Can I use Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is frequently used by students and teachers as a resource when doing online research. Librarians used to insist that Wikipedia was not allowed to be used for school research because of the great possibility of inaccuracy, but its success and authority have reached levels that cannot be denied. We do realize that Wikipedia is one of the first sites to appear during a Google search and can be helpful for some types of questions. It is extremely important to know what Wikipedia is and how it might be used effectively and correctly for school research.

What is Wikipedia?
Wikipedia’s name comes from a combination of the word “wiki,” meaning a website that allows its users to change things, and “encyclopedia.” So it is an online encyclopedia that can be edited or changed by its users. The people who started Wikipedia did so because they realized that the Internet is used by so many people who are experts in so many things and they could all share that knowledge in one, free place. While there are many downsides to an encyclopedia that can be changed, the idea behind it is inspiring and should be respected by those who use it.

Can I use Wikipedia for school reports?
Yes and no. You can use Wikipedia as a place to begin your research because it can be a short cut for finding information. You cannot automatically trust the information you find there but you can use it as a jumping off point. A well-researched article will have footnotes to references listed at the bottom of the article. You can click on these and find out whether they might be resources for a report. You need to always be asking yourself if the information is coming from a trustworthy source and making sure it is up to date and unbiased. It is important that you click all references you plan to use and make sure that you can find them and that the source is a good one. If it is an organization you have never heard of, look for an “About Us” page and some information on when the site was last copyrighted or updated.

For example:
This is the references area for the Wikipedia article on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone. Click to enlarge and see notes on which sources are acceptable and which are not.




What are some of the symbols used in Wikipedia and what do they mean?
You may notice that some articles are “locked.” There are different colors of locks which signify different levels of access. The gold lock, as in the Obama article, means “Protected.” This happens when there is something in the article that people disagree with and want to discuss with other Wikipedia users before they decide together how to write it.

There is also a silver lock which means “semi-protected.” Articles with a silver lock cannot be changed by anonymous users who have not registered with the site, as in the Jonas Brothers article.