Using Wikipedia

Wikipedia can be an excellent source when researching -- but you can't cite Wikipedia in your assignments. Why? Because the information can be changed by anyone at anytime, which means it can't be verified to be true. However, most Wikipedia entries will cite tons of academic papers and news articles that you can then find on your own. 

When you're having trouble finding information on a topic, search Wikipedia. Then when you find something interesting, click the little citation footnote next to it (usually a number), this will show you a citation of where the information was originally found. You then have a head start on which articles are likely to have the best information for you. You can then search for those articles in databases to get the information straight from the source. 

Here's a guide that tells you a little more about how to use Wikipedia effectively.