Topic: A word about Wikipedia
Topic Type: Topic
Wikipedia and answering homework questions.
Wikipedia is a common source of information. As librarians we have found the following problems with wikipedia.
- Information is not always accurate - anyone can write about a topic, you don't need to be an expert to contribute.
- It is open to misuse - people can add to it as a joke and put in misleading information.
- Comprehensiveness - the experts about a topic don't necessarily contribute.
- Limits use of other reference sources such as books.
- Not peer reviewed.
We recommend that Wikipedia is used to give an overview of a topic, but advise researching other websites and sources to verify the validity of what you read.