Is It OK To Use Wikipedia As A Source?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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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

.

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.

Is it bad to use Wikipedia as a reference?

However,

of Wikipedia in research papers may be considered unacceptable

, because Wikipedia is not a reliable source. … This is because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any moment. Although when an error is recognized, it is usually fixed.

Can you trust Wikipedia?


We do not expect you to trust us

Also, since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any time, articles may be prone to errors, including vandalism, so Wikipedia is not a reliable source. So please do not use Wikipedia to make critical decisions.

Can you cite Wikipedia as a source?

Wiki is not paper, so you will need to use an electronic-citation format instead. …

You should not cite any particular author or authors

for a Wikipedia article, in general. Wikipedia is collaboratively written. However, if you do need to find the list of authors of a particular article, you can check the Page history.

How accurate 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. … They asked experts to rate article content with regard to accuracy, up-to-dateness, breadth of coverage, referencing and readability.

Is Wikipedia a primary source?

Wikipedia, as an encyclopedia, is

a tertiary source

. However, Wikipedia and sources that mirror or source information from Wikipedia may not be used as secondary or tertiary sources. Wikipedia articles are sometimes used as primary sources in articles about Wikipedia.

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.

Is Wikipedia blocked in China?

China. Access to Wikipedia has varied over the years with the Chinese language version being controlled more tightly than other versions. As of April 2019, all versions of Wikipedia are blocked in Mainland China under the Great Firewall. … Wikipedia was again blocked in China in October 2005.

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.

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

.

Why do schools not allow Wikipedia?

Wikipedia

is not a reliable source for citations

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. … Wikipedia generally uses reliable secondary sources, which vet data from primary sources.

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.

Does Google own Wikipedia?

Google is pouring an

additional $3.1 million into Wikipedia

, bringing its total contribution to the free encyclopedia over the past decade to more than $7.5 million, the company announced at the World Economic Forum Tuesday.

Who edits Wikipedia?


Steven Pruitt
Years active 2004–present Known for Most edits on the English Wikipedia Relatives Peter Francisco (sixth-great grandfather)

Is it illegal to edit a Wikipedia page?

On Wikipedia,

vandalism is editing the project

in an intentionally disruptive or malicious manner. … It is not a criminal act to vandalise Wikipedia. However, it is against the site's terms of use to vandalise or otherwise cause disruption.

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.