How to Cite Wikipedia in a Scholarly Article

Scholars and researchers are increasingly using Wikipedia as a source of information--meaning this site must be cited correctly. Follow these simple guidelines to cite Wikipedia in your next paper or article.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

Instructions

1. Log on to the Wikipedia home page to find resource material for your research (see the Resources section below).

2. Enter the key words or phrases into the search field, and select the language you wish to retrieve results.

3. Select the article related to your research by clicking on the appropriate link. In many cases, your query will take you directly to the article you require.

4. Click on the 'Cite This Article' link found on every article page on Wikipedia. You will see a list of information relevant to that article, including pre-formatted citations.

5. Familiarize yourself with the writing style required for your assignment or article. There are several different accepted writing styles, such as APA, MLA, etc.

6. Choose the proper style from the automatically generated citations.

7. Cut and paste the citation onto your research paper by highlighting the text and copying it.

8. Remember that the Wikipedia citation tool is just a guideline for formatting your citation. It is ultimately your responsibility to format citations correctly for your research paper or article.

Tips & Warnings

• If you intend to use Wikipedia as a source in a research paper for a class or school, confirm with your professor whether or not Wikipedia is accepted as a valid source. Many professors will not accept work sourced from Wikipedia.

• As is true of any source, written or otherwise, you should practice caution when citing works of unknown authorship--such as those found on Wikipedia--and verify the information presented in the article independently. See Wikipedia's General Disclaimer page for more information on the use and misuse of Internet-based sources as research material.