There’s been a lot of controversy over whether or not Wikipedia is a reliable research tool. The biggest problem that many of its critics have is the fact that pretty much anyone can edit it, so therefore they say it is unreliable, sometimes inaccurate, and sometimes unable to be substantiated. While this is true, I find that Wikipedia is a great tool to start off and expand research. Some of the articles are really really well done, and it is possible to find a lot of facts gathered into one article that otherwise could take a while to research.

The trick is to use Wikipedia as a first line of research, rather than the last, much how you’d use a search engine to start your reseach. I use Wikipedia to learn more about a subject, check out overviews, and find out things to satisfy my own curiosity. Then, if I want to check facts, verify what I learned, or cite sources I use what I gathered there and do my own research so that I have credible sources that readers won’t question. As a research tool, it is a great resources, and I think a lot of writers tend to dismiss it without realizing just how useful it can be.