Here's why teachers who ban Wikipedia are misguided

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Wikipedia should be banned be teachers

The reasons for the ban on Wikipedia expand further than those that this blog has half-refuted.

First, I will admit that the new features do indeed make Wikipedia more reliable. Some studies have gone so far as to say that it is as reliable, or more so, than a typical encyclopedia.

Which leads me to another point. In my English class, ALL general encyclopedias are banned from a works cited page. Yes, the teacher will allow us to look to the general encyclopedias and even Wikipedia for our initial research to get an overview of a topic. Wikipedia just cannot provide the in-depth information that is required to construct a well-reasoned, thorough paper.

As for using Wikipedia to research more obscure topics, I ask: If the topic is so obscure that there simply are no resources about it, how did someone amass enough information for a Wikipedia entry?

Finally, the teachers banning Wikipedia are not doing so out of fear of the "new." You refer to ther teachers as being "wedded to textbooks and more standard encyclopedia entries." In reality, though, most teachers I know are not "wedded," as you say, but actually promote the usage of internet resources. My own school provides access to online databases such as EBSCOHost and Opposing Viewpoints that provide much more detailed information than Wikipedia with the same ease of use and up-to-date information.

Wikipedia has its place in research. When a person is performing initial research to develop a thesis, Wikipedia works well to provide a quick overview. Additionally, the links section at the bottom of the page can provide quick access to better, more detailed sources.

Maybe some of the stigma against Wikipedia is undeserved, but as a student I believe that the ban is justified. Wikipedia can never take the place of sources that are more reliable and more detailed.

Posted by: jacob_pennington   Posted on: 12/08/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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