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How to cite Wikipedia as a source in an MLA style research paper

As a general rule, citing Wikipedia is a bad idea in a research paper. Wikipedia can be a good place to start finding information but you need to be able to verify your sources. There are two ways to do this. Wikipedia encourages contributors to cite their sources; you can use those sources to verify the Wikipedia information. If a source isn't available, you will need to find another reference that does verify the research. MLA style, created by the Modern Language Association, has specific rules for citing sources.

Wikipedia entry
Original source

Instructions

- 1
  Find the original source on the Wikipedia page. For example, take a look at the Wikipedia page for the game Monopoly. (Google "Monopoly Game" and click on the Wikipedia entry). Wikipedia states that the British Secret Service used a special version of Monopoly to sneak information to prisoners of war. The superscript number 5 refers to source number 5 at the bottom of the Wikipedia page. Clicking on this link takes you to a story by ABC News that verifies the story. ABC News, therefore, is the actual source you need to cite.
- 2
  Cite the source in-text by using the author's name in the text of the paper. For example: Monopoly was used to aid prisoners of war in World War II, (Heussner).
- 3
  Cite the electronic source in the bibliography by including the author, the title of the article and the website, the publication information, the date you accessed the information and the medium. For example: Heussner, Ki Mae. "Get out of Jail Free: Monopoly's Hidden Maps", abcnews.go.com. ABC News, 18 Sept. 2009. Web. 25 June 2011.

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