College Students’ Perception and Use of Wikipedia According to Reading Purpose

This study conducted a survey of 286 college students to examine their perceptions and use of Wiki sites according to their reading purposes. First, we examined how university students searched for information by reading purpose and found that the most common response was to use search engines for both daily and academic information search. Wiki sites had a mean of 3.51 for daily reading but a statistically significant lower mean of 3.18 for academic reading. When asked how they used Wiki sites for academic purposes, the most common reason was to understand related concepts, and the most common reason for using Wikis was because they duly organized the information they needed and were the first to appear in portal searches. However, the most common reason given for not using Wiki sites for academic purposes is that they do not trust the information on the Wiki site. When asked about their professors’ and friends’ reactions to Wiki sites, it is clear that Wiki sites are not discussed much, and even when they are, they are viewed negatively. It is necessary to provide specific usage guidelines and instruction to help college students use online information and Wiki sites appropriately for their reading purposes.