Research Tutorial
- Library Research Tutorial
- What Is a Thesis Statement?
- Topic Development
- Improve Your Research Question
- Good and Bad Research Questions
- Video Review
- Sources for Background Reading
- What about Wikipedia?
- Related Terms
- Subject Terms
- Boolean Searching
- Advanced Searching Techniques
- Definition of "Scholarly"
- Subject Guides
- Individual Databases
- Open Access Resources
- Google Scholar
- USMAI Book Search
- Evaluation of Sources
- Academic Writing
- Writing Resources
- Citing Sources
- Citation Formats
- Citation Resources
- Academic Integrity
- Research on the Job
When Is Wikipedia Useful?
- Can be a useful place to start when you don't know much about a topic. It can be great for background information, but for the type of academic research you will be doing at UMGC, it is better to use an academic subject encyclopedia from one of the library’s databases already mentioned (Gale, SAGE, or Oxford Reference).
- Can be written and edited by anyone . However, unlike the library’s subject encyclopedias, this means the content is dynamic, and can change at any time, and there is no way to guarantee the author’s expertise.
Wikipedia can be safely used in the following ways:
- As a Starting Point - Wikipedia can give you background information on a topic, as well as perspectives you can use when formulating a research topic. You should not cite Wikipedia as a source for your research. You should always validate anything you use for research in a reliable source.
- Finding Sources - The reference list at the bottom of a Wikipedia page allows you to access many types of sources on the topic, including academic journal articles, news sources, and even primary sources. Even if there are no actual links to these sources, you can search the library databases, or Google for full-text copies of articles or books listed.
For more information on contributing to Wikipedia, see Editing and Contributing to Wikipedia , from Cornell University.
For more information on Wikipedia inaccuracies, see: List of Wikipedia controversies
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- Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 11:46 PM
- URL: https://libguides.umgc.edu/research-tutorial
IMAGES
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COMMENTS
Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic research because it allows anyone to contribute information without expertise or verification. Learn how to avoid errors, hoaxes, and misinformation on Wikipedia and other user-generated sites, and find better sources for your papers.
Wikipedia has community-enforced policies on neutrality, reliability and notability, and is reviewed by experts and volunteers. It can also help students develop media literacy and spot fake news ...
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, but it has some limitations and biases. Learn how to use Wikipedia as a source of basic information, citation and editing tips, and ...
Scribbr answers the question of whether Wikipedia can be considered a reliable source for academic research. Learn about the pros and cons of using Wikipedia, and see other frequently asked questions about citation styles and sources.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic writing or research, but it can be used as a starting point for general knowledge or to find sources to verify information. Learn how to use Wikipedia wisely and avoid citation, errors, and biases.
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can provide basic information and citation sources on any topic, but it also has biases, limitations and frequent changes. Learn how to use Wikipedia wisely in your research and assignments from two librarians at the University of Dayton.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia written and edited by volunteers, who generate content with the editorial oversight of other volunteers. It has been criticized for its factual unreliability in the 2000s, but has improved over time and received greater praise in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Wikipedia, which launched in 2001 is a free online encyclopedia run by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation and written collaboratively by its users. There are 10 rules and five pillars for contributing to the site. The five pillars establish Wikipedia as a free online encyclopedia, with articles that are accurate and cite reliable sources, and ...
Wikipedia is not a credible source you should cite in your research papers, but it can be a good place to start your research and find reliable sources. Learn how to use Wikipedia for background information, keywords, external links, and references.
Using Wikipedia for Academic Research: Home. Wikipedia can be a valuable, powerful tool for researching, whether it's personal or academic research. Here, we'll explore some ways that you can get the most from Wikipedia without relying on it as a cited resource for your academic work. Wikipedia is essentially an online, user-edited encyclopedia.
Wikipedia can be a great tool for learning and researching information. However, as with all tertiary reference works, Wikipedia is not considered to be a reliable source as not everything in Wikipedia is accurate, comprehensive, or unbiased. Wikipedia, like other encyclopedias, is intended to provide an overview of topics and indicate sources of more extensive and academic information.
A study by MIT and University of Pittsburgh shows that Wikipedia influences one word in every 300 in scientific articles. Learn how digital literacy skills can help students use Wikipedia as a reliable source for coursework.
Wikipedia has policies and processes to ensure accuracy and neutrality of its information. It can also help students fact-check and fight misinformation online.
Learn how to cite a Wikipedia article in different citation styles, such as APA, MLA and Chicago. Find out why Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic writing and see examples of citations.
This web page argues that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic research papers, and gives some reasons and examples. It suggests using other sources, such as books, articles, and academic references, to verify and cite information.
Learn how Wikipedia evolved from Nupedia, an expert-written encyclopedia project, to a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Explore the pros and cons of using Wikipedia as a source, and how to spot bias and inaccuracies in its articles.
I have seen this study cited in nearly every scientific paper analyzing the reliability of Wikipedia, and it is historically important. But Wikipedia has grown tremendously both in terms of quality and quantity since 2005. This is a problem with research into this topic: we are getting snapshots in time that themselves quickly become unreliable.
Wikipedia is a convenient and accessible resource, but it has problems with accuracy, vandalism, and bias. Learn how to use Wikipedia correctly as a starting point for your research, not as a reliable source for your paper.
As a Starting Point - Wikipedia can give you background information on a topic, as well as perspectives you can use when formulating a research topic. You should not cite Wikipedia as a source for your research. You should always validate anything you use for research in a reliable source. Finding Sources - The reference list at the bottom of a ...
This page explains how Wikipedia editors should use reliable sources for any material challenged or likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. It covers the definition, context, types, and reliability of sources, and provides links to related policies and guidelines.
In fact, Wikipedia systematically compensates for the lack of credentials by heavy emphasis on reliable sources. It is a paradox: Wikipedia is one of the 10 most popular websites in the world according to TopSites, and by most measures it is the most widely read knowledge repository on Earth, but still it is often treated as not worth academic ...
Learn how to use Wikipedia as a source for research-based writing and as a model for recursive revision, textual production, and research participation. This chapter from Thematic Reading Anthology shows you how and why to use Wikipedia effectively and critically.
A Wikipedia article that discusses the reliability and credibility of Wikipedia as a source for academic research. It examines the criteria of accuracy, objectivity, and credentials, and compares Wikipedia with peer reviewed sources.
This page explains why Wikipedia should not be used as a source for citations elsewhere on Wikipedia, or as a source for copying or translating content. It also provides guidance on how to cite reliable sources instead of Wikipedia, and on how to avoid circular sourcing.
Wikipedia is a multilingual project that provides free access to information on various topics, from history and science to culture and arts. You can browse articles, contribute to the community, or learn more about Wikipedia's history, policies, and projects.