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How and why do college students use Wikipedia?

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  • Sook Lim

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to explore college students' perceptions, uses of, and motivations for using Wikipedia, and to understand their information behavior concerning Wikipedia based on social cognitive theory (SCT). A Web survey was used to collect data in the spring of 2008. The study sample consisted of students from an introductory undergraduate course at a large public university in the midwestern United States. A total of 134 students participated in the study, resulting in a 32.8% response rate. The major findings of the study include the following: Approximately one‐third of the students reported using Wikipedia for academic purposes. The students tended to use Wikipedia for quickly checking facts and finding background information. They had positive past experiences with Wikipedia; however, interestingly, their perceptions of its information quality were not correspondingly high. The level of their confidence in evaluating Wikipedia's information quality was, at most, moderate. Respondents' past experience with Wikipedia, their positive emotional state, their disposition to believe information in Wikipedia, and information utility were positively related to their outcome expectations of Wikipedia. However, among the factors affecting outcome expectations, only information utility and respondents' positive emotions toward Wikipedia were related to their use of it. Further, when all of the independent variables, including the mediator, outcome expectations, were considered, only the variable information utility was related to Wikipedia use, which may imply a limited applicability of SCT to understanding Wikipedia use. However, more empirical evidence is needed to determine the applicability of this theory to Wikipedia use. Finally, this study supports the knowledge value of Wikipedia (Fallis, 2008), despite students' cautious attitudes toward Wikipedia. The study suggests that educators and librarians need to provide better guidelines for using Wikipedia, rather than prohibiting Wikipedia use altogether.

Suggested Citation

  • Sook Lim, 2009. "How and why do college students use Wikipedia?," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 60(11), pages 2189-2202, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamist:v:60:y:2009:i:11:p:2189-2202
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.21142
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    Cited by:

    1. Derksen, Laura & Leclerc, Catherine Michaud & Souza, Pedro CL, 2019. "Searching for Answers: The Impact of Student Access to Wikipedia," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 450, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    2. Derksen, Laura & Michaud-Leclerc, Catherine & Souza, Pedro C.L., 2022. "Restricted access: How the internet can be used to promote reading and learning," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    3. Derksen, Laura & Leclerc, Catherine Michaud & Souza, Pedro CL, 2019. "Searching for Answers : The Impact of Student Access to Wikipedia," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1236, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    4. Antoni Meseguer‐Artola & Eduard Aibar & Josep Lladós & Julià Minguillón & Maura Lerga, 2016. "Factors that influence the teaching use of Wikipedia in higher education," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 67(5), pages 1224-1232, May.
    5. Bartosik-Purgat Małgorzata, 2016. "Wikipedia Users in the Light of International Research – Practical Implications," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 8(4), pages 7-26, December.
    6. Fuhai An & Linjin Xi & Jingyi Yu & Mohan Zhang, 2022. "Relationship between Technology Acceptance and Self-Directed Learning: Mediation Role of Positive Emotions and Technological Self-Efficacy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-13, August.

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