Wikipedia has both general strengths and weaknesses as an information resource.
Strengths:
- Anyone can edit, so anyone can fix errors, update information, add references, etc. There is a very low barrier to entry and free training is readily available.
- It is free to use and is ad-free, while many other information resources cost money or contain advertisements.
- It is designed to be accessible to users with disabilities.
- It can generally be read by anyone with internet access and the large and growing amount of multilingual content makes it a valuable resource globally. It can also be downloaded to provide information in areas without internet access.
- Perspectives that may not typically be acknowledged can be brought to readers' attention. For instance, some editors are making an effort to incorporate indigenous knowledge into Wikipedia.
Weaknesses:
- Anyone can edit, so anyone can add incorrect or outdated information, remove reliable information, etc. Wikipedia largely relies on other editors to catch and resolve these problems, which does not always happen quickly.
- The editor community is fairly homogeneous. This can lead to bias in what topics are written about, how they are written about, and how content created by or about those who don't fit that description is evaluated by many editors.
- A user-created encyclopedia generates questions about authority - who determines what information is correct or important when there is a disagreement?
Wikipedia is not just a massive book that can be passively read, but a community of people. In any large community there are bound to be disagreements and points of friction. Overall, though, editors are working toward the goal of improving Wikipedia and helping more people easily access reliable information.