Should You Use Wikipedia For Research?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Wikipedia

is not considered a credible source

. … However, citation of Wikipedia in may be considered unacceptable, because Wikipedia is not considered a credible or authoritative source.

What is a recommended use of Wikipedia for your research?

It can also help determine a time frame of a topic. Wikipedia can provide up with

relevant language and terminology to help you brainstorm terms associated with your topic

so you can begin your research. Of course, it's probably a good idea to look up the same topic in a more reliable encyclopedia or reference source.

Should you trust a wiki for academic research?


No, you should not use wikipedia as a source for academic papers

. Generally speaking, the scientific articles are quite accurate(of course there is always change and new discoveries), but there is reason to distrust any other type of article.

How trustworthy is Wikipedia?

The paper found that Wikipedia's entries had an

overall accuracy rate of 80 percent

, whereas the other encyclopedias had an accuracy rate of 95 to 96 percent.

Why should you not use Wikipedia for research?

Wikipedia

is not a reliable source for

elsewhere on Wikipedia. Because it can be edited by anyone at any time, any information it contains at a particular time could be vandalism, a work in progress, or just plain wrong. … Therefore, Wikipedia should not be considered a definitive source in and of itself.

How accurate is Wikipedia 2019?

They found that while Wikipedia articles were rated at 83.8 percent for completeness, the information published in the articles was

99.7 percent accurate

.

Does Wikipedia Make Money?


Wikipedia makes money via donations, investments, as well as merchandise sales

. In the future, it plans to launch an API that charges enterprises a fee for access to its data. Founded in 2001, Wikipedia has grown to become one of the world's most-frequented websites.

How can you use Wikipedia in your research?

  1. Scan the article to get general information and terms you can use as keywords for further searching.
  2. Scan the article for references. …
  3. Cite Wikipedia articles in your paper only if you are pointing out something specific to Wikipedia.

How can Wikipedia be useful?

Not only is Wikipedia potentially

useful for generating ideas, finding sources, and determining search terms

, but it is also potentially useful for remembering and understanding some of the tasks that are frequently part of good research-based writing: reviewing, conversing, revising, and sharing.

What are 3 reliable sources for research?

Types of Credible Sources for Research

Credible sources for research include:

science.gov, The World Factbook, US Census Bureau, UK Statistics, and Encyclopedia Britannica

.

How reliable is Wikipedia as a source for journalists and academic scholars?

Research studies have shown that

Wikipedia is roughly as reliable as other sources commonly accepted as “accurate

.” Arguably, the one to demonstrate this first was science journalist Jim Giles, who wrote a 2005 Nature article, “Internet encyclopaedias go head to head.” Giles combed through articles on both Wikipedia …

What is the most reliable source of information?


Academic journal articles

are probably the most reliable source of current thinking in your field. To be the most reliable they need to be peer reviewed. This means that other academics have read them before publication and checked that they are making claims that are backed up by their evidence.

Can I use Wikipedia as reference?

The answer from Wikipedia is clear: at least in research projects, “

you probably shouldn't be citing Wikipedia”

. … Well, Wikipedia, like other encyclopedias and handbooks, is a tertiary source. Tertiary sources are those that take their information from other primary and secondary sources.

Is giving to Wikipedia safe?

With the money it generates through these contributions, Wikipedia is able to keep its

servers running

and also maintain the site and ensure that it is secure, loads quickly, and protects user data. Generous donations from its massive user base also helps the site maintain its independence.

How does Wikipedia work?

Wikipedia is

written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers

. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent further disruption or vandalism.

Can Wikipedia be edited by anyone?

Wikipedia is a wiki, meaning

anyone can edit nearly any page and improve articles immediately

. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as a Wikipedian or editor. Small edits add up, and every editor can be proud to have made Wikipedia better for all.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.