Struggles often break out behind the scenes as contributors compete with one another to create narratives that, even if technically accurate, might leave readers with partial or even false impressions. Another downside of Wikipedia is that articles sometimes paper over unflattering or unpleasant but important facts about a topic near and dear to the contributors' hearts. Articles are sometimes too detailed, making it difficult for the uninitiated to identify key takeaways. Wikipedia articles often reflect the enthusiasm of their anonymous contributor(s) for the subject. Wikipedia, of course, can be very useful as a starting point for many topics, especially obscure ones or those with passing or popular interest not well covered in scholarly reference works. Wikipediais " written collaboratively by volunteers from all around the world" and relies on the collective wisdom of its volunteers to get the facts right and to balance the opinions expressed. The "conversation" among literary scholars and historians-or academics in any other discipline for that matter-does not occur within the pages or pixels of encyclopedia articles. Encyclopedias are best suited to providing background information rather than in-depth analysis or novel perspective. The reason for this prohibition has to do with the function of reference works. Undergraduates are rarely permitted to cite encyclopedia articles. Articles are edited for length, the goal being to provide students (and other researchers) with sufficient background information without overwhelming them. Many articles provide references to books and other sources about the topic covered. The articles in Britannica are written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference work as a place to get started, or to refer back to as you read and write.
The Encyclopedia Britannica contains carefully edited articles on all major topics. But what are the differences between Wikipedia and the traditional, scholarly reference works listed and described on the Reference Shelf tab of this guide? In this box I flesh out some of those differences (and similarities) within the context of one of the greatest reference works of all time: Encyclopedia Britannica. Almost every student, faculty member, and librarian knows from experience how valuable Wikipedia can actually be when looking for quick background information about almost any topic.
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