User:Aarchiba/The Great Encyclopedia Showdown

How to do a comparison between Wikipedia and other encyclopedias:

1. Pick a list of subjects (without considering what's already in Wikipedia, therefore preferably subjects you haven't spent time working on in Wikipedia)
2. For each topic, find the most relevant Wikipedia article or articles; find the most relevant article or articles in the other encyclopedia.
3. Fix a date; use the last revision before that date for comparison (after all, it'll be tempting to improve the Wikipedia articles!)
4. Read both versions. Write a comparison, including the following points:
   1. How hard was it to find the information?
   2. How much information was actually there?
   3. Were there pictures or other useful illustrations?
   4. Were there any inaccuracies or inconsistencies (internal or between the two sources)?
   5. Were references permitting verification available?
   6. How was the writing? Clear? Grammar and spelling?

Suggested subjects:

1. History: Hanging Gardens of Babylon
2. Technology: DVDs and DVD-ROM etc.
3. Science: Evolution
4. Politics: Politics of Syria today
5. Religion: Unitarianism
6. Literature: Joshua Slocum, particularly Sailing Alone Around the World
7. Hobbies: Amateur radio
8. Controversial topic: Israel
9. "Geek" topic: Doctor Who