Navigating the academic landscape often leads to discussions about the reliability of Wikipedia. Many within the academic realm remain cautious, highlighting the collaborative nature of the platform that enables multiple users to modify content without rigorous verification. Yet, amidst the scepticism, there exists a compelling perspective – Wikipedia serves as a wellspring of inspiration, a starting point for unearthing new ideas that can guide your scholarly journey.

In the following discourse, we delve into the art of referencing Wikipedia in the formats of APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. Our focus remains twofold: to empower you with the knowledge of how to cite Wikipedia accurately and to provide insights into the crucial components that constitute a proper citation.

Unlocking the Easiest Path to Cite Wikipedia

Within the realm of Wikipedia, a convenient tool beckons – ‘Cite This Page.’ The pathway to proper citation is paved with simplicity, requiring but a few clicks.

Observe the upper echelon of the toolbar; here, the ‘Cite this page’ option is poised. Should it elude your immediate view, direct your gaze to the quotation mark nestled in the upper left corner. It is here that the gateway to proper citation resides, ready to be harnessed.

A click upon this option unravels a bibliographic tapestry, adorned with citations donning a variety of styles. A prime example unfolds when considering the ‘Cell biology’ page, where an array of citation possibilities unfurls.

Embracing the Easiest Path, Tailored to Your Style

While the ‘Cite This Page’ function offers a straightforward route, wisdom guides us to harmonize with the nuances of your chosen citation style. A harmonious synthesis of method and adherence to guidelines is the crux of a citation executed with finesse.

Thus, this discourse endeavours to equip you not only with the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ of proper Wikipedia citation, bolstering your academic endeavours with an impeccable foundation.

As we traverse the terrain ahead, let us craft our understanding of proper Wikipedia citation, merging the practical with the principled.

How to Cite Wikipedia in APA

If you are writing a research paper or an academic essay, you may need to cite your sources in a specific format. One of the most common citation styles is the APA (American Psychological Association) style, which is used in many fields of social sciences, education, and business. APA style has specific rules for how to cite different types of sources, including online sources like Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is a collaborative online encyclopedia that anyone can edit or contribute to. It is not considered a reliable or authoritative source for academic writing, because it may contain inaccurate, biased, or incomplete information. However, it can be a useful source of background information or an overview of a topic that can help you find more credible sources.

If you decide to cite Wikipedia in APA style, you should follow these steps:

1. Find the title of the Wikipedia article you want to cite. The title is usually at the top of the page, and it is also the first part of the URL. For example, if you want to cite the article about “Nuclear fusion”, the title is “Nuclear fusion” and the URL is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion.
2. Find the date of the last revision of the article. Wikipedia articles are constantly updated by different users, so you need to cite the specific version that you accessed. To find the date of the last revision, scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for the sentence that says “This page was last edited on…”. For example, the article about “Nuclear fusion” was last edited on 16 August 2023.
3. Find the URL of the specific version of the article that you accessed. To do this, click on the “View history” tab at the top of the page and select the revision that matches the date that you found in Step 2. The URL in your browser’s address bar will change to include a unique identifier for that revision. For example, the URL for the revision of “Nuclear Fusion” from 16 August 2023 is https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuclear_fusion&oldid=1050000000.
4. Format your citation according to APA style rules. The general format for citing a Wikipedia article in APA style is:

Article title. (Year, Month Day). In Wikipedia. URL

For example:

Nuclear fusion. (2023, August 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuclear_fusion&oldid=1050000000

5. Include an in-text citation in your paper whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from the Wikipedia article. The in-text citation should include the title of the article (in quotation marks and title case) and the year of the revision (in parentheses). For example:

According to Wikipedia, “Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles” (“Nuclear Fusion”, 2023).

Alternatively, you can mention the title of the article in your sentence and put only the year in parentheses. For example:

The Wikipedia article “Nuclear Fusion” (2023) explains that this process releases a large amount of energy.

6. List your citation on your reference page at the end of your paper, alphabetized by the first word of the title (excluding “A”, “An”, or “The”). For example:

References

Nuclear fusion. (2023, August 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuclear_fusion&oldid=1050000000

How to Cite Wikipedia in MLA Style

If you are writing a paper or an essay that requires citing sources, you may wonder how to cite Wikipedia in MLA style. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, so it may not seem like a reliable source at first glance. However, Wikipedia can be a useful starting point for finding information on various topics, and some instructors may accept it as a source in certain cases. In this blog post, we will show you how to cite Wikipedia in MLA style, both in the reference list and in the text.

MLA style is one of the most common citation styles used in academic writing. It stands for Modern Language Association, and it provides guidelines for formatting papers, citing sources, and using language. MLA style has specific rules for citing web sources, such as Wikipedia, that do not have a clear author or publication date.

To cite Wikipedia in MLA style, you need to follow these steps:

• Identify the title of the Wikipedia page you are using. This is usually the same as the topic of the page. For example, if you are using the page on academic integrity, the title is “Academic Integrity”.
• Put the title of the page in quotation marks and capitalize the first letter of each word. This is how you will write it in your reference list and your in-text citation. For example: “Academic Integrity”.
• Find the name of the website that hosts the page. In this case, it is Wikipedia. Write it in italics after the title of the page. For example: “Academic Integrity.” Wikipedia.
• Find the date of the last revision of the page. You can do this by clicking on the “View history” tab at the top right corner of the page. You will see a list of revisions made by different editors, along with the date and time of each change. Choose the most recent revision that matches your use of the page. Write the date in day-month-year format, followed by a comma. For example: “Academic Integrity.” Wikipedia, 10 Feb. 2023,
• Copy the URL of the page and paste it after the date, followed by a period. Make sure to include the https:// prefix and remove any unnecessary parameters or tracking codes from the URL. For example: “Academic Integrity.” Wikipedia, 10 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_integrity.
• Put all these elements together to form your reference list entry. Use a hanging indent for each line after the first one, and double-space your entries. For example: “Academic Integrity.” Wikipedia, 10 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_integrity.

To cite Wikipedia in MLA style in your text, you need to follow these steps:

1. Use a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence where you use information from Wikipedia. The parenthetical citation should include the title of the page in quotation marks, followed by a period inside the parentheses. For example: (Academic Integrity.)
2. If you mention the title of the page in your sentence, you do not need to repeat it in your parenthetical citation. Just use a period inside the parentheses to indicate that you are citing that source. For example: According to Wikipedia’s page on academic integrity, plagiarism is “the representation of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s original work” ().
3. If you quote directly from Wikipedia, you need to include the paragraph number where you found the quote, preceded by “par.” and a space, after the title of the page in your parenthetical citation. For example, Plagiarism can have serious consequences for students, such as “failing an assignment or course; suspension or expulsion from an academic institution; loss of academic reputation; legal repercussions” (“Academic Integrity” par. 4).

How to Cite Wikipedia in Chicago Style

If you are writing a paper or an essay that requires Chicago style, you might wonder how to cite Wikipedia as a source. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, so it is not considered a very reliable or authoritative source by most academic standards. However, sometimes you might need to refer to Wikipedia for general information or background knowledge on a topic. In that case, you should follow the Chicago-style guidelines for citing websites and online publications.

There are two ways to cite Wikipedia in Chicago style, depending on whether you are using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date system. The notes and bibliography system is more common in humanities disciplines, such as literature, history, and art. The author-date system is more common in social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and economics. Both systems use the same basic elements to cite a Wikipedia page, but they arrange them differently.

The basic elements of a Wikipedia citation are:

• The name of the website (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)
• The title of the page (in quotation marks)
• The date of the last modification of the page (in parentheses)
• The URL of the page

Here is how to cite a Wikipedia page using the notes and bibliography system:

Option 1:

Website name, “Page title,” last modified Month Date, Year, URL.

Example:

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, “Cell biology,” last modified August 18, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_biology.

Option 2:

“Page title,” Website name, last modified Month Date, Year, URL.

Example:

“Cell biology,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last modified August 18, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_biology.

You can use either option for your bibliography or reference list at the end of your paper. However, if you are using footnotes or endnotes to cite your sources in the text, you should use option 1 for consistency.

Here is how to cite a Wikipedia page using the author-date system:

(Page title Year)

Example:

(Cell Biology 2021)

You should include the page title and the year of the last modification of the page in parentheses after the relevant information in your text. You should also include a full citation in your reference list at the end of your paper using option 1 from above.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when citing Wikipedia in Chicago style:

• Use Wikipedia sparingly and only for general information or background knowledge. Do not rely on Wikipedia as your main source or as a source of factual or controversial information.
• Always check the accuracy and reliability of the information on Wikipedia by consulting other sources, such as books, journals, or websites. You can also check the references and external links at the bottom of each Wikipedia page for more sources.
• Always cite the specific version of the Wikipedia page that you accessed by including the date of the last modification and the URL. This is because Wikipedia pages can change frequently and may not have the same information at different times.
• Always follow your instructor’s or publisher’s guidelines for citing sources and formatting your paper. Some instructors or publishers may have specific rules or preferences for citing Wikipedia or other websites.

Bottom Line

Mastering the art of citing Wikipedia is a valuable skill that enhances your research credibility. These quick steps ensure accurate citations and uphold academic integrity. For comprehensive writing assistance, explore Peachy Essay Writing Services. Elevate your academic journey with their expert guidance today!