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COMM 302 Technology & Relationships Egan

Wikipedia as a helper

Wikipedia can be helpful as a starting point for learning general knowledge on a topic. Because the platform uses human moderators and editors, I've found it particularly useful for very current topics in popular culture, but of course it offers encyclopedia-like coverage for older, established topics as well. 

1. History of Women's Cinema

2. Barbie movie

Questions:

Why is it that I can find some scholarly works referenced in #1, but there are none for #2? 

According to the CRAAP test, what is the Purpose of the source in #1? How about (any) sources in #2? 

 

Final thought:

Certainly, there are some sources listed under the Barbie movie that could be very helpful, depending on the research topic, just as there are older scholarly works in #1 that could appearl to an academic audience (like if you were reading your resarch essay to a panel of professors).

Ultimately, you decide on the worthiness of the sources you use. And in order to identify the "species" of information source you have in front of you, use the CRAPP test to make sure the source is an effective tool for what you intend: to persuade, to assert, to support.