Like many students, I love Wikipedia. Yes, I know that there can be terrible inaccuracies in their articles but it’s always a great jumping-off point, especially if you’re unfamiliar with your research topic. It’s also a great go-to for quick trivia bits and things outside of the classroom (I, for one, really like to look up movie endings before I watch them because I hate surprises).
Of course, everyone knows that Wikipedia is just about the least reliable “legitimate” source on the Internet, but it really can be useful. I know that a lot of people like to get an overview from the article and then go to the bottom and see what sources were used. Some people actually go to these sources and use them if they seem legitimate enough.
For this blog entry I looked up The War of the Roses because I’ve been to the Wikipedia page before and I knew it was a good one. The article is quite long and in-depth, but that of course does not necessarily mean that it’s legitimate. The problem with Wikipedia articles is that usually, most of their information is correct but some of the details are wrong, and sometimes details are the most important part. The Wikipedia page for The War of the Roses has both a bibliography and a references page, which is heartening because I know that many pages only have one or the other. There are twelve different works cited throughout the article, which may seem like a small amount but most of the cited works are quite long and all-encompassing of the war. All but one have a linked ISBN number where you can look up the book on either Amazon or Google.
I think that having background knowledge on a topic allows the reader a little insight into the accuracy of a Wikipedia article. I probably know more about The War of the Roses than most people who look it up, and in fact I’ve read at least two of the source texts listed in the bibliography. Overall, I think that Wikipedia is a good place to orient yourself and learn a little about your topic, but I wouldn’t put too much stock in it. For real research, I’d go to a university database or somewhere a little more trustworthy.
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