Use Wikipedia to find sources, not as the source

What is the right way to use Wikipedia in historical research?

Use it to orient yourself and find its cited sources, but cite and assess those underlying sources rather than the article itself.

Wikipedia can be used pragmatically for orientation and images, but students are advised against citing the article itself because its authorship is not a stable scholarly authority. Its references can instead lead to the underlying books, documents, and other sources. This turns a quick orientation tool into the beginning of a more reliable research process.