Welcome. This page compiles sources on the uses and abuses of Wikipedia in an academic context. It is part of the GanterCourses pages of Brian Ganter who teaches in the English Department at Capilano University in North Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Students getting started with their papers or research for a course may wish to start with the “Getting Started with Wikipedia” page for class assignments here.
Quick Links
What is Wikipedia? What is a Wikipedia Page?
- “The Anatomy of a Wikipedia Article.” Wikimedia.
- Kocsis, John F.M. “What is Wikipedia?” The Harvard Crimson. September 11, 2012. < link >
Credibility + Reliability of Wikipedia
- John Seigenthaler, “A False Wikipedia ‘Biography’,” USA Today.com, 29 November 2005 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-11-29-wikipedia-edit_x.htm>
Wikipedia Vs. Encyclopedia Britannica
- Ray Cha, “Another Round: Britannica versus Wikipedia,” if:book, 31 March 2006 <http://www.futureofthebook.org/blog/archives/2006/03/another_round_britannica_versu.html>
Wikipedia and Academic Research
- Corbyn, Zoe. “Wikipedia wants more contributions from academics.” The Guardian. 29 March 2011. < link >
Editing Wikipedia
- Hafner, K. “Growing Wikipedia Revises Its ‘Anyone Can Edit’ Policy,” New York Times, 17 June 2006. < original ink >
Growing Wikipedia Refines Its 'Anyone Can Edit' Policy - The New York Times.pdf
- “Reliability of Wikipedia.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 23 Sept. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. < link >
- Roth, P. “An Open Letter to Wikipedia.” The New Yorker. 6 Sept. 2012. < link >.
Wikipedia as a Cultural Phenomenon
- Runciman, D. “Like Boiling a Frog” [Review of The Wikipedia Revolution by Andrew Lih] in London Review of Books. 28 May 2009. < link >
‘Crowdsourcing’ and Academic Research
- “Crowdsourcing: participatory digital research methods.” Digital Humanities Network. < link >
