Encyclopedias

I did find this lesson an interesting read, particularly the articles about Wikipedia.  I think what resonated with me most was the final words in the Harris (2007) article:

    1) At least three sources are required to verify research.
    2) General encyclopedias like Wikipedia are a great place to get started, however...
    3) Serious research projects cannot cite general knowledge encyclopedias.

Yes, Wikipedia is useful.  Yes, Wikipedia is among the first hits for any topic when doing an online search.  Yes, parents and students use Wikipedia.  Yes, I use Wikipedia.  

However, Wikipedia needs to be used for what it is.  A place to get some general information about something.  It must also be understood how Wikipedia is created and why there may be in fact error.


OK - enough said about Wikipedia!  It is there, teach the students about it, don't rely on it!


What about other encyclopedias?  In my library, I have no print encyclopedias.  My district subscribes to World Book Online so we have access to that - nice that it is in French and English for my French Immersion School.  I also have some other free on-line encyclopedia sources that I suggest to teachers (many of which were in the reading).  In my experience, I have found the usefulness of the encyclopedias somewhat limited.  Which brings me back to the first three points again:


    1) At least three sources are required to verify research.
    2) General encyclopedias like Wikipedia are a great place to get started, however...
    3) Serious research projects cannot cite general knowledge encyclopedias.

Encyclopedias generally do not have enough information for students doing a project on a topic.  Sometimes things are nicely laid out in the same format - or example, the grade 4/5 classes were doing projects on the provinces and WBO had the same table with climate, population data etc. for each province.  However, overall I think we need to remind students (and teachers) that you can not find all the information you want in one place and that encyclopedias give general information about lots of topics.  If they are doing a project on a specific subject, they are going to need to use subject specific resources - an encyclopedia may not have enough information.  Start there, get the basics, then move on!  Don't forget at least three sources!  From my observations, I need to do some work with the teachers at my elementary school reminding them of proper research skills in this regard.  Because I will have some flexibility in my library schedule next year, focusing on research skills and working with teachers on this will become a priority.