Karen Hornberger, the librarian at the Palisades High School in my
district in Pennsylvania, came up with a statement that she has linked
to her library website to share with the teachers within our district.
She is also planning on linking Kathy Fester's powerpoint on the
subject. If you have the time, I'd love to hear what you think! Please
be honest if you think she is on the right track. Any comments are
welcome!
Library philosophy on Wikipedia used in research:
General Statement:
Wikipedia is a resource that most people use, therefore educators need
to teach high school students (and each other) how to evaluate and
interact with this resource effectively and responsibly. Educators
would be neglecting our duty to educate if we ignore the fact that
Wikipedia is regularly used and decline to provide students with the
tools to use this incredible resource.
Why is Wikipedia incredibly unique and, in some ways, superior?
Print and electronic reference sources and articles within subscription
databases do not provide the depth of authorship. The nature of
multi-authorship allows for global coverage which becomes more
comprehensive with less opportunity for bias (multiple
perspectives/viewpoints). Subscription databases, while very useful
resources (and should still be points in which researchers are directed
towards), are more limited in terms of the presence of unique content
available, the volume of content covered within an article, and the
multiple reference links to resources which corroborate the information
found within the article. Many articles within Wikipedia require
approval for editing, helping to ensure the reliability of the
information provided.
What about the Schools version of Wikipedia?
While the concept of this downloadable version, which remains static in
an attempt to eliminate misinformation and offensive or age
inappropriate language, is admirable, the searchable content is much
more limited, making it frustrating in comparison.
How do we suggest responsible use of Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is a great stepping stone into further research and can be an
extremely useful tool. Researchers should read an article in order to
gain familiarity with the subject and corroborate the useful information
by doing any of the following: following citations listed in the
References or External Links section, searching for peer reviewed
articles
<http://www.palisadessd.org/606342315154648/lib/606342315154648/access_t
o_scholarly_journals.doc> , searching within subscription databases, or
executing a Google search while utilizing proper website evaluation
techniques. While Wikipedia offers many comprehensive, quality
articles, please remember that Wikipedia does not employ qualified
editors to check facts and therefore promises no quality control of the
information provided. However, ALL informational content is subject to
misinformation and bias. Researchers need to keep this in mind while
interacting with any piece of information.
How do I cite my research?
Cite the source that you have used in order to verify your information
(corroborate) in your Works Cited list.
Alexis Cuff
Library Media Specialist
Palisades School District
Pennsylvania
acuff@palisadessd.org
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