Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. As such the information you will find in Wikipedia may not be of a scholarly nature, it may even be biased or incorrect. However, Wikipedia can be very useful for finding background information and for locating definitions, images and alternate keywords/synonyms that you can use in your wider information search.

Tips:

• Evaluate by checking the currency, relevance, authorship and purpose of any information or images
• Follow relevant links and references to academic sources and evaluate as above. It helps to always check the original source of any information or images in Wikipedia to determine if it is a reliable academic source
• It is not wise to cite information that you have found in Wikipedia, however it may be acceptable to cite verified academic sources that you have located via links & references in Wikipedia articles (check with your lecturer if unsure).