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Welcome to the guide for FSEM 100F1. To navigate this guide, please use the tabs at the top of the page.
Remember, if you need help with research, ask a librarian! We're here to help you. Call the Reference desk at (540) 654-1148, or email us at refdesk@umw.edu.
The purpose of encyclopedias (such as Wikipedia)
Why do encyclopedias matter?
Isn't it true that you can't cite an encyclopedia in a research paper?
What's the point of a source you can't cite?
It's true that you shouldn't cite an encyclopedia in a research paper, but that's not what encyclopedias are for. Encyclopedias are for background information -- information that you need in order to start your research. Whatever your research topic might be, a good encyclopedia article can give you all of the following:
- An overview of the topic.
- This tells you what points you need to cover, and what you might want to focus on.
- The names of people, places, and things related to the topic.
- This gives you words and phrases that you can search on.
- A list of references for further research.
- This gives you sources you can read, and possibly cite.
That's why encyclopedias are important, and why Wikipedia is important. When you write a Wikipedia article, you're jumpstarting other people's research, all around the world.
