Wikipedia Research

Question: How can students learn to distinguish between the authenticated information and biased information on Wikipedia?

Answer: The author of this article suggests a research project in which the information provided by Wikipedia is either supported by other secondary sources or gives evidence of bias.

Evaluation Rubric: The following criteria are rated as “Needs Work,” “Adequate,” “Good” and “Excellent.”

Criteria

Rhetorical Awareness: Does the posting contribute to the current conversation in a significant way?

Audience Awareness: Is the tone appropriate for the general audience? Does the posting use appropriate point of view?

Content: Does the posting include only material from verifiable secondary research? Is the writing clear and concise?

Source Integration: Is a good balance of summary, paraphrase and direct quotation used to integrate source material?

Citations: Are sources cited correctly? Was full source information included in the References section?

Ethics: Did the writer show appropriate ethics when using the website?

Comment: An interesting exercise in verifying the accuracy of information provided by Wikipedia. RayS.

Title: “The Wikipedia Project: Changing Students from Consumers to Producers.” M Sweeney. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (March 2012), 256-267.