Why Teachers Hate Wikipedia
We all love Wikipedia. It is fast, easy to read, and usually has the answer. But your teacher probably told you, "Never cite Wikipedia."
Why? Because anyone can edit it. If you cite Wikipedia in a college paper, it looks like you didn't do real research.
However, you don't have to spend hours in a dusty library. You can find "credible" sources (the kind teachers love) just as fast if you know where to click.
Step 1: The Wikipedia "Hack"
You are not allowed to cite Wikipedia, but you are allowed to use it to find other sources. This is the oldest trick in the book.
Go to the Wikipedia page for your topic (e.g., "Climate Change").
Scroll all the way down to the References section.
Look for links that go to newspapers, magazines, or government websites (.gov).
These are real sources. Click them, read the original article, and cite that instead of Wikipedia.
Step 2: Use Google Scholar Like a Pro
Most students don't know about Google Scholar. It is a special version of Google that only searches for academic papers, court cases, and books.
Here is how to use it without getting overwhelmed:
Search for your topic: Type "Social media effects on sleep."
Check the date: On the left sidebar, click "Since 2024" or "Since 2020." Teachers love recent sources.
Use the "Cited by" button: Under every article, there is a link that says "Cited by." If a paper has been cited by 100 people, it is probably a good, trustworthy source.
Step 3: Use the "CRAAP" Test
How do you know if a website is good or bad? Librarians use a funny acronym called the CRAAP Test.
Currency: Is it new? (Don't use a science article from 1990).
Relevance: Does it actually answer your question?
Authority: Who wrote it? (A professor is better than a random blogger).
Accuracy: Do they have evidence?
Purpose: Are they trying to teach you, or sell you something?
If a website is trying to sell you diet pills, it is not a good source for your health essay.
Step 4: The Domain Name Trick
You can tell a lot by the end of a URL.
.edu: Educational institution. Usually very safe.
.gov: Government. Very trustworthy for statistics and laws.
.org: Non-profit. Usually good, but check who pays for it.
.com: Commercial. Be careful—these are often businesses trying to make money.
Step 5: Finding the Right Keywords
Sometimes you can't find sources because you are typing the wrong words into the search bar. Academic databases are picky. They don't like full sentences like "How does social media hurt teenagers?"
They prefer keywords like: Social media AND adolescents AND mental health.
If you are stuck, you can use AI to generate these keywords for you. The "Brainstorming Expert" tool at Vertech Academy is perfect for this. You can ask it, "Give me 5 academic search terms for my paper on video games," and it will give you the exact words to type into Google Scholar.
