think..."

And thanks to many helpful, responsible and knowledgeable people, incorrect information is often noticed and commented on.

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Please bear in mind, too, that some questions relate to very complex issues and no single answer will be right in an 'absolute' sense. Obviously, a question like 'What were the underlying causes of WW1?' isn't comparable to 'How many yards are there in a mile?' The question about WW1 is still a matter of scholarly research and debate, whereas the question about yards in a mile is quite different. (Having said that, some answers will certainly be inaccurate). With experience, you may be able to work out whether an answer is well informed - whether the person who wrote it seems to have done plenty of reading on the topic or not. You may be able to develop a the ability to recognize answers that are a repetition of what the answerer learned at high school, and may now remember inaccurately. Some answers may be based on guesswork, and you may be able to learn to recognize these.

In general, one should be cautious about accepting a simple answer to a question about things that are complicated.

If you need to be reasonably certain about the accuracy of an answer, you should do the necessary research in the ordinary way, and treat the answer(s) you get here as possibilities, not as definitive.

This answer is closed to changes. This is done in rare cases when questions are being vandalized or answers have become debates. Email WikiAnswers @ Answers.com if you would like it to be reopened.

First answer by ID0000000000. Last edit by Zanbabe. Contributor trust: 700 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 202 [recommend question]