Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia
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Citing Wikipedia
A caution before citing WikipediaAs with any source, especially one of unknown authorship, you should be wary and independently verify the accuracy of Wikipedia information if possible. For many purposes, but particularly in academia, Wikipedia may not be an acceptable source;[1] indeed, some professors and teachers may reject Wikipedia-sourced material completely. This is especially true when it is used uncorroborated. We advise special caution when using Wikipedia as a source for research projects. Normal academic usage of Wikipedia and other encyclopedias is for getting the general facts of a problem and to gather keywords, references and bibliographical pointers, but not as a source in itself. Remember that Wikipedia is a wiki, which means that anyone in the world can edit an article, deleting accurate information or adding false information, which the reader may not recognize. However, we are also confident that Wikipedia provides good overviews of most topics that it covers. See Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia, Caution on academic use of Wikipedia and our General Disclaimer page, for more information. A wiki is an unusual medium, and as such doesn't conform well to the usual book-citation formats. Wiki is not paper, so you will need to use an electronic-citation format instead. The exact format will depend upon the citation guide that you are following, but here are a few general principles to consider:
ExamplesThe following examples assume you are citing the Wikipedia article on Plagiarism, using the version that was submitted on July 22, 2004, at 10:55 UTC, and that you retrieved the article on August 10, 2004, except as otherwise noted. APA styleCitation in APA style, as recommended by the American Psychological Association: [1]
Note that in APA 5th Edition style, the following rules apply for the reference:
The proper in-text citation is ("Plagiarism," 2004) for a paraphrased passage or ("Plagiarism," 2004, para. #) if you directly quote the material. Note that para. # represents the paragraph number in the page where the information appears. If there are multiple headings on the page, it is also acceptable to place the subheading and then a paragraph number within that heading. For example, proper in-text citation for a direct quote of less than 40 words is: "Plagiarism is the use of another person’s work (this could be his or her words, products or ideas) for personal advantage, without proper acknowledgment of the original work" ("Plagiarism," 2004, "Definition," para. 1). If the quoted material is more than 40 words, use the block quote format instead. As another example, the proper in-text citation for a paraphrased passage is: Plagiarism is stealing the works of others ("Plagiarism," 2004). APA Style requires that you provide a separate reference entry for each term you are citing in your paper because 1) you must provide a URL for each term that goes directly to the term, and 2) you must provide the publication date for each term separately. However, if you are discussing the "online encyclopedia" itself, not a term in the encyclopedia, you might need to reference the site itself. The proper citation of Wikipedia, the site, as referenced in APA 5th Edition Style is:
The in-text citation formation would be (Wikipedia, 2004). MLA styleCitation in MLA style, as recommended by the Modern Language Association:
Note that MLA style calls for both the date of publication (or its latest update) and the date on which the information was retrieved. According to the most recent edition of the MLA Handbook, there is now information required about any foundation involved. Also note that many schools/institutions slightly change the syntax. Another example:
Be sure to double check the exact syntax your institution requires. For citation of Wikipedia as a site, use:
MHRA styleCitation in MHRA style, as recommended by the Modern Humanities Research Association:
Chicago styleCitation in Chicago style:
Note that the Chicago Manual of Style states that "Well-known reference books, such as major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally cited in notes rather than bibliographies." CBE/CSE StyleCitation in CBE/CSE style, as recommended by the Council of Science Editors:
Turabian styleThe following are examples of how to cite Wikipedia articles according to A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th edition, by Kate L. Turabian (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). ISBN 0226816265 (cloth), ISBN 0226816273 (paper). Note on Turabian style: Please understand that Turabian does not have rules that cover anything like Wikipedia. These examples are based on "reading between the lines" and assimilating rules from various not-so-similar cases that Turabian does cover. If the party to which you are submitting your paper is particularly strict, you might want to find out if they have their own adaptation of Turabian that would apply in this case. Alternately, you could always consult with the party before the deadline to make sure it's acceptable. Notes1"Plagiarism," in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia; (Wikimedia Foundation Inc., updated 22 July 2004, 10:55 UTC) [encyclopedia on-line]; available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered Species; Internet; retrieved 10 August 2004. 2Wikipedia contributors, "Marketing."Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing (Accessed August 10, 2004) BibliographyWikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Updated 22 July 2004, 10:55 UTC. Encyclopedia on-line. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered Species. Internet. Retrieved 10 August 2004.
Parenthetical reference("Plagiarism," Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia)
(Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, s.v. "Plagiarism") Reference listPlagiarism. 22 July 2003, 10:55 UTC. In Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Encyclopedia on-line. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism. Internet. Retrieved 10 August 2004.
Citation to WikipediaThe Harvard Journal of Law and Technology has adopted the following format for citations to articles in Wikipedia:
Here is an example:
This format derives from Rule 18.2 of the 18th edition of the Bluebook, though the date parenthetical differs slightly. The parenthetical here is designed to specify the exact version of the article to which the author is referring, recognizing that articles can and do change often. The date and time used should correspond exactly to the latest version listed in the article's Wikipedia history page that states the proposition for which you are citing it. Use of GMT conforms to the timestamp format used in those history entries (e.g., use 24-hour notation to avoid AM/PM). BibTeX entry
@misc{ wiki:###,
author = "Wikipedia",
title = "Plagiarism --- {W}ikipedia{,} The Free Encyclopedia",
year = "2004",
url = "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plagiarism&oldid=5139350",
note = "[Online; accessed 22-July-2004]"
}
When using the LaTeX package url (
@misc{ wiki:###,
author = "Wikipedia",
title = "Plagiarism --- {W}ikipedia{,} The Free Encyclopedia",
year = "2004",
url = "\url{http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plagiarism&oldid=5139350}",
note = "[Online; accessed 22-July-2004]"
}
AMA styleCitation in AMA style, as recommended by the American Medical Association: [2]
See also
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References
- ^ Anthropology 333 syllabus from American River College. Retrieved on 2006-02-07. “Do NOT use Wikipedia or other online or print encyclopedias as a source for your paper.”
