Wisconsin
Lawyer
Vol. 81, No. 2, February
2008
Wikipedia: Quick, reliable …but is it citable?
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, is without a
doubt one
of the largest free online reference resources. The fact that anyone can
edit
it, coupled with well-publicized Wikipedia hoaxes, have led many lawyers
to
classify Wikipedia as unreliable. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Due to
the vast number of Wikipedia users, the resource is self-correcting. If
someone edits an entry in a way most of us would view as untrue, it is
likely that
the entry would be edited again by another Wikipedia user within
seconds.
Even though lawyers might understandably feel uncomfortable
citing Wikipedia in a brief because the cited entry could change, many
court
opinions have included citations (within footnotes) to Wikipedia.
Source: Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips Blog. Found on WisBar's
Practice411
Advice Alert.
Visit WisBar.org's Practice Management
area for more information, including
a New York Times article, about this topic. Let us know what you think.
Should citing Wikipedia be allowed in Wisconsin courts? Email Wisconsin Lawyer
magazine.
Wisconsin Lawyer
