Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia written by volunteers who work together to revise and edit the articles. If you register and log in, you can contribute information to Wikipedia. That’s both good and bad!
Accuracy/Reliability: Recent studies suggest that Wikipedia has a percentage of misinformation similar to other encyclopedias (20% is a common estimate).
Bias: All authors exhibit some bias. Since Wikipedia is a collaborative work, there may be many points of view represented in the same article.
Currency: Because it is a collaborative work, articles on current events may be created as events unfold (Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami are notable examples).
Using Wikipedia for School Work:
- Ask your teacher what sources of information are expected and acceptable.
- Ask your teacher how sources are to be cited.
- Compare the information found in Wikipedia with information from other sources like Grolier Online, World Book, Student Resource Center, or Fact Monster. (Just like newspapers reporters, it’s always a good idea to check your sources.)
- Take advantage of the External Links at the bottom of most articles.
- A good way to judge the quality of the information is to check the Discussion and History tabs.
- A good way to become a smart Wikipedia user is to check out a couple of articles on subjects you know a lot about (your favorite sport or hobby).
Evaluating Wikipedia Articles — download this evaluation checklist from Wikipedia.
