Wikipedia first stop for student research, but should it be?

Wikipedia

Carol Forsloff - Wikipedia may be criticized for its errors and amateur ways at times, but recent research reveals that many students make it their first stop in research.

As one student said, "Wikipedia tells me what's what."

Wikipedia is often an early resource for university students bent on research, according to a study produced at the University of Washington in 2010.

Researchers, Michael Eisenberg, dean emeritus and professor at the Information School, and Alison Head, a research scientist at UW, conducted a survey of 2,300 students and interviewed 86 in focus groups. They found that 52 percent of students frequently used Wikipedia, the online, peer-produced encyclopedia, for background information, even if an instructor advised against it. Eight of 10 students said that to get their research underway, they often go to Wikipedia for background information.

Uniquely it was science students that used Wikipedia more than other students.  Google users used it 10 times more than others.

Some faculty members and librarians have been leery of Wikipedia because of concerns about credibility and intellectual rigor, Head said.

"Nevertheless," she said, "Wikipedia helps many college students because it offers coverage, currency, convenience and comprehensibility in a world where students don't always expect credibility."

Wikipedia drew fewer students than other background resources such as course readings (97 percent), Google (95 percent) and scholarly research databases such as ProQuest (93 percent), but it was the point where they started their research.

For the research, Head and Eisenberg gathered data from sophomores, juniors and seniors at six college campuses between April and June of 2009. Freshmen at four-year colleges and students who had taken fewer than 12 units at community colleges were excluded, as they were more likely to discuss research strategies they had used in high school. The mean grade point average was 3.4, or B .

The research subjects were full-time students at Harvard University, Illinois State University, the University of Washington or students who had completed at least one semester at Chaffey Community College (Calif.), Shoreline Community College (Wash.) or Volunteer State Community College (Tenn.).

"We found that while college students use Wikipedia, they do so knowing its limitations -- it has some credibility but not deep,” Head said. "Our findings also lead us to believe that support and solutions from multiple outlets, not just one tool, service or individual, may work the best.”

But has Wikipedia been found useful four years after the University of Washington study?

Even Wikipedia itself tells us that it is not considered a credible or authoritative resource for serious study, academic use or student papers.

What about for journalism?In an article called "Wikipedia in the newsroom" the pros and cons of using information from Wikipedia is discussed.  Many newsrooms have policies banning their use because of potential inaccuracies.  But reviewers tell us it is unclear how many newsrooms have these policies.  However, as the writer assessing Wikipedia's usefulness for reporters tells us,
use caution when using Wikipedia in any authoritative way because its facts are often uneven.  And again folks are said to be cautious because the users of Wikipedia are often its writers and editors as well.

So despite the fact that students have used Wikipedia to write papers and to find facts, the bottom line conclusion is to use care in doing so, which means turn to other sources to check the facts, just as it is good policy for doing anything relative to finding information and substantiating it as well.