Why do teachers professors warn you not to use Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is a popular online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. Because of its open nature, many teachers and professors often warn students that it should never, under any circumstances, be used because it is “unreliable.” As with all things, the situation is much more nuanced than that.

Why do teachers tell students not to use Wikipedia?

Many colleges and universities, as well as public and private secondary schools, have policies that prohibit students from using Wikipedia as their source for doing research papers, essays, or equivalent assignments. This is because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any moment.

Why should a student not use Wikipedia as a source?

As a user-generated source, it can be edited by anyone at any time, and any information it contains at a particular time could be vandalism, a work in progress, or simply incorrect.

Do schools allow to use Wikipedia?

In most academic institutions, references to Wikipedia, along with most encyclopedias, are unacceptable for research papers. It depends on what teachers accept. Wikipedia can be an excellent starting place for further research.

When might a teacher recommend using Wikipedia?

Answer and Explanation:

A teacher might recommend using Wikipedia for students to get a general understanding of a topic. Wikipedia also often lists some good primary and secondary sources to further explore.

Wikipedia: Why Teachers REALLY hate it

Is Wikipedia reliable for learning?

Academics have also criticized Wikipedia for its perceived failure as a reliable source and because Wikipedia editors may have no expertise, competence, or credentials in the topics on which they contribute.

Why Wikipedia tells you not to use Wikipedia as an academic source?

Nevertheless, when you're doing academic research, you should be extremely cautious about using Wikipedia. As its own disclaimer states, information on Wikipedia is contributed by anyone who wants to post material, and the expertise of the posters is not taken into consideration.

Is Wikipedia appropriate for kids?

Wikipedia is not censored, which in practice means that in relevant areas throughout the site, you will find possibly distressing or offensive content and pictures showing subjects like violence, nudity, sexual activity or controversial topics.

Is it illegal to mess with a Wikipedia page?

It is not a criminal act to vandalize Wikipedia. However, it is against the site's terms of use to vandalize or otherwise cause disruption. Vandals are blocked from editing, and may also be further banned according to the terms of use.

What percentage of students use Wikipedia?

87.5% of respondents reported making use of Wikipedia as part of their university studies (see Table 2).

Is it OK to source Wikipedia?

We advise special caution when using Wikipedia as a source for research projects. Normal academic usage of Wikipedia is for getting the general facts of a problem and to gather keywords, references and bibliographical pointers, but not as a source in itself. Remember that Wikipedia is a wiki.

Who owns Wikipedia?

Who owns Wikipedia? Wikipedia's tech framework is supported by the Wikimedia Foundation, which also supports Wikipedia's sister projects, including Wiktionary, Wikibooks, and others, and owns all of their domain names. Previously, the site was hosted on the servers of Bomis, a company mostly owned by Jimmy Wales.

What is the most reliable source of information?

Why do schools not trust Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is not considered scholarly. Wikipedia acknowledges that its information is not properly vetted. The site has included hoaxes. People have created and edited pages to drive traffic to other websites.

Why can't you wear hoods in school?

Some teachers argue that wearing hoods could potentially be a safety hazard. This is because a hood obscures part of a person's face and identity–making it harder to spot an intruder or to identify a student who has done something wrong.It is presumably for this reason that many malls restrict hoods being worn.

Why do teachers get apples?

Apples were a popular choice because they were abundant and easy to transport for these farm families. At the same time, education was becoming increasingly important, and teachers were seen as role models and mentors. The simple gesture of gifting a sweet, juicy apple let them know you respect their hard work.

Why did I get banned on Wikipedia?

Why was I blocked? You may be an innocent victim of collateral damage, where you are accidentally affected by a block of some other user. Alternatively, your account or IP may have been blocked because it appears to have been responsible for (or connected to) a serious breach of Wikipedia's policies.

What happens if you accidentally edit a Wikipedia page?

If a past version is saved (with or without editing it), all changes made to the page since the version that was just saved just disappear from the page, so do this with great caution, and only if you are sure you know what you are doing. (But your edit can then itself be reverted, which puts them all back again.

What happens if you grief a Wikipedia page?

Your vandalism will be reverted. It will usually happen within minutes, if not seconds. A lot of obvious vandalism is reverted automatically (and usually immediately) by an automated computer program. You will be left with an ugly message on your user talk page.

Is it OK to trust Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is not a credible source because it allows multiple users to edit, and it is not safe to assume that the facts presented there have been checked before publishing them.

What is the age limit for Wikipedia?

Is there a minimum age requirement to contribute or register? No. Anyone of any age may edit articles or register. Wikipedia does not even require that users disclose their age when registering!

Is it OK to use images from Wikipedia?

You can use (free) images from Wikipedia on your own site, or anywhere you like.

Can Wikipedia be edited by anyone?

Wikipedia is a wiki, meaning anyone can edit nearly any page and improve articles immediately. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as a Wikipedian or editor. Small edits add up, and every editor can be proud to have made Wikipedia better for all.

Is Britannica considered a reliable source?

Britannica's content is among the most trusted in the world.

Why can't Wikipedia be sold?

We are not for sale

Wikipedia is a non-commercial website run by the Wikimedia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in San Francisco. We are supported by donations and grants, and our mission is to bring free knowledge to everyone.