femme-delettres:Interesting not-so-little graphic explaining Wikipedia to those who want the facts
femme-delettres: Interesting not-so-little graphic explaining Wikipedia to those who want the facts. Although this is a quick way to instigate discussion about Wikipedia it raised some questions in my mind: Wikipedia is “redefining research.” Could Wikipedia be the subject of a formal or informal lesson on research? I mean, no one is a great researcher on their own, even with the Internet at their fingertips. It could make for a really fun library program to teach teens how to research well, maybe starting with Wikipedia. “Footnote chasing” from Wikipedia to external sources can be a great way to find solid research. Are we sure that Wikipedia is eliminating encyclopedias? Maybe other encyclopedias should transition to the web, and maybe offer cheaper, or heck, free access. Why is the fact that library use is decline connected to Wikipedia? (I’ve harped on this before, libraries are more than their materials. There may be other reasons people have supposedly stopped using libraries.) Why is it such a problem that professors stick their noses up at the mention of Wikipedia? Not using Wikipedia is so 2005. Yeah, tell that to my English professors. It’s still not considered a legitimate source. That’s ok. How many of those students who plagiarize using Wikipedia would have done so otherwise? Pretty sure if you’re going to use information irresponsibly it won’t matter where you get it. Why so many men editing Wikipedia? Ok, maybe we can work on that one. Teens know about Wikipedia. Particularly for information literacy, but also for media literacy, it is important to address current trends in technology. Wikipedia is available, convenient, and full of information, and if libraries are invested in how teens are accessing and using knowledge, then teaching how to use Wikipedia should be prioritized. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to admit that 1) Wikipedia is helpful and 2) Wikipedia is not helpful all the time. Why shouldn’t libraries provide programs that help teens to navigate the scary world of Wikipedia? Not only do most libraries provide computer and Internet access, they also have other print and electronic materials that can be coupled with Wikipedia to teach good research skills. A helpful hand from a librarian—a.k.a. trained researcher—can’t hurt either. -- source link