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Do you know......? This page will attempt to answer questions of a general nature about the information professions. Please submit any questions to Suzanne or Roy and we will attempt to answer them. Librarians don't know everything - we just know how to find out. //**Can we use Wikipedia as a reference source?**//

Generally the answer is no. Wikipedia is an open-source software package in an egalitarian enviroment. What does that mean? It means that anyone can add anything, at anytime, to wikipedia. This may include anything that is incorrect or false and until someone notices, will remain available. This could include deliberately uploading misinformation about people. Someone could write a biography of me with factual errors in order to discredit me, upload to wikipedia, be read by anyone and could remain there for as long as need be or I see it and remove it. This has happened to 'famous' people.

Standard reference texts, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, have large teams of people checking and rechecking facts before adding new information. Therefore, resources such as this can be trusted and regarded as __standard__ reference texts.

Wikipedia does have a place though. It can be used anywhere, anytime and can provide a general overview of a subject, even subjects not covered by the standard texts. I use it to 'research' old television shows which are currently appearing on the new freeview digital channels. I remember watching them as a child and now wonder what happened to some of those actors.

Use wikipedia for what it is designed for and __do not__ use as an academic resource in university assignments.

//**How do I know if an article is regarded as 'scholarly'?**//

This is a question asked by many people and is important to at this level of academic study to have a clear understanding. The following information will prove useful and comes from two reputable sites.

The first is from our own CSU Library site at []

The definition provided on this page is, //"Articles published in peer-reviewed or refereed journals have been through a formal approval process. An editor and one or more subject specialists reviews the article before it is accepted for publication. This process is intended to ensure that the article is accurate, well-researched, and contributes to the body of knowledge in the field."// This site also provides a means to determine is a journal is a peer reviewed journal. A very useful tool.

The second resource provides a checklist of the characteristics of scholarly journals and will also prove useful. It is from Texas State University and the address is []

Bookmark these pages as they prove useful in coming subjects throughout the course.

__**NB**__ not all 'articles' in scholarly journals are 'scholarly'. These journals may contain short opinion pieces, a foreword from the editor or a commentary. Use the characteristics of the article to determine if the 'article' can be regarded as scholarly.