Wikipedia, the well known online encyclopedia, has a medical problem. According to a panel of American medical professionals who reviewed ten Wikipedia entries which correspond to the top ten most costly medical conditions in the United States, 90% of the entries, printed in April of 2012, contradicted to some degree the latest medical research. Researchers are concerned that patients looking for more information will assume Wikipedia is a reliable source of medical counsel. Likewise, up to 70% of physicians and medical students also use Wikipedia for information.

While Wikipedia is a useful online encyclopedia with 30 million articles in many languages, it is open to editing by anyone and is not officially peer-reviewed in the same manner as medical journals. The experts recommend seeking out a reliable medical professional and not using medical entries in Wikipedia as a primary resource (Pippa Stephens, “Trust Your Doctor, Not Wikipedia, Say Scientists,” BBC at BBC.com, May 28, 2014).

The same is true for many subjects on Wikipedia. While it can be a handy tool for a quick reference or reminder of knowledge on science, history or other subjects, always be sure to dig a little deeper and make sure the information you read is accurate. Also, remember that everyone who supplies edits to such articles carries with them their own particular biases and perspectives, for better or worse.

The principle of Proverbs 11:14 is a good one to apply, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Dig down, do a little more research and seek a variety of sources on a topic. After some critical thinking, guided by God’s truth, you’ll be able to find those golden nuggets of accurate information.