Wikipedia: Research and Contribute
Some teachers still cringe when they see Wikipedia used as a research source, but over time, Wikipedia has progressed into the perfect place to start research from scratch. This means you can find just about any topic you can imagine and be reassured that everything written is being reviewed. In a matter of minutes, any entry could be approved or removed. But Wikipedia is the best place to start in the “Notes” section. All the sources used to validate the page’s facts are within the notes. This has been my experience with my advice to use Wikipedia. But there is more to Wikipedia, especially for experts in a subject or who know a good bit about the topic. This doesn’t mean everyone contributing is a historian; anyone with knowledge can contribute. Students were told not to use Wikipedia because it was not scholarly. But while that was initially seen as a weakness, it has developed into a strength. Wikipedia has become a patchwork of contributors. This was my first experience as a contributor to Wikipedia, and I found it was simple to create an account and log in. I have studied some about American childhood history, so I chose History of a Child to add to. I noticed very early that there was no mention of a critical educational period after the Soviet Union had launched the first satellite, Sputnik. This brought about massive changes in the American school curriculum, focusing more on STEM. The method to do this was a straightforward editor that could be cited and spaced where needed. However, Wikipedia is a trusted guide in research.
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