Use Wikipedia as a starting point for research
Read the article's context, inspect references and history, then follow original sources.
Follow the method ↓
The answer in 30 seconds
An encyclopedia article can orient a reader and reveal terminology, but a sentence may be unsourced, disputed or edited after you first read it. The cited works and article history help show where a claim came from.
Read the overview and any warnings, open the references for claims you plan to use, inspect the article history when timing matters, and cite the original reliable source for substantive work.
Examples to adapt
Use the article to identify concepts and further reading.
Open the referenced source and confirm which event its date describes.
Review the talk page or history, then seek independent primary evidence.
Follow the method
- 1Get oriented
Read the introduction and note the article's scope and warning banners.
- 2Pick a claim
Select the specific fact you need rather than treating the whole page as one source.
- 3Follow the citation
Open the referenced work and check whether it supports the claim in context.
- 4Record provenance
Keep the original source, access date and article revision if you need to document the route taken.
A checklist to keep
Use these checks to record what you found. The grid supports a decision; it does not make one for you.
| Check | What to examine | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | What does the article cover? | Read |
| Warning | Are issues flagged? | Notice |
| Claim | Which statement matters? | Select |
| Reference | Does the cited work support it? | Open |
| Revision | Which version was read? | Record |
Free, no sign-up. UTF-8 text with semicolon-separated columns.
What to check
A citation can be outdated or fail to support the attached sentence.
Article text can change after a visit.
The presence of a reference list does not make every claim equally strong.
Common questions
Can Wikipedia be useful in academic work?
Yes for orientation and leads; follow the sources and apply your institution's citation requirements.
Why look at history?
It reveals revisions and their dates, helping you identify which version you read.
Sources and documentation
Documentation consulted on . Examples are illustrative; interfaces and results may change.