Synthesis & Introduction Assignment

Wikipedia, a widely utilized online encyclopaedia, stands at the intersection of controversy and convenience in academic settings, eliciting diverse opinions from both faculty and students. Faculty members, as revealed in a study by Aibar et al. (2015), generally exhibit scepticism towards the use of Wikipedia in academic assignments, expressing a reluctance to accept it as a legitimate source. Despite their frequent personal use of the platform, most faculty do not view Wikipedia as a reputable reference for their research or teaching, creating a negative feedback loop influenced by their colleagues’ opinions. This hesitancy to publicly endorse Wikipedia is rooted in the perception that it may be inappropriate or unreliable, further contributing to a culture of silence among faculty regarding their positive opinions and extensive private use (Aibar et al., 2015).

On the contrary, research by Eijkman (2010) suggests that the academic community’s stance on Wikipedia is more nuanced than outright rejection. The study indicates that Wikipedia remains a divisive issue among academics, particularly in the ‘soft sciences.’ While some academics cautiously embrace Wikipedia for their own research, they advocate for a careful approach to its use by students. Implicit or explicit awareness exists among academics that Wikipedia, along with Web 2.0+, challenges conventional academic power-knowledge arrangements, suggesting a complex relationship between academia and this disruptive digital resource (Eijkman, 2010).

In contrast to faculty perspectives, undergraduate students, as highlighted by Colón-Aguirre and Fleming-May (2012), overwhelmingly favour Wikipedia as a go-to source for course-related research. The egalitarian approach to information presentation, user-friendly design, and free accessibility makes Wikipedia a popular choice among undergraduates. A large-scale survey involving students from various institutions revealed that 82% of respondents use Wikipedia for their research projects, with 40% utilizing it at the project’s outset. The main reasons cited by students for relying on Wikipedia include its ability to assist in project initiation (76%) and aid in understanding specific terminology and language usage (69%) (Colón-Aguirre & Fleming-May, 2012).