WIKIPEDIA FOR

Academics

Mickey Angel T. Cortez. November 5, 2020

This question usually crops up in the mind of students when the professors prohibit them from using Wikipedia as a source. Should you eschew it as a source of information by all means? The stand of Wikipedia in your online learning journey is neither your enemy nor the closest ally.

Image source: Chesser (2019)

In my previous course, Communication Skills 2, we were tasked to read this article entitled, “Wikipedia Is Good For You?!” by James Purdy (2010). Stated in the report are the three principles of Wikipedia that make it stigmatized in the academe.

Hover each box below to get in detail.

OPEN

Participation

Everyone connected to the internet can contribute to a Wikipedia article, regardless of their educational attainment and competence to the topic. Consequently, Wikipedia articles are susceptible to information disorders.

Changeability

The same Wikipedia article you’ve read today might not be the same tomorrow. Since Wikipedia articles are collaborative works and are always open for discussions, mutations are frequently made in the articles, whether to expound or correct them. Thus, unlike the stable information you’d see in a tangible book, a Wikipedia article is utterly different by being inconsistent with the information it displays.

SHALLOW

Coverage

Articles in Wikipedia and academic research works do not belong to the same genre of writing. Thus, Wikipedia is not as advanced as other sources of information regarding depth, quality, and coverage. Therefore, it can solely be useful to some extent as a general overview but not as a primary source to quote or on which you can depend on your arguments and supporting ideas.

Online learners should not wholly avoid Wikipedia. There is an appropriate approach to Wikipedia for information gathering, be it for research work or merely satisfying your curiosity. Purdy's 2010 article states three benefits of Wikipedia in your academic journey.

It can be a good starting place to have a bigger picture or general sense of your topic/s.

By having a bigger picture of your topic, you will be able to craft more insightful search terms.

By visiting the references provided at the bottom of the webpage, you will have a set of hyperlinks at your disposal for the topic you seek knowledge about.

How to Use Wikipedia for Academic Work

Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to state the principles why Wikipedia is not a trusted academic source for proper research work
Learners will be able to differentiate the quality of information from Wikipedia and scholarly articles online
Learners will be able to list down the possible ways they can use Wikipedia for their academic work

Why is Wikipedia not trusted by educators as a source?

References

Chesser, L. (2019). Wikipedia page screenshot. In Unsplash Website. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/D8QbsYyiFmw/info
Purdy, J. (2010). Wikipedia Is Good for You!? Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, 1, 1–22. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265536639_Wikipedia_Is_Good_for_You/link/55e49e0108aecb1a7ccb8500/download