These are both interesting viewpoints. I am one of the people who
tells students to use an encyclopedia (including wikipedia) if
necessary to find keywords and ideas, and to then research more deeply
and not cite encyclopedias. Wikipedia can also be a good source for
authoritative sources, if the page is well footnoted. But then we tell
the students not to include these sources in their bibliographies, as
we only want to see their authoritative sources. Tom is right - that
is ignoring a part of the research process. How then (and this is
basically for Tom) would you deal with truly non-authoritative
websites? What if a student goes to a random Geocities site and finds
accurate information that is supported by other, more authoritative
sites? Would you include the "bad" research sites along with the
"good" ones because they were part of the process?
For my part I think I will stick to teaching students to only include
sites that we (the students, teacher and I) have deemed reliable. We
do a unit on source authority in US History that plays into this idea
though: students have to create a "good" bibliography, using
authoritative sources, and a "bad" bibiography, using lesser sources.
The bibs are on opposite sides of a page; the students then exchange
papers, determine which side is the less authoritative bib, and find
better sources for each others' topics. The assignment is called "Born
to Be Bad." The kids enjoy the intellectual challenge - it went over
very well this year.
I know there is a need to continually revisit the Wikipedia issue, as
our view of source authority will continue to change as information
flows ever more freely. It's so interesting!!!
Cathy
-----------
Cathy Rettberg
Head Librarian, Menlo School
Atherton, CA
crettberg@menloschool.org
On Feb 2, 2009, at 9:02 AM, Gustafson, Jean wrote:
> I believe, when a teacher says you cannot cite World Book or
> Wikipedia type sources, what they really are saying, is DO NOT even
> go look at them.
>
> Jean
>
> R. Jean Gustafson
> Teacher-Librarian
> Selah Jr. High
> Selah, WA 98942
> jeangustafson@selah.k12.wa.us
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
>[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> ] On Behalf Of Thomas Kaun
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 8:55 AM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Re: Why NOT Wikapedia
>
> Hi, Kristina.
> I'm not sure why a student or any researcher, using the information
> they got
> from Wikipedia would not cite it. This just drives me crazy. If the
> teacher
> or professor wants to restrict students use of Wikipedia or ensure
> that
> other resources are used to verify the information found there that
> doesn't
> absolve the researcher's obligation to cite the source no matter how
> inaccurate, in error, or whatever, that source is. The issue is not
> citation--it's use--and that has to be determined by the teacher. Some
> teachers also don't want kids to use general encyclopedias and they
> say the
> same thing, "Don't cite the World Book or Britannica." Once again that
> doesn't make sense to me. If you are using it as a source then you
> should be
> citing it.
> I know this is long answer to a short question but it just pushes my
> buttons
> when we and other teachers don't seem to understand the purpose of
> citation
> and are giving their students the wrong message about what and why
> to cite.
> Tom Kaun
>
> On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 6:08 AM, Kris Fallon
> <librarychickie@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Looking for some brief hard cold facts as to why wikapedia is
>> should not be
>> a "citeable" source for research. Presenting to faculty today and
>> there
>> are
>> some big advocates of it who will claim it is just as reliable as
>> Worldbook.
>>
>> Kristina Fallon Tomaino
>> Robert Morris School, LMS k-8
>> South Bound Brook NJ
>> librarychickie@gmail.com
>>
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>
>
> --
> Thomas T. Kaun
> Teacher Librarian
> Bessie Chin Library @ Redwood High School
> 395 Doherty Drive, Larkspur, CA 94939
> tomkaun@gmail.com | Library Web site: http://rhslibrary.org |
> Professional
> development blog: http://tomlmt2.blogspot.com/ | Library news blog:
> http://libraryleaves.blogspot.com
>
> Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day,
> something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one
> else
> would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always
> part of
> unanimity.
> - Christopher Morley
>
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