Robert Smalls’

A scholarly community has scrutinized or rather evaluated a material such as a book, research paper, monograph, or article to make it a reliable source. Furthermore, the content should be published in peer-reviewed journals or reputable academic presses. The evaluation step is primarily used to differentiate between trustworthy and untrustworthy sources. In other words, as previously stated, reputable institutions scrutinize reliable sources to determine their admissibility. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to determine whether the Wikipedia article on "Robert Smalls" is accurate. It's a complicated task to determine the viability of Wikipedia in relation to Robert Smalls. This is because following the descriptions given above, Robert Walls’ Wikipedia can be considered unreliable. However, comparing the information entailed in the platform with other sources it is dependable. As such, this paper will take the point of view that the Wikipedia source is reliable. One thing that makes this article reliable is its organization. Evidently, when searching for information, it is always enticing to find organized work. In other words, it ought to have an introduction, description of whatever is being searched, and adequate sources. This article, therefore, achieves these aspects. It provides a step by step assessment of the life of Robert Smalls from his early life, civil war, political career, and family among others (Kennedy 22).

According to William Badke, since the inception of the university system during the late middle ages, there were respected experts in each field who were identified by their professional titles. The professors rightly deserved their titles and people would listen when they wrote or spoke. They were reliable not because they were always right, but the likelihood of them being right than wrong was higher in most circumstances. As such, they would be trusted because of their dedication to becoming accomplished practitioners in their area of study. The information in Wikipedia draws data from these sources referred to as reliable. For instance, the biographical information is obtained from other reliable sources. Moreover, other like political events, family life are also obtained from the printed sources. As such, Wikipedia combines information from the published sources to construct their own. This makes it a reliable source regarding Robert Smalls.



Figure 1: Portrait of Robert Smalls

The above portrait of Robert Smalls is a famous one. It strives to relay his life as a congressman and is available in many exhibitions. Information entailed in this collection is similar to the Wikipedia one. It includes furniture from the “big house” where Robert Smalls was enslaved together with his mother. The notion that Smalls was a slave correlates with the information in Wikipedia (Moore).

The information in Wikipedia indicates that Robert Smalls was born in 1839 as a slave. He was then sent out to work as a slave at the age of 12. He married at the age of 17 to an enslaved hotel maid and was five years older than him. The same information is in published articles like the Robert Kennedy’s American heroes.



Figure 2: Robert Smalls, (Library of Congress, prints and photographs division)

This portrait was obtained from the Congress’s library. Similarly, it is available in Wikipedia further illustrating the platform’s viability. Furthermore, within the library, information regarding his life in politics is provided and correlates with the one in Wikipedia. Pictorial representation of an individual is easier to comprehend as compared to the other aspects.

In Jim Giles’ article, various sites are compared to ascertain the viability of information. A total of 42 reviews were given back out of the 50 sent out. The assessment indicated that only eight serious mistakes like misinterpretations of key concepts were found. Additionally, 123 factual errors, misleading or omissions were found in Wikipedia. Evidently, most articles strive to discredit the wikis yet most of the information is obtained from the published materials. The wikis also go through some form of assessment to ensure accurate information is provided to the readers. As the Wikipedia information on Robert Smalls illustrates, this information can be relied on.

Conclusion

Information provided in Wikipedia about Robert Smalls is reliable. The Wikipedia article highlights the important dates, and achievements among other aspects. The date and region of birth are also consistent across all the articles. The materials also imply Robert was born in slavery and even married a slave. His road to Congress is also consistent with other sources further typifying its reliability. However, according to the description of reliable materials, the Wikipedia information on Robert Smalls is not reliable. The conventional definition of reliable sources affirms that such materials ought to be evaluated by the scholarly community. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the Wikipedia also draws its information from these reliable sources. This aspect makes the material dependable. The information is also presented in an enticing manner i.e. step by step from birth, the journey to Congress, and family life among other facets of life. The site is also regularly modified; whereby newer information is added. The main difference between these materials entails the authors. While the published documents are done by experts, Wikis do not necessarily involve professionals. However, since the information in both materials concur, it can be deemed as reliable.



Works Cited

Badke, William. Losing Authority. 2011.

Civil War Preservation Trust Gifted Modul. Character and Leadership During the Civil War. n.d. http://telegraph.civilwar.org/education/curriculum/Gifted%20And%20Talented/CWPT%20Gifted%20Curriculum%20-%20Robert%20Smalls.pdf. 3 March 2017.

Downing, David. A South Divided: Portraits of Dissent in the Confederacy. Nashville: Cumberland House, 2007.

Giles, Jim. "Internet Encyclopedias Go Head to Head." (2005).

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Which Slave Sailed Himself to Freedom? 2013. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/which-slave-sailed-himself-to-freedom/. 3 March 2017.

Kennedy, Robert F. Jr. Kennedy, Robert F. American Heroes: Robert Smalls, the Boat Thief. Hyperion Book, 2008.

Moore, Helen Boulware. "The Life and Times of Congressman Robert Smalls." n.d. http://www.robertsmalls.com/. 3 March 2017.