Have you ever wondered whether contributors to Wikipedia really know what they are talking about?

People who prefer to know writers' credentials will welcome the pilot launch of Citizendium last week. This "fork" of Wikipedia is the brainchild of the online encyclopedia's co-founder Larry Sanger. Citizendium will invite accredited academics to edit its entries before publication. The site will be policed by "constables" to eject vandals, and will not accept anonymous entries. Contributors can also continue adding to an article once it has been approved, but if any conflict arises over an entry, editors will have the final say.

Last year Wikipedia had to tighten its editorial rules, forcing users to register before creating new entries, in an effort to stamp out vandalism and the posting of deliberate misinformation.