As hard as it is to admit, I use Wikipedia quite often, though mostly for a quick definition. I find it an extremely helpful starting point when doing research, because of the links to other information on similar topics. The references and additional resources add up quickly after moving through a few pages of data.
In my class I will not accept Wikipedia as a quotable resource for information. That is lazy, and seems like cheating. They may not necessarily know whom they might be quoting. It is a valid starting point, but if the information is good, it will be referenced and cited. Students need to learn to do thorough research, and that means verifying information gleaned from sources like Wikipedia. By doing the verification, they will have an even more valid and reliable source, and that is the one they should cite.
The article has me debating my own opinion. I was surprised to read that the science entries are comparable in accuracy to the Encyclopedia Britannica, and have found that more in-depth music entries are also quite accurate. When it comes to technical writing, it seems that individuals take great pride in their own subjects and want the information to be as valid as possible, and update it frequently. Regardless of its accuracy and the pride individual editors take in their subject area, I still do not want my students quoting Wikipedia in a research paper.
My classroom policy will be to accept internet sources for no more than half of the sources cited. Perhaps I really am old fashioned, but I believe in books; I believe in the library. I also believe that we need to take measures to keep students from staring at a screen all day.
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I really appreciate how clearly you laid out the dark side of Wiki here. It is so hard to know who is writing this information and how valid it really is. Further, I think you are totally right in calling out "Wiki-Only" research as lazy. It seems like it falls short of creativity too! Also, I like your Internet research limitation of 1:1 with print resources, I think such a policy will really help your students to become better researchers! Power to the Library!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jackie that asking students to use more traditional sources for half of their sources is a good idea. However, I differ with you on the subject that wikipedia should never be used in a research paper. I think it can used as long as it's verifiable and is used sparingly.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, you're super-duper!