Why do historians avoid citing Wikipedia even though they use it?
Short answerA Wikipedia page has no single accountable author and can change after a researcher reads it, so another scholar may not be able to consult the same text.
NotesA citation should let another reader return to the same evidence and identify the person or work responsible for it. A Wikipedia entry has no single author who can be held accountable for an error. Its editable nature usually helps keep pages current, but it also allows bad actors to alter them. Because the text can change after consultation, the page does not remain a fixed reference. Historical research depends on other scholars being able to retrace the evidence and reach a comparable result.