How to do a comparison between Wikipedia and other encyclopedias:
- Pick a list of subjects (without considering what's already in Wikipedia, therefore preferably subjects you haven't spent time working on in Wikipedia)
- For each topic, find the most relevant Wikipedia article or articles; find the most relevant article or articles in the other encyclopedia.
- Fix a date; use the last revision before that date for comparison (after all, it'll be tempting to improve the Wikipedia articles!)
- Read both versions. Write a comparison, including the following points:
- How hard was it to find the information?
- How much information was actually there?
- Were there pictures or other useful illustrations?
- Were there any inaccuracies or inconsistencies (internal or between the two sources)?
- Were references permitting verification available?
- How was the writing? Clear? Grammar and spelling?
Suggested subjects:
- History: Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- Technology: DVDs and DVD-ROM etc.
- Science: Evolution
- Politics: Politics of Syria today
- Religion: Unitarianism
- Literature: Joshua Slocum, particularly Sailing Alone Around the World
- Hobbies: Amateur radio
- Controversial topic: Israel
- "Geek" topic: Doctor Who