Q. Can I use Wikipedia as a source?

Wikipedia - what is it?

• It is a free, general information encyclopedia available on the internet.
• Articles are written and edited by the public, not by experts or an editorial staff.
• Although it is very popular, Wikipedia should not be used as a source supporting an academic research paper.

The main reason Wikipedia is inappropriate for academic work

• Articles are not written by authoritative experts and cannot lend credibility to your research paper.
• Even Wikipedia acknowledges that their articles are not considered credible and should not be cited in academic work.
• For scholarly work, it is best to cite sources written by people who are authorities on a topic.