User:Librarygurl

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LibraryGurl is Sara Marks, an academic, instruction librarian in Central Massachusetts. In other words, she teaches college students about the library and information.

Currently I am working on a second masters degree at Fitchburg State College in Applied Communication. My thesis project centers around the idea of truth and truthiness, specifically here in Wikipedia. I am interested in two aspects. First, how this community attempts to create valid, credible and authoritative entries- truth- vs. questionable entries that seem true to the end user- truthiness. Second, I am interested in how students understand the issue of a social encyclopedia being valid, credible and authoritative. Specifically, how are undergraduate and graduate students using wikipedia for their own research. I also hope to compare this with the peer review process that is part of the academic publishing community as a way to ensure that published articles are credible, valid and authoritative.

For part of the thesis, I am in here to observe three entries:

Truth
This a philosophical idea that is open to edits within Wikipedia. Since my project deals with the larger issue of how credibility and validity result in people determining what is true, truthy or false, this is an entry of interest.

Abortion
This is a highly contested, controversal topic that is locked/protected entry by the system. This is an issue that has no real truth, but two vocal sides of a debate where each person has to determine the truth for themselves and still run the risk of being wrong.

Stephen_Colbert_(character)
This is a biographical entry for a fictional person based on and acted by the real person. Colbert’s character has been vocal about Wikipedia and it’s connection to the issue of truth and Truthiness. His entry is also locked/protected by the system.

Academic Interests: Relgious Studies/ Anthropoloical view of religion Eastern Religions: Toaism, Hinduism, Budhism Judaism for Feminists Holocaust Studies Library Science: Reference, Instruction, Academic libraries, webpage development, informaiton literacy