User:JWSchmidt/Blog/31 January 2007

Reliable sources  "A Stand Against Wikipedia" discusses the problem of getting students to cite reliable sources for their research projects. This is done in the context of Middlebury College and the problem of college students who think Wikipedia is a reliable source while their instructors do not agree.

Every Wikipedia article shows a sidebar with a link to the "Cite" page. The "Cite" page says:

"IMPORTANT NOTE: Most educators and professionals do not consider it appropriate to use tertiary sources such as encyclopedias as a sole source for any information — citing an encyclopedia as an important reference in footnotes or bibliographies may result in censure or a failing grade. Wikipedia articles should be used for background information, as a reference for correct terminology and search terms, and as a starting point for further research."

For Wikimedia Foundation projects, editors are asked to cite reliable sources when they edit and add content. In many cases this is not done. Some contributors just do not bother, others have no idea how to do so. Wikiversity should have a page for each major academic subject area that explains how to find and cite reliable sources for that subject area. I started such a page at Cell biology improvement drive, but it needs to be developed.