I'm not sure about others' reasoning but here's what I tell my students:
Wikipedia is a great but unreliable source of information, we talk about
how Wikipedia can be changed by anyone and why that means that info
could be unreliable, but we also talk about how great it can be for
getting a feel for a topic, finding key words, getting an overview of an
unfamiliar topic. However, because it is subject to change and
editing, I tell them once they use it to get an overview of the topic,
they should confirm whatever data/quotations they are going to use in
other sources. For example, if I read WIKI on Shakespeare, I'll learn a
lot, get a big picture. Then I'm ready to go on to Britannica, a print
biography, a database, a reliable website and gather my facts and
quotes. If I get all facts and quotes from other sources, in a WORKS
CITED, I would NOT include Wikipedia because I did not, in fact, cite
them. However, if I do quote or use info from Wikipedia, I would need
to cite it. I encourage them to use it as an informal starting place
not a academic source which is why most of the time even if they start
there, they won't cite it. Most teachers won't accept WIKI as a
citation . . So that's another reason for using it to get general info
but finding actual quotations/facts for ones project elsewhere. This
might different if one is required to do a BIBLIOGRAPHY versus a WORKS
CITED page----I'm most familiar with MLA Works Cited in which one only
cites sources directly used.
Team and Family,
Katrina Baecht | KIPP Austin Librarian
office: 512-501-3586 | fax: 501-3587
8509 FM 969, Bldg 676 | Austin, TX 78724
kbaecht@kippaustin.org
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Liz Herman
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 8:22 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Wikipedia.... and bibliographies
I always caution people *not* to use Wikipedia as a major source, using
the substitution of a photograph of the Emperor from "Star Wars" for the
new Pope that occurred repeatedly over a week or so after he was elected
to the position (until wikipedia "froze" the entry for a period of
time). However, it *can* be a half-decent starting point for research,
even if a step below encyclopedias... and I always stress that further
research should be done to verify the information found in a more
reliable source.
But I understand why people warn students (and adults) away from it in
general.
What I don't understand is the lack of citing it as a resource used, and
the few entries in LM_NET in which the LMS has suggested that it is a
good jumping off point but that they tell students not to cite it after
encouraging its use as that jumping off point. My understanding has
always been that if you use a source, you should give credit to that
source. Period.
While it may not (and shouldn't) be the only source, for middle school
onward it can be a useful tool, if for nothing other than recommended
websites - the sort that you can verify, such as museums and other
"scholarly" organizations. It seems to me that denying its use when you
*have* used it goes against all the rules of citing/giving credit to
your sources.
If you encourage it (or encyclopedias) as a jumping off point, how do
you justify telling students not to cite it in their bibliographies?
-Liz Herman
(not currently in a school, but still in Howard County, MD)
imcozit@verizon.net
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