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Evaluating Internet Information

Alternatives to Wikipedia

Credo Reference, a collection of over 400 encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and other reference titles.

Encyclopaedia Britannica online, a source for current and historical information on virtually any subject.

Gale Virtual Reference Library, providing a combined search of a number of encyclopedias and other reference sources in various subject areas.

Tips for using Wikipedia wisely

Here are some tips for using Wikipedia:

Check with your instructor to learn his or her thoughts on Wikipedia as a source for information in your subject area.

Use Wikipedia to find a basic overview of a topic that you know little or nothing about, then follow this up with other articles and book chapters on the topic.

Look at the end of an article to see what kind of materials the author used and if he or she lists scholarly materials for further reading.

Click on the “History” tab at the top of a Wikipedia article to see the editing that has been done to it. Often articles on controversial topics are edited to support a particular point of view.

Ask a librarian for assistance in finding quality sources you can use for your assignment.