How to Cite Wikipedia: A Complete Guide
Today’s technological wonderland means that most information can be found online at the touch of a button. So, it’s essential to understand how to cite Wikipedia in your documents.
Gone are the days when you had to go to the library to study. Wikipedia is often one of the top pages ranked on Google when you’re looking for random facts or obscure information.
Though maintained by the public, Wikipedia is a well-cited source in research, offering quick overviews of nearly any topic.
So, when you’re creating any academic piece, it’s important to understand how to cite Wikipedia to avoid plagiarism and add to the credibility.
How to cite Wikipedia properly in MLA
To cite Wikipedia properly in MLA format, it’s essential that you follow a specific structure to properly recognize the source. Remember, each Wikipedia page is based on someone else’s hard work and you should acknowledge that. You’d want them to do the same for you, after all.
It’s important to understand that Wikipedia citation format is quite different to citing a book, because it’s purely an online resource.
Wikipedia citation guide
Begin by listing the Wikipedia article in italics. This shows your reader that this is the information they should be searching for if they’re trying to find the right page on Wikipedia.
Then add the name of the website itself – in this case ‘Wikipedia,’ obviously.
After that, include the date of the last revised version of that page. Wikipedia pages are being changed and added to all the time. So it’s crucial that you acknowledge the actual date that you used the information.
This helps to explain later if the information you’ve written about doesn’t quite match what’s on the page.
If the author information is available, you should add that too. However, with Wikipedia, as there are so many authors for a single topic, this may not always be possible. Remember, the aim of your source is to help your readers to find it.
The correct way to cite Wikipedia should give you something like this:
“Title of Article.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited [Date], www.wikipedia.org/wiki/[Title].
How to cite Wikipedia for academic work
Citing Wikipedia in research papers is a valuable skill and essential if you intend to make your papers feel genuine and credible.
There are a few different ways to cite Wikipedia properly, including MLA, APA and Chicago formats. MLA is popular in academic writing because it treats online and physical sources similarly, allowing you to use both in the same paper.
Wikipedia citation format pitfalls
Citing Wikipedia has pitfalls, as pages change often and information evolves.
- Be careful if you use it for facts or theories. It could be inaccurate due to the fact that it’s managed by the public.
- Wikipedia offers so much information that it’s easy to get sidetracked. Citations should show thorough research and point to the exact page or paragraph that supports your argument.
- The final pitfall is spell-checking. Most people use a spelling and grammar checker to proofread their work before they submit.
That’s fine and really sensible. However, most grammar checkers will flag a Wikipedia citation as incorrect. Therefore, don’t fall into the trap of allowing the grammar checker to correct everything without your approval. Otherwise, your citation could end up looking completely different.
AI Wikipedia citation generator
If you’re stuck with citations or feel that you need a helping hand, there are tons of ways to get the help you need online. For example, AI Wikipedia citation generators look at the page you want to reference and create an automated citation with the click of a button.
This means you can choose the format you want to display and avoid panicking about your assessor marking it down. Additionally, the best thing about AI generators like Arvin.AI is that they’re totally ethical to use and allowed by your assessor.
While your writing and ideas must be original, citations simply reference others’ work, so it’s fine to seek help.
How to cite Wikipedia: A step-by-step guide to citing Wikipedia
Learning how to cite Wikipedia can be difficult. So, here’s an easy, step-by-step guide to citing Wikipedia to help you out:
- Article Title: Write the title of the Wikipedia article in italics. Capitalize the first letter of each major word and leave the connectives in lower case. This is called writing in Title Case.
- Website Name: Then write the website name. In this case ‘Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia’. This shouldn’t be in italics, as this separates the website from the title of the article.
- Date of Last Revision: Include the date when the article was last updated. You can find this on the Wikipedia page, typically in the ‘View History’ tab. If there’s no date, you can leave this part out. You can’t provide information that isn’t there.
- Provide the URL: Include the full URL of the Wikipedia article. Make sure the link is accessible to readers. If you present the paper to the assessor online rather than as a printout, include a clickable URL for ease.
Example MLA Citation: “Climate Change.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited 15 July 2024, www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Change.
Proper citation format for Wikipedia entries
So, why is learning how to cite Wikipedia important?
Proper citation format for Wikipedia entries is crucial to maintain the integrity of your academic work. It prevents plagiarism and shows readers that, while your ideas aren’t fully original, you credit your sources and did your research.
It distinguishes copying from acknowledging ideas and allows you to build on them with proper research. And it shows that you’re willing to put in the effort, and that goes a long way!
It also means that people can check your work too. There are a vast amount of articles on pretty much every subject available on the internet.
Proper citation means that you point your reader in the right direction. If they were to research themselves and discover conflicting information, they may feel that you hadn’t done your research correctly.
Best AI tools for citing Wikipedia in MLA
Researching and writing the paper is hard enough without worrying about correctly citing Wikipedia.
So, the best advice is to get a tool to help you out. Many AI services offer citation generators for Wikipedia along with AI writing improvers. Simply enter the page URL, choose a format, and get a ready-to-copy citation for your paper.
Are you ready to streamline your citation process? Try the Arvin.AI WIkipedia citation generator today! Ensure flawless referencing and accurate citations in seconds. See how stress-free citations can be.
FAQs
1. Can I cite a specific section of a Wikipedia article?
Yes! The more specific you can be with your citation the better. To do this, paste in the name of the heading of the section you want to reference just before the URL.
2. What should you do if the Wikipedia article lists no author?
Sometimes, if multiple people create an article, it lists ‘multiple contributors’ as the authors. If there’s no single writer, you can say so in your citation or even leave the author section out, if you feel it’s not useful.
3. Should I include the retrieval date in my citation?
Absolutely! The retrieval date is the date that you saw the information you’re referencing on the website.
This is an essential part of the citation, especially on Wikipedia, as the information changes so often. It shows why your paper may not match the page if the information has changed since you wrote it.
4. What if the Wikipedia article has no date of last revision?
If there’s no date to show the last revision of the page, then use the date that you looked at the page. This shows when you found the information there, even if the reader does not find it in the paper later.
