Using Wikipedia for Academic Reserch

"Wikipedia Logo Links to an external site." by Wikipedia Contributors Links to an external site.

Wikipedia is a reference source available on the web (or, through a Google search) that we're probably aware of and most likely have used often.

It's just as likely that we've been told by our instructor not to use Wikipedia as a source for academic research writing.

Does this mean we shouldn't look at Wikipedia at all? No, because just like other reference sources, Wikipedia is often a good way to start our research. It can help us gather keywords, narrow our topic, and collect references to other sources.

So even though we might not be allowed to cite Wikipedia, using it wisely and judiciously is recommended.

Watch this short video (3 minutes and 36 seconds) for more help with using Wikipedia for academic research. Note that the sound on this video doesn't start until 18 seconds in.

"Using Wikipedia for Academic Research (CLIP)" Links to an external site. by Michael Baird, Cooperative Library Instruction Project is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.