The evils of Wikipedia
Most people in academia tell students that they should avoid Wikipedia because its content can't be trusted. This is obviously sound advice given the fact that anyone can make edits to Wikipedia. However, many of these people take a view that I consider is a bit too hardline.
While no student should ever reference Wikipedia in a paper or take its entries as gospel, it can be a very helpful tool in getting an overview on a subject. Also, since Wikipedia entries usually have a great deal of references, it can direct the student to these other sites very quickly. (Something that is not always as easy when just doing a Google search.) Finally, reading a quick overview of a subject in Wikipedia can help students when they are not sure what direction to go with a paper, so they spend less time thinking and more time writing.
Obviously, the bulk of the research will need to be done in other places, but Wikipedia can be a good first step to writing a better paper.
While no student should ever reference Wikipedia in a paper or take its entries as gospel, it can be a very helpful tool in getting an overview on a subject. Also, since Wikipedia entries usually have a great deal of references, it can direct the student to these other sites very quickly. (Something that is not always as easy when just doing a Google search.) Finally, reading a quick overview of a subject in Wikipedia can help students when they are not sure what direction to go with a paper, so they spend less time thinking and more time writing.
Obviously, the bulk of the research will need to be done in other places, but Wikipedia can be a good first step to writing a better paper.
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