User:Mark R Stoneman

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I am a historian with a PhD in modern European history. You can find out more about me at my homepage, which I am converting into a wiki. I also blog about history and using English.

I often find myself cautioning students about the limitations of Wikipedia as a research source, yet I often use the thing myself for quick fact checks in everyday life, and sometimes I even link some terms to it on webpages for students. It strikes me that maybe scholars should be involved in this project too, even if there are no academic laurels to be had, and despite the fact that one's own words are subject to editing by any other reader. This is a different ball game than the peer review process we go through in the academic world, but it does not mean I should reject it outright.

I was also inspired by an assignment one professor gave his Western Civ students. They must write an article for Wikipedia, and then follow what happens to it throughout the course of the semester. This strikes me as an excellent way to gain an appreciation of Wikipedia's strengths and weaknesses, and perhaps it can help make Wikipedia stronger.mrs 14:10, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Babel