The answer is simultaneously yes and no. Unlike most of the reference works you’ll find in school libraries, Wikipedia is a collaborative effort that relies on community volunteers—not paid fact-checkers—to contribute and validate its information. Anyone can write and edit articles in Wikipedia at any time, regardless of their expertise.  This makes Wikipedia dynamic, or ever-changing.  Moreover, the project is completely virtual—there is no printed version nor is it available on CD or DVD.  The only way to access Wikipedia is through the Internet.

History of Wikipedia

The word wiki actually stems from the Hawaiian term for quick: wiki wiki. Software developers have used this term for decades in reference to open, or collaboratively developed, projects. In 2001, a small team of developers launched the Wikipedia site as an open, informal encyclopedia project. The project grew quickly in popularity, usage, and size—so much so, that in March 2007, the Oxford English Dictionary recognized wiki as an official English word.

Using Wikipedia

Over time, Wikipedia has gained recognition among some media groups and overseas governments. Its use is not, however, without controversy. It is all to easy for someone to manipulate and falsify its information. A college history department banned the use of Wikipedia as a source for papers and exams after a number of students referenced the same inaccurate Wikipedia article in a February 2007 exam. Some professors, including ones at Harvard University, do include Wikipedia in their syllabi, but there is an overall split in its academic perception.

Yet because of its public accessibility, Wikipedia is, at the same time, self-correcting. Keen, altruistic users serve as watchdogs, constantly amending false, defamatory, or erroneous information. The site owners are adamant about enforcing policies and promoting guidelines that protect original authors as well as users of its content.

The text contained in Wikipedia is licensed to the public under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). You may use images, sounds, and other non-text portions within the fair use doctrine of U.S. Copyright law.

In the Classroom

 It may be useful to set aside some discussion time before a research assignment is due to review with students the pros and cons of using Wikipedia. This kind of discussion can serve as a segue into the topics of reliable sources, copyrights, and permissions.

Remind students to always check their facts and avoid relying on a single source, such as Wikipedia, for their research. Caution students about reusing images from Wikipedia and other sites without permission. Introduce them to the doctrine of “fair use.”

About Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About)