How to Use Wikipedia Wisely in Academic Work

Wikipedia can be useful in the early stages of research, especially when you’re still learning about a topic.

• Background reading: Use Wikipedia to get a broad overview of a topic, event, or concept. It can help you understand the basics, see how key ideas are connected, and get context before reading academic sources.
  
  
• Identifying key concepts and terminology: Wikipedia is often good for clear definitions — especially in science, technology, and popular culture. It can help you identify important keywords or specialist terms. Once you’ve found useful terms, check them in more reliable sources like academic dictionaries or textbooks.
  
  
• Finding useful references: At the bottom of most Wikipedia pages, you’ll find a list of references. These may include journal articles, academic books, or news reports.
  
  Tip: If you find a useful source, search for it in LibrarySearch — you may be able to access the full text via the university library.
  
  Bonus tip: If you use Wikipedia often, try installing LibKey Nomad — it adds one-click links to full-text articles in Wikipedia’s reference list. Learn more about LibKey Nomad.
  
  
• Exploratory research: If you're unsure how to narrow your topic or where to begin, Wikipedia can help you brainstorm research questions and identify areas worth exploring in more depth.
  
  

There are good reasons why Wikipedia is usually not accepted as a source in academic writing.

• Anyone can edit it: Articles may be written or changed by non-experts. While there are editorial guidelines, quality control varies.
  
  
• It’s constantly changing: Articles are updated in real time. Information may shift — or even disappear — between the time you read it and when your work is assessed.
  
  
• It may contain bias or errors: Some pages are carefully curated, but others are incomplete, disputed, or skewed toward particular perspectives.

That’s why it’s important to treat Wikipedia as a starting point — not a source to cite.

Different subject areas may take different approaches to using non-academic sources like Wikipedia. Always check local expectations before relying on it in your assignments:

• Check your module handbook or assignment brief: It may offer guidance on what kinds of sources are appropriate.

• Ask your tutor or lecturer: They can clarify whether Wikipedia is acceptable in your specific context.

• When in doubt: Use Wikipedia as a tool for exploring — not for proving your argument.

If you choose to use Wikipedia during your research, follow these best practice tips.

• Never rely on Wikipedia alone: Always back up any information with more authoritative sources.
  
  
• Avoid citing it in your assignments: Unless your tutor says it’s acceptable for a specific task (e.g. writing about Wikipedia itself in a media or digital culture module).
  
  
• Use it as a tool for discovery: Wikipedia can help you identify new ideas, keywords, or connections, but it's not appropriate to use as evidence in your argument.
  
  
• Check the references: Scroll to the bottom of the article — the citations there may lead you to stronger, citable sources.
  
  
• Check the article critically: Does it cite academic or reliable sources? Are there any warning tags (e.g. “neutrality disputed” or “needs citations”)? Frequent edits or flags don’t always mean poor quality — but they are clues to dig deeper. Look at the Talk page to see if the article’s content is debated or contested.

Example: You look up confirmation bias on Wikipedia to get a basic understanding. The article lists academic references, including one by Tversky & Kahneman. You search for that article in LibrarySearch — and find a peer-reviewed source to use in your essay.

Tip: Wikipedia is a useful springboard — but not a substitute for proper academic reading. Once you’ve explored a topic, build on that knowledge with textbooks, review articles, or academic handbooks.

Not all Wikipedia pages are equally reliable. Use these checks to assess the quality of a specific article:

• Look at the Talk page: This shows what editors are debating. If there are major disputes or ongoing edits, be cautious.
  
  
• Check the Edit history: If a page has been edited many times in a short period, it may be unstable or reacting to recent events.
  
  
• Watch for warnings: Tags like “This article needs more citations” or “Neutrality is disputed” mean the content may not meet Wikipedia’s usual standards.
  
  
• Check the references: Are the sources listed at the bottom reliable, academic, or peer-reviewed? Avoid articles that rely heavily on blogs, opinion sites, or unsourced claims.

Note: Wikipedia’s reliability can also vary by subject. It’s often more dependable for science, medicine, or technical topics — and more contested for political, cultural, or controversial issues. If you're unsure, check with your tutor.