I have this rule drilled into my head since middle school: never cite Wikipedia. My English teacher said it's unreliable, anyone can edit it, it's not academic. Okay, fine. 
But then I'm reading articles for my research class and I see professors citing Wikipedia in their footnotes. Actual professors. At actual universities. What?
I asked my TA about this and she explained the real rule:
Don't cite Wikipedia as a primary source. If you're writing about a topic, you shouldn't use the Wikipedia article as your evidence. Go find the original sources at the bottom of the page. That's where the real scholarship is.
But Wikipedia can be cited in certain contexts. If you're writing about Wikipedia itself — how it works, its accuracy, its role in information dissemination — then citing Wikipedia is totally valid. Also for things like current pop culture references, recent events, or basic facts that aren't controversial.
The bigger issue: My professor actually encourages using Wikipedia for background research. Read the article, get an overview of the topic, then scroll to the references and use THOSE for your paper. That's not cheating. That's working smart.
So next time someone says "never cite Wikipedia," the real answer is: it depends on why you're citing it. For most college papers, find the original source. But don't pretend you've never used Wikipedia to understand a topic before diving into academic journals.
Anyone else confused by this? Or just me?
But then I'm reading articles for my research class and I see professors citing Wikipedia in their footnotes. Actual professors. At actual universities. What?
I asked my TA about this and she explained the real rule:
Don't cite Wikipedia as a primary source. If you're writing about a topic, you shouldn't use the Wikipedia article as your evidence. Go find the original sources at the bottom of the page. That's where the real scholarship is.
But Wikipedia can be cited in certain contexts. If you're writing about Wikipedia itself — how it works, its accuracy, its role in information dissemination — then citing Wikipedia is totally valid. Also for things like current pop culture references, recent events, or basic facts that aren't controversial.
The bigger issue: My professor actually encourages using Wikipedia for background research. Read the article, get an overview of the topic, then scroll to the references and use THOSE for your paper. That's not cheating. That's working smart.
So next time someone says "never cite Wikipedia," the real answer is: it depends on why you're citing it. For most college papers, find the original source. But don't pretend you've never used Wikipedia to understand a topic before diving into academic journals.
Anyone else confused by this? Or just me?
