WikiInfoLit Unit 2 - Citing and Wikipedia
Goals For This Unit
In Unit 2, you will explore the ways that knowledge is passed on and traced back to its source, and understand citations in that context. You will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in the way that Wikipedia handles citations, and analyze the role that citations play in Wikipedia as a research source.
Introduction to Citing and Wikipedia
When Lewis and Clark's expedition crossed the North American continent, they didn't just wander about randomly. They got directions from the Native American tribes they encountered. When Einstein developed the theory of special relativity, he was building upon the theories of Michelson, Poincaré, and Lorentz. When Shakespeare wrote his plays, he borrowed plots from Classical writers.
Whenever we acquire and pass on information, it always has sources that we can trace back.