Search Tools and Strategies

Wikipedia is a popular open source project on the Internet to which any person, including school children, can freely contribute information. Self-described as an "encyclopedia" it is really more like a gigantic "blog."

The project is dynamic and inclusive, offering input from diverse sources, and it is full of interesting and useful information. But since pretty much anyone with access to the Internet can contribute to the information, some of it is bound to be inaccurate. Both those who criticize the use of the project by children and Wikipedia itself are quick to point out that both unintentional errors and intentional disinformation can be posted at any time by anyone with access to the Internet, and that inappropriate language and content can be targeted for pages that children visit. Corrections are ongoing, but the possibility exists that incorrect or offensive material will remain for a time.

See Wikipedia FAQ: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Schools/Teachers'_Guide#What_keeps_someone_from_contributing_false_or_misleading_information.3F