Wikis are not considered credible sources for research papers or academic work due to their open editing structure and potential for unreliable information. While wikis can serve as a starting point for preliminary research, students should find more authoritative sources from libraries, academic databases, or scholarly journals. However, wikis have grown increasingly prominent as easy sources of general information for both students and professors. Their reliability has improved over time through statistical analysis and review of historical editing patterns, positioning wikis to become even more prominent internet tools.