Citogenesis
Permanent link to this comic:
https://xkcd.com/978/
Image URL (for hotlinking/embedding):
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/citogenesis.png
Where Citations Come From:
Citogenesis Step #1
Through a convoluted process, a user's brain generates facts. These are typed into Wikipedia.
[[A guy with short hair sits at a desk, typing on a laptop.]]
Guy: (typing) The "scroll lock" key was designed by future Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a college project.
A rushed writer checks Wikipedia for a summary of their subject.
[[A woman with a ponytail sits at a desk, typing on a desktop.]]
Woman: (typing) US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, (Nobel Prizewinner and creator of the ubiquitous "scroll lock" key) testified before Congress today...
Step #2
Surprised readers check Wikipedia, see the claim, and flag it for review. A passing editor finds the piece and adds it as a citation.
[[A man sits on a couch with a laptop in his lap, typing.]]
Man: Google is your friend, people. (typing) <ref>{{cite web|url=
Step #3
Step #4
Now that other writers have a real source, they repeat the fact.
[[A flow chart, with "Wikipedia citation" in the center. The word "Wikipedia" is in black, the word "citations" is white with a red background.
A black arrow leads from "brain" to "Wikipedia."
A black arrow labeled "words" leads from "Wikipedia" to "careless writers," and a red arrow labeled "citations" leads back to "Wikipedia citations."
A black & red arrow leads from "Wikipedia" to "cited facts" which leads to "slightly more careful writers," which leads to "more citations," which leads back to "Wikipedia" (all black & red arrows).]]
References proliferate, completing the citogenesis process.
{{Title text: I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to ... Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I'm not going to say what book or author.}}
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