Wikipedia - a legitimate source for research papers?

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, has become increasingly popular over the last few years and students have asked about using it as a research paper source.

The Answer

• While it's a great place to do general reading, it is not generally accepted as a specific source for a research paper.
• It does have an impressive array of helpful free articles which can be used to understand topics - provided you check their accuracy.
  
• Some studies have found it roughly equal to another encyclopedia in science knowledge, but even its founder discourages college students from using it as a direct source. Many of its entries are not reviewed for accuracy and can be changed by almost anyone at anytime - qualified or not.

Bottom line: Background reading yes (with fact checking).
Source for research paper: N0