As a part of our hidden jewels project, Alex, Safia, and I chose to analyze Buckingham fountain. As I began my research, I chose to look at the wikipedia entry first. I was surprised to see that wikipedia displayed when this particular article had last been modified and what changes had been made; two useful bits of information. Although something new at Buckingham fountain does not occur on an everyday basis (especially around this time of year), it is reassuring to know the information you are reading is up-to-date. Wikipedia does an excellent job of displaying where the information on the page originated and even posts links to the specific articles or websites. This is a great feature that allows users to explore the original website for their own and search for more information.
If that is not enough, wikipedia also offers external links where one can continue his or her research. There is also a photo gallery where I was easily able to obtain photographs of Buckingham fountain. If I wanted to know who took the picture or where it came from, all I had to do was click on the link below to be redirected to the website. The web article I chose to compare with the wikipedia page on Buckingham fountain can be found on the City of Chicago website (cityofchicago.org). Although it was not as long as the wikipedia article and was last updated in 2003, it did offer quality information on the topic. However, there were no sources or references to which the article could be accredited. I do not believe a source was technically required, for the information came directly from the Landmarks Division of the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development. I found it quite interesting that the link for this page could be found on the wikipedia entry as well. In fact, much of the information came directly from the City of Chicago’s website. Although wikipedia gives credit to the website of origin, the article is void of in-text citations, making it difficult for users to distinguish information on the wikipedia page to that found on other websites.
Overall, I preferred the wikipedia page over that of the City of Chicago. Although wikipedia did not include in-text citations, it did offer many other useful features. As I researched my topic, I came across the names Ebenezer Buckingham, the father of Kate Buckingham (founder of Buckingham fountain) and Clarence Buckingham (Kate’s brother for whom the fountain commemorates). I had no idea who these men were at the time, but in order to find out all I had to do was click the link to be taken to their entries on wikipedia, which also contained sources and external links. This information was not included on the City of Chicago page. Wikipedia also uses a feature that can find similar articles on the Web, which proved to be very useful during the research process. These links take you directly to the website itself and, therefore, do not require citations. After my experience with both websites, I truly prefer the wikipedia entry over that of the City of Chicago. Although I think wikipedia is a great place to start research, I do not believe students should simply limit themselves to this resource.
