Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

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Why Historians don't use Wikipedia?

CitationsHistorical MethodWikipedia

Study Why Historians don't use Wikipedia?, a Dr. Alex Clarke video from 6 Aug 2025, with 3 time notes. Topics include Citations, Historical Method, Wikipedia.

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Date
Runtime2:54
Guide points3 time notes

Time notes

  1. 0:00
    QuestionWhy do historians avoid citing Wikipedia even though they use it?Answer

    A 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.

    Q&A
  2. 1:10
    Wikipedia as a research starting point

    On an unfamiliar subject, historians can use Wikipedia to find cited works and then follow those works' own bibliographies and sources.

    Notable Point
  3. 1:40
    QuestionWhy do historians often prefer Chicago or Vancouver citation styles?Answer

    Their footnotes or endnotes preserve the flow of an argument while still allowing readers to trace its sources.

    Q&A