Wikipedia may be a good starting point for getting a quick understanding of a topic, but, generally, it is not considered good practice to cite or reference Wikipedia pages in university assignments. Even Wikipedia itself does not recommend that students rely on articles as sources for their papers, this is because Wikipedia’s editorial review process is less strict than the peer-review process that is part of scholarly publishing. If you are unsure, you can confirm with the instructor marking your assignment.

Wikipedia entries often have excellent reference lists of sources that were consulted or referenced to write the article. These can be good places to source reputable information as long as you remember to always evaluate your sources. Here are some tips from Wikipedia on using it for research purposes.

Many of our subject guides have a tab for “Background Sources” or “Reference Sources,” where you can find high-quality academic alternatives to Wikipedia specific to your discipline.