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For Readers: From Informed Access to Open Citations
"A library implies an act of faith..."
— Victor Hugo
Half a billion people each month use Wikipedia for research, but many may not understand how it is constructed and how to best make use of it. Wikipedia's principle of verifiability institutes an ideal that all knowledge in the encyclopedia, whether facts or outside opinions, are supported by a reliable secondary source—but sources that readers cannot access and read are of limited use in furthering research.
The Wikipedia Library is developing research literacy materials to help support readers in understanding how Wikipedia is built and how to explore its underlying sources. This ranges from supporting instruction on how Wikipedia works, to tools that help readers get from citations to sources, to help pages about locating a local library. These initiatives will contribute to the development of a more informed citizenry able to use Wikipedia (and other information sources as well) in a responsible manner, by examining the original sources to assess the validity of an article's claims.
The Wikipedia Library has also piloted open-referencing strategies. For example, Newspapers.com encouraged Wikipedia editors to use their clippings feature (https://www.newspapers.com/clippings/) for references on Wikipedia. Each clipping creates a