Coming late to the game, Google has announced it is to launch its own alternative to the world’s largest free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The new service, dubbed “Knol” (units of knowledge), will share the same open, user-submitted approach to information but will emphasize on the credibility of its content.

Unlike Wikipedia, authors will not only be credited for the work, but can also earn advertising revenue if they chose to allow ads to appear on the pages. People will also be able to submit comments, questions, and additional content. Knol is currently in an invitation-only beta stage. Google plans to make the service completely free for the public once testing is finished.