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A short video outlining the pros and cons of using Wikipedia for academic research. Created by Newcastle University's Education Outreach Team.

Transcript:

Wikipedia: Some dos and don’ts
So, what is Wikipedia?
It’s a free online encyclopaedia
– It contains over 6 million articles written in English
– It contains many more articles in over 250 languages
Things to be aware of
1) Anyone can add and edit Wikipedia entries, so they could be incorrect or deliberately false
2) Material can be changed at any time- What was there yesterday may not be there today
3) Articles aren’t translated between different language versions of Wikipedia, so you may find different information in different countries
4) Controversial issues, such as political and ideological topics, have a high risk of bias
5) Breaking news items can often be inaccurate
6) Just because something on Wikipedia sounds correct, doesn’t mean that it is
So how do I use Wikipedia effectively?
Do
…use Wikipedia with caution and remember to verify what you read elsewhere too
…use it as a starting point- think of it as a ‘pre-search’ tool rather than a research tool
…look at the references- they may lead you to more academic resources
Don’t
…believe everything you read on Wikipedia
…rely solely on Wikipedia articles for your research
…cite Wikipedia articles in academic work
Thank You for Watching
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