Wikipedia
Wikipedia, which started in 2001, is now 20+ years old (and has expanded and matured considerably). If faculty once simply told students, do NOT USE OR CITE Wikipedia, the current answer is likely more nuanced (and complicated). Wikipedia seems best when covering relatively non-controversial topics where its volunteer authors are deeply knowledgeable about the subject (e.g., the history of html) -- these articles are reviewed/edited by many authors. Wikipedia is more problematic in at least two areas: (a) obscure topics (where a single author uploads material with little collaboration/feedback), and (b) controversial topics where ideological battles trump rigor and balance (e.g., Armenian Genocide). (These latter sites are often locked to outside editing, since such sites are often vandalized.)
My advice to students: I encourage you to use Wikipedia as a quick, first stop to get up-to-speed on a topic, but NOT as a definitive or best source. Wikipedia has a stated requirement that authors "verify" their entries with sources. Use Wikipedia as an intermediary to find these primary sources, rather than using Wikipedia as an end in itself. (When a student cites Wikipedia in a paper, I ask them to instead find this preexisting source.) In the end, I would recommend NOT using Wikipedia as a source in a student paper.
Scott D. Campell, University of Michigan
What is it?
Artificial Intelligence and Research
