Wikipedia is NOT the devil!

Today my co-author and I were reading reviews of the chapter drafts of the textbook we are writing. And more than one reviewer ranted about how/why Wikipedia is the devil. Ugh...first, I’m so tired of that rant. However, I’m now going to use this blog as the draft for how we might (continue) to address Wikipedia in the researcher textbook we are writing.

First, Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and like any other good reference tool, should be used as a reference resource. Most reference resources are not directly quoted in research papers. In other words, writing instructors who are getting too many Wikipedia citations in their student paper submissions need to do a quick review of reference materials in their class. And in that review instructors can give students a list of wonderful online reference tools that will help with the researching and writing of a paper.

Second, building upon the first, all resources that writers work into their papers need to be rhetorically situated. How and why is this resource support the line of reasoning as well as the needs of the author. In this war of Wikipedia ranting I love the fact that I have published a peer reviewed essay that uses Wikipedia as a resource. In this instance, Wikipedia pages did something that no other resource could do; therefore, referencing Wikipedia fit the rhetorical needs of the topic and the audience.

Ultimately I guess this rant summarizes as a “buck up”instead of complaining about how students are using Wikipedia; take a moment and review how/why you are teaching students how to use references and other resources. 

January 14 2008 | Posted in