Wikipedia has released Cite, a tool that will generate a citation for any article in 9 standard formats: APA, MLA, MHRA, Chicago, CBE/CSE, Bluebook, Bluebook: Harvard JOLT Style, AMA, and BibTeX.

A note is prominently displayed at the top of the page: “Most educators and professionals do not consider it appropriate to use tertiary sources such as encyclopedias as a sole source for any information — citing an encyclopedia as an important reference in footnotes or bibiliographies may result in censure or a failing grade. Wikipedia articles should be used for background information, as a reference for correct terminology and search terms, and as a starting point for further research.

As with any community-built reference, there is a possibility for error in Wikipedia’s content — please check your facts against multiple sources and read our disclaimers for more information.”

I think this is a quantum leap forward for Wikipedia. By voluntarily offering a standardized, easy to use system for authors to generate references to articles, Wikipedia is demonstrating that its content should be formally acknowledged alongside any content from any other major information source. By reminding users to check the validity of information, and support arguments with multiple sources, Wikipedia is voluntarily helping people become better information users. It’s also quite a humble move – openly saying, “there’s a possibility for error” both reminds people that Wikipedia knows it’s not perfect, and compels people to join the community to help build the highest quality information possible.