Peter Shulman, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of History at Case Western Reserve University

Dear Colleagues:

It’s a puzzle and a challenge for both professors and students. Is Wikipedia an acceptable reference for academic work? There are some logical reasons to say it is not. Validation in the academic world is usually based on either credentials or review by other experts. Scholars in a field know which outlets have (or are supposed to have) good review processes, and which credentials count. Wikipedia appears to be a resource of, by and for amateurs. But it’s not that simple. Wikipedia is hard to avoid if you are searching on the internet. It’s seductive, at least as a point of entry for a scholar looking for an introduction to a field. Moreover, many credentialed experts have their own biases –a Ph.D. or even publication in a leading journal is no guarantee of accuracy.

So notions of whether and how students (or professors!) should use Wikipedia may be changing. How, and to what end? Professor Shulman has commented that, “saying it’s off-limits won’t stop students from using it, so I’ve switched to helping students understand when it’s useful and when it’s not.” How can that be done? Join us to hear, and to share your thoughts.

Very best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest…

Peter Shulman studies technology, science, and American politics in the 19th and 20th centuries, with special interests in the history of energy, environmental history, communication and transportation, and the history of American foreign relations. He teaches courses in the history of technology, energy and the environment, historical methods, and contemporary history.

Where We Meet

This year the Friday Public Affairs Lunch usually convenes each Friday when classes are in session in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. There is also on-street parking on both East Drive and Bellflower. Both are fairly short walks from the library.

Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

November 25: No Session – Thanksgiving Break

December 2: University Circle Update. Steven Litt, Architecture Critic, Cleveland Plain Dealer

December 9: Outsourcing and Offshoring Legal Services.  Cassandra Burke Robertson, Associate Professor of Law