Wikipedia

Researching for assignments Wikipedia has rarely failed me. At University we are constantly told not to reference from Wikipedia which I can agree with how ever I find the 'References' particularly useful. Universal ISBN numbers are 9/10 times provided, some journal articles or websites with URL links can also be provided. The 'External Links' and 'See also' sections found at the foot of the page can also be relevant and highly useful. For ESL learners Wikipedia is made available in a large number of languages.

Wikipedia contribtors (2009) [URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia&oldid=307125796] state "Wikipedia is a free,[5] web-based and collaborative multilingual encyclopedia, born in the project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its name is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites, from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning "quick") and encyclopedia. Wikipedia's 13 million articles (2.9 million in English) have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia website.[6] Launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger,[7] it is currently the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet.[3][8][9][10]"

For middle school upwards Wikippedia would be a perfect place for students to start when researching for a project because it is basically an online encyclopedia which means it is linked to the real world.

Subject area: Water Conservation
Problem: To reduce school water consumption by 10%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation

Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and reclycling of waste water for different purposes like cleaning , manufacturing , agriculture etc.

Contents
1 Water Saving Technology
2 Agriculture
3 Water Efficiency
4 Minimum Water Network Target and Design
5 See also
6 References
7 Sources
8 External links

In reading through the contents there are a number of valuable areas that would be worth exploring. The Water Efficiency secton highlights a 'main article' for further reading with appropriate references.

Water Efficiency
Main article: Water efficiency

Water efficiency can be defined as the accomplishment of a function, task, process, or result with the minimal amount of water feasible, or an indicator of the relationships between the amount of water needed for a specific purpose and the amount of water used, occupied or delivered. [2]

As you can see the 'External links' is comprehensive offering links and some valuable and credible points of reference for further investigation.

Water Efficiency Magazine, The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals]
Simple Ways to Conserve Water at Home
Conserve Water In And Around The Home
Drought and water-saving tips from the British Red Cross
Water Conservation (WQIC topic area)
The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE)
H2O Conserve Water Footprint Calculator
Water Conserve: Water Conservation Portal
water "Drought"
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation"

Wikipedia have a number of 'sister projects which may serve as highly effective tools for research:
Definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity