To Wikipedia or not to Wikipidia, that is the question...

Many people have an issue with usage of Wikipedia as a trusted source of information.  I have often heard many colleagues disparage this Wikipedia because it has the potential for being a biased forum.

I do not recommend relying solely upon Wikipedia as a chief source of research. All students should be skeptical about whatever they read, just as they should always consider the source; not everything that is written is necessarily factual and may well be subject to its author's bias.  

I keep Wikipedia in my arsenal for two reasons; 

1]  it offers a one-stop base of operations for 'quick and dirty' explanations.
2]  it stimulates me to deepen and widen my instigation and a offers me a base from which to expand my research on the topic.


As part of your Twenty-First Century Learning Skills, my advice is that you not limit your research to what someone may well have arbitrarily dismissed as unnecessary.  By all means, never rely on one source to satisfy your need to understand anything.  

Ironically, this digression precisely explains what extending your understanding of the Scientific Method is all about.  This is a perfect example of how to apply your practical understanding and why you should knock the dust off this powerful tool.    

Wikipedia is not the be-all-end-all of research tools.  If you are using it that that way, then you do yourself a disservice.  Wikipedia is the product of contributions by people who have never been compensated for their entries.  It does bear mentioning however, that people have many motivations for disseminating information other than remunerative gain.  Because of that, I encourage you to be skeptical and always follow-up by checking sources, seeking other writings on the topic you are researching and remain vigilant for potential bias on the part of whoever may have authored the article.