A Word about Wikipedia
Copyright © 2009, Henry J. Sage
The first thing to remember about the essays for this course is that they should be based substantially on original sources. Wikipedia is not an original source, though a wikipedia article will often have links to original sources. Be sure you understand what an original source is. Now, about Wikipedia itself.
Much discussion has occurred in academic circles about the use of Wikipedia by students. In the past some colleges have told students they are not allowed to use Wikipedia as a resource for writing papers. Articles in newspapers and various academic journals have discussed the perils of Wikipedia, based upon the accuracy of information provided on the Wikipedia site, or the fact that students rely too heavily on the actual materials. For a while it seemed as though Wikipedia was some sort of freelance Internet operation that proceeded without any rules or guidelines. That is no longer the case. The people who designed, use and manage Wikipedia recently had a conference in Cairo, Egypt, where they discussed at length in various issues regarding the use of Wikipedia.
I think it is safe to say that as of now, Wikipedia is here to stay. As I do a great deal of online searching myself, I am aware that very often the first link you will find when you do a search is to Wikipedia. I have also read a large number of articles on Wikipedia, most of them, naturally, dealing with history. I think it is safe to say that people who care enough about historical topics to put entries in Wikipedia, which anyone can do, are as much concerned with accuracy as most teachers. While there are exceptions, I think we can allow that information in Wikipedia is generally fairly reliable. That, however, is not an unqualified endorsement of Wikipedia—you should use it with caution. Just as you can find books on shelves in libraries that contain erroneous information, you will also find a great deal on the Internet that is not reliable, and surely some of that resides in Wikipedia. My advice: Feel free to use Wikipedia to begin your search, but don't end it there. Try other sites and other links to confirm that the information you find in Wikipedia is correct. Check out the sources at the bottom of Wiki articles for suggestions.
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