“Wikipedia is not a valid source,” is a constant refrain from the Hopkinton High School’s English department. The site maintainers of Wikipedia know this, too. There is a disclaimer stating that, “Wikipedia cannot guarantee the validity of the information found here.” People can log into the site and change the information, either because they think the new information is right, or because they want to mess with the site’s readers. It is perfectly understandable that teachers don’t want students using the site for research papers.
But if the school doesn’t want students to use Wikipedia, then they should not use it either. On page 27 of the school’s handbook, there is a cover letter that introduces the student and parent section, where the school’s theme is described. The passage goes as follows: “This year our school theme will be “Discovery!” According to the website Wikipedia, discovery refers to exploring something new…” If students are not allowed to use and cite this website, the school should not do it. The school is promoting the use of the website in public works by showing that they use it to. Students could try to use the school’s documented use of Wikipedia as a reason or excuse for using the website in research papers. Hypocrisy is never a good thing, and to find it in a school system makes the rest of the rules of the school less valid.
