When a student needs information on a new subject, he or she often utilizes the most used research tool on the web: search engines. Search engines allow users to surf between pages quickly while providing a large list of different sources. However, the credibility of the web pages they bring up aren’t always reliable.

Wikipedia is an online resource that has similar pros and cons. With a Wikipedia article, the reader can gain a general understanding about all of the parts which make up the topic. This helps to become familiar with the subject.

It’s no secret that Wikipedia can be incorrect. I’ve never had a professor who allowed Wikipedia as a resource, nor does any section of Capstone recognize Wikipedia as a reliable source. Despite the fact that Wikipedia pages include a section to cite sources used, there is a general rule that students shouldn’t cite Wikipedia articles.

Most professors and instructors reject Wikipedia  as a credible source because it operates under an open-edit content system. Wikipedia’s nature as open-edit is necessary to ensure the site’s continued use. Because content can be edited by anyone, at any time, more people are inclined to contribute to the encyclopedia. It is this characteristic which propelled Wikipedia into being one of the most visited reference works on the internet.  

It states in the Wikipedia page of Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, that Wales would pull frequent all-nighters to ensure that content stayed up to par. Eventually, Wales decided to focus on providing a solid infrastructure for Wikipedia and found that open-editing actually improved the quality of the content.

However, MobileBeat, an online news publication, ran an article Oct. 12 detailing a new informational tool that a digital education company is using to help students. The tool, known  as Benchprep, has just released a mobile application which would find free informational content for students looking for resources on a topic from online sources such as Wikipedia.

Is this a signal that education might approve of open-edit sources as citation material in the future? Probably not, but it does  reiterate the valuable role Wikipedia can play in helping students piece together information that will benefit their academics.  

Although Wikipedia is still miles away from being considered a scholarly source, it fulfills a vital role for education on the internet.

 After Wikipedia helps you become familiar with a topic, you should utilize databases to help ensure the credibility of your research.