Wikipedia is an international website, and readers come to it expecting factual, non-biased, and reasonable information. The NPOV policy is vital for making an article as unbiased, unprejudiced, and factual as possible. Here are eight tips every editor, both first-timers and professionals, should consider to avoid bias while using Wikipedia.
1. Avoiding Subjective or Opinionated Language
On of the key principles of the neutrality policy as practised in Wikipedia, is the strict adherence to the use of neutral language. This means avoiding such words and phrases that reflect the opinions, emotions, attitudes or beliefs of the writer.
For instance, instead of using the term brilliant, use ‘well known in the field’ if evidenced. Also, do not use words such as ‘fortunately or luckily, as these are perceived to be biased words. The aim of your work is to report the information in as neutral a manner as possible, so that readers make their own opinions without being influenced by the words that have been used. It means that the article should be free from the writer’s bias and readers should be enlightened with an objective impression of the entire unbiased content.
2. Balancing Positive and Negative Information
The main point of balance is avoiding taking sides and staying impartial while writing an article. Sometimes, topics are not black and white because they contain both advantages and disadvantages. To avoid taking sides, make sure that both sides have been covered in equal measure and that facts back up all statements.
In the context of a Wikipedia publishing service, one must highlight both the benefits and challenges involved. On the one hand, a professional service can help individuals or organizations create well-researched and compliant articles, saving time and ensuring accuracy. On the other hand, there are challenges, such as adhering to Wikipedia’s strict guidelines or the possibility of content being flagged or edited by the community.
For example, when you are doing an article about some celebrity, you are going to cover both achievements made and scandals linked to this celebrity. However, both sides should be represented – the positive and the negative – but only if both are backed up with information. This will assist the readers in getting a balanced view rather than being given a particular point of view of the situation.
3. Using Reliable and Verifiable Sources
Most of the sources used by Wikipedia are authoritative, verifiable and outside the scope of the topic under discussion. Your references should be reputable media sources, peer-reviewed articles, and acknowledged academic journals. It also makes your article more trustworthy and helps to avoid mistakes.
Avoid using blog sites filled with somebody’s opinion, sources that have been self-published, and sketchy websites. Writing from a source that other contributors can verify is very important to avoid a conflict with Wikipedia policies.
4. Avoiding Original Research
Anything in an article needs to represent what sources say, not what editors want to say or believe. This implies not generating any survey, analysis, or opinion that has not been done by other third-party sources.
For example, if you are writing about a new finding in science, you have to refer to articles or press releases of the experts in the field. Using one’s own words to make an analysis or conclusion, let alone correct, is against the policy of factual accuracy and neutrality of Wikipedia.
5. Using an Objective Tone
Objective Tone means writing down facts without injecting personal feelings or opinions into the narrative. If you are writing for Wikipedia, avoid using flowery language or any style that is likely to create sensational and unrealistic views.
Do not write: The company has achieved outstanding success over a short period of time by writing: The company grew fast. This type of style is neutral and keeps the content more or less Wikipedia-like, which is the desired goal.
6. Contextualizing Information
The proposal presents a general guideline for writing an article on any topic. It ensures that the writer provides background information to the readers so that they understand why such information is relevant. Relevance makes it easier for your readers to see the connection between you and a fact or claim, hence avoiding losing them.
For example, if you are writing about some person with a lot of scandals, offer some information that will support this or that aspect of his personality, and do not focus only on scandals. That will give the reader an overall view of what is going on without feeling influenced in one way or the other by the article’s author.
7. Respecting Wikipedia’s Consensus
Wikipedia is a platform based on the cooperation policy, and decisions are made with the participants’ consent. The fact is that when editing articles, sometimes you come across some people whose opinions as to what can be considered neutral or as to the sources for use may be different from your own. A request to be polite during the discussion and to follow the watching Wikipedia policies and guidelines at the same time promoting the consensus.
Don’t be insulted if your edits are reverted or someone tells you to stop editing. Rather, engage the talk page to reach a neutral consensus that will comply with Wikipedia policies. This system of checks and balances safeguards the interests of all parties, which in turn eliminates biased work production.
8. Monitoring for Bias Over Time
Bias can enter an article gradually, in particular if new people join the work on the article and do not follow the Wikipedia neutrality policy. As a responsible contributor, it is possible that a page you worked on has changed and become less neutral and objective. The best thing is just to keep checking the pages you contributed to.
Such vigilance is especially necessary for articles that generate a lot of activity or are provocative in some way. By monitoring these pages, you can avoid making the article tainted by your point of view and help you give equal attention to all sides of a story, as Wikipedia imposes.
Conclusion
Wikipedia publishing service is an open forum, and writing a neutral viewpoint on it involves creativity and duty. By not using an emotional tone, presenting both sides, citing sources, and reaching a consensus, you can provide sources of great value to Wikipedia’s audience without revealing personal bias. With the right approach, your contributions will not only be fact-based but will be a source of information for readers in different parts of the world. If you can keep these tips in mind when writing your articles, you will be well on your way to improving Wikipedia’s credibility as a source of information.