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Primary and Secondary Sources: Wikipedia as a Tertiary Source

Instead of Wikipedia - Go to the Source

Wikipedia is not considered an appropriate source for college-level assignments.

In fact, you should avoid citing any tertiary sources in your research. Instead, look at the References and Bibliography sections in Wikipedia entries and consider using those sources instead. These sources may be traced back to the OCC library with LibKey Nomad browser extension.

Be aware: just because something is cited in a Wikipedia article does not mean it is "scholarly" or appropriate for your assignment. When in doubt, ask a librarian or your professor.

Finding Sources Listed in Wikipedia

Well-formed Wikipedia articles have a list of useful and often scholarly sources listed at the end of each page under "References", "Bibliography", or "Further Reading." In many cases, there is a hyperlink to the actual item. In some cases, however, you may need to search for the item yourself.

For books: Search the library by the book's title.

For articles: Try to search the article's title in OCC Discovery

For anything else, a simple Google search may work. If you have trouble finding it, ask a librarian. 

Note on Wikipedia

Wikipedia does not make any claims to the validity of its information.

This does not mean that you can't find valuable or accurate information in Wikipedia, but you should be aware that there is no formal peer review process in place for Wikipedia entries. Entries written by experts or vetted by an informal review process may later be edited inaccurately before you view them. Additionally, most medical and legal entries are not written by professionals and may contain inaccurate information. Use Wikipedia at your own risk and do not rely on it without checking independent sources.

**Wikipedia is not considered an appropriate source for college-level assignments.**

 


Information use with permission and adapted from Whittier College's Wikipedia research guide

More Things to Consider

LibKey Nomad to Cross Reference Wikipedia to OCC Library

LibKey Nomad - Browser Extension

LibKey Nomad

LibKey Nomad automatically provides instant links to articles from journals subscribed to by your library – and Open Access sources – connecting you to literature discovered on the web. LibKey Nomad works with your library to determines the fastest path to content across thousands of publishers and millions of articles.

LibKey Nomad also adds support to popular research sites like PubMed, Wikipedia (Reference Section), Research Gate, SciFinder-N, UpToDate, Micromedex and more. After installation, LibKey Nomad prompts you to select your institution. Simply select it and LibKey Nomad will then notify you of available articles wherever you may roam that direct back to your College's Library resources

To install the extension, visit: https://thirdiron.com/downloadnomad/

  • Select your web browser.
  • Follow the instructions to add the extension
  • Grant any required permission(s) to add the extension*
  • Enter "Orange Coast College" when prompted to select your institution from the drop-down menu
  • Close and restart your web browser

Example of Wikipedia page "Archaeology" revealing OCC Library Resources to connect back to:

Archaeology - Wikipedia example for LibKey Nomad

  • Download PDF: The library has access to this item, and you can download the full-text PDF with one click.
  • Article Link: The library has this item and you'll be directed to the article page where you can download the full text.
  • Access Options: The library may not have access to this item, but you'll be directed to where you can make a request via Interlibrary Loan.