Based on previous academic writing courses, my opinion of Wikipedia as a source was very skeptical. A vast majority of my previous instructors discouraged all of their students to even think about citing Wikipedia. However after reading this essay and hearing about the benefits Wikipedia can offer, my formerly cynical view of the website has improved significantly.
I initially thought of Wikipedia as a website where anyone could just log in and change any information in a negative way. As I have learned, it is much more elaborate than just a falsified encyclopedia. The information given on a Wikipedia page all must be cited, giving the material more credibility to the reader. I also never knew that you are able to view every edit ever made to any article. This can again help readers determine the validity of the facts and help editors and revisers know what changes have been made.
Although sometimes citing a Wikipedia page as a source can be questionable, using the citations provided by an article can be a very useful database to get more insight on the topic. This makes Wikipedia a great starting point for research-based writing.
The acts of reviewing, conversing, revising and sharing give Wikipedia contributors actual experience in research-based writing. These procedures were the staples of academic writing since its beginning. Authors have been revising and building upon other authors’ writings for centuries. Now, people are able to share knowledge with others easily and efficiently by editing posts and adding content on Wikipedia.
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