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

Answer

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.

Answer

You can find out a lot about a person by the way they type. If they have taken the time to learn to type and therefore can type with capitals and periods, then the answer should be right, or at least close. Good grammar is also a key clue to figuring out whether or not the answer is correct. But there is also the chance that this person thinks s/he is right, but is actually a bit misguided.

• There's also the chance that another contributor has edited the poorly-typed answer to meet grammatical standards, such as changing "u" to "you."

Answer

You can't be certain how valid an answer is on a site like this where everyone is encouraged to provide answers. This is why you should always read disclaimers posted on websites, forums or messageboards.

If an answer is obviously fake, if the advice seems dangerous or even illegal, it won't usually stay on this site very long.

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.

A Comment

I agree - up to a point, anyway - with the point about typing and general presentation.

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 inaccuarte). 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.

First answer by Richard Horrell. Last edit by Tommysonic. Contributor trust: 7 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 200 [recommend question]