The internet is an amazing tool for gathering information and provides a wealth USING WIKIPeDIa TO of helpful sites for learning about the people and events that LEARN ABOUT have made Liberal history – not least the LIBERAL HISTORY website of the Liberal Democrat History Group itself (www. ikipedia is a what your purpose is.’ For exam- liberalhistory.org.uk). m u l t i l i n g u a l , ple, not all facts can be verified w e b - b a s e d straight away by reviewers but One great advantage enc yclopaed i a those articles that are subject to of the Internet as which uses links query will usually contain an alert Was cross-references to guide the at the head of the page indicating a research tool is reader from the initial article to that the reader should be cautious. related pages or to external web- Reasons vary, from insufficient the speed at which sites. Articles also include guides referencing and internal links to to further reading and contribu- articles that appear to contradict information can be tors tend to cite their sources themselves. Generally speaking, traced and accessed carefully (though not always!). Wikipedia facilitates the reader’s Its most innovative aspect is that research immensely via its mul- and the ease with Wikipedia articles are written by tiple internal and external links the public: anyone can log on and (just click on the highlighted which links can be create new pages or edit existing words) and its – usually compre- made to similar sites material. Volunteers do not need hensive – further reading and specialised qualifications to con- source lists. in order to build up tribute, since their primary role For the general reader or ama- is to write articles that cover their teur historian, it seems safest to a complete picture existing knowledge. However, in agree with those academics and practice, most entries are written teachers who advise that while of the chosen topic. by people who know their subject Wikipedia cannot be accepted or There are so many well or are experts or professionals cited as an authoritative source, in their sphere. Of course, there it remains a useful starting point websites relating to are standards to be maintained: from which to gain contextual the website is subject to edito- information about your subject subjects such as Liberal rial administration, oversight and matter and can point the way to history and politics management. Published editing more reliable and fuller source policies exist, which contributors material. that to list them would are requested to follow, and arti- In order to search for an arti- cles are subject to peer review in cle you need only to enter the prove to be an endless order to avoid plagiarism and libel text into the search box and press task. This article is and to ensure that articles are cor- ‘enter’. But be warned, Wikipe- rectly sourced with citations and dia can be very case- and punc- therefore confined references. tuation-sensitive – so be sure to follow the exact wording and to the consideration punctuation of the articles sug- of one specific, albeit Is Wikipedia a reliable source gested here to access the right for Liberal history? pages. huge, website – Wikipedia users do need to be Having arrived at the Wikipedia wary. Even the founder of Wiki- main page (http://en.wikipedia. Wikipedia. Graham pedia, Jimmy Wales, has com- org/wiki/Main_Page), where to Lippiatt explores mented that Wikipedia may not start? Below is a list of pages organ- be suitable for academic uses, ised around the theme of Liberal its possibilities – and saying, ‘It is pretty good, but you history: political parties, people, have to be careful with it. It’s good liberal philosophy, thought and limitations.. enough knowledge, depending on thinkers, parliamentary reform Journal of Liberal History 65 Winter 2009–10 17 using wikipedia to LearN about liberaL history and legislation, parliamentary elec- Wikipedia and Joseph Chamberlain, which day, follows it. The three leaders tions, parliamentary constituencies split from Gladstone over Irish of the SDP are included in the and local elections. users do Home Rule in 1886 and formally Social Democratic Party (UK) page. The names of the relevant merged with the Conservatives For the period before the forma- pages in Wikipedia are shown need to be in 1912. tion of the Liberal Party see List here in italics. All page names of United Kingdom Whig and allied were correct at the time of going wary. even • Alliance Party of Northern Ireland party leaders 1801–1859. to print. – Pages about the Liberal Demo- the founder crats’ sister party in Northern Ire- For details of Members of Parlia- land. The section about its origins ment there are a number of pages: Political parties of Wikipedia, connects to a short page about the Jimmy Wales, now-defunct Ulster Liberal Party • List of Liberal Party (UK) MPs • Liberal Democrats – This is about and biographies of its two MPs, – This lists all Liberal MPs from the present-day party, its structure has com- Albert McElroy and Sheelagh 1924–88 and their constituencies and policies and history from the Murnaghan. and takes you to constituency 1988 merger to date. mented that profiles and biographies of the • Liberal-Labour (UK) – The Lib- MPs where these exist. There are • Liberal Party (UK) – This article Wikipedia eral-Labour movement refers similar pages for the following rel- discusses the ideology, origins to the practice of local Liberal evant political parties: and history of the Liberal Party may not be associations in the late nine- from the Whigs until 1988 when teenth century accepting and • List of Social Democratic Party it merged with the Social Demo- suitable for supporting candidates who were (UK) MPs cratic Party. financially maintained by trade academic unions. These candidates stood • List of National Liberal Party (UK) • Social Democratic Party (UK) – for Parliament with the aim of MPs Information about the origins and uses. representing the working classes, history of the SDP from 1981–88. while remaining supportive of • List of Liberal Democrat MPs the Liberal Party in general. • National Liberal Party (UK) – The page has a link to the article • Members of the House of Lords – There were two distinct groups Category:Liberal-Labour politicians This gives profiles of most of the bearing the name National Lib- (UK), which gives biographies of current peers and lists their party eral. The first comprised the Lib-Lab MPs. affiliation and type of peerage. supporters of the Lloyd George coalition in 1922–23. The second • Lib-Lab Pact – This page not • List of Life Peerages – This page included those Liberals support- only describes the Parliamentary lists everyone who has been cre- ing the National Government arrangement of 1977–78 between ated a Life Peer from the intro- from 1931 onwards. From Octo- Liberal leader David Steel and duction of the Life Peerages Act ber 1931 they styled themselves Prime Minister Jim Callaghan, of 1958 until the present day. as Liberal Nationals and were but also looks at earlier attempts Unfortunately it does not show entirely separate from the offi- at cooperation between the Lib- their political party, so you have cial Liberals, who returned to eral and Labour parties and some to know who you are looking for, the opposition benches in 1933. more recent ones in the devolved but most entries have biographical These MPs and their supporters administrations since 1999. profiles. From this page you can in the constituencies gradually link to lists of all the hereditary moved closer to the Conserva- peerages and baronies but again, tives. After 1948, the party was People no political party affiliations are renamed the National Liberal Who interests you? You can start indicated. Party and was so closely aligned by going to the pages of any of the with the Conservatives that the great Liberals who have made his- • List of British Members of Parlia- two eventually merged in 1968. tory: Gladstone, Lloyd George, ment who crossed the floor (from 1945 Jo Grimond, Roy Jenkins, or you to 2008) – This is an interesting and • British Whig Party – A page about might prefer to start with key useful page for information on the Whigs, one of the groups thinkers like Adam Smith, John SDP members. from which the Liberal Party was Stuart Mill or William Beveridge. formed, from their origins around However, if you prefer a more sys- • Category:Liberal MPs (UK) – the Glorious Revolution of 1688 tematic approach, the best place to Here you will find listed alpha- to the formation of the Liberal begin is: betically all Liberal MPs elected at Party in 1859. any time where their biographies • List of United Kingdom Liberal feature in Wikipedia. • Peelites – Information about the Party leaders – this page lists lead- breakaway faction of the Con- ers of the party, leaders in the servatives from 1846 who became Commons and the Lords from Philosophies, thought and part of the Liberal Party in 1859. 1859–1988. A page entitled List of thinkers United Kingdom Liberal Democrat • Liberal Unionist Party – This was leaders, which takes the story from • Liberalism – This page offers a the party, led by Lord Hartington the merger of 1988 to the present good starting point for learning 18 Journal of Liberal History 65 Winter 2009–10 using wikipedia to LearN about liberaL history about the ideology of liberal- Parliamentary reform and many other obscure yet interest- ism. It is part of a series of pages legislation ing topics. about liberalism in its varied and Parliamentary reform is a key distinct forms. It has sections on area of Liberal thought and policy • MPs elected in the United Kingdom the development of liberalism, from the eighteenth century to general election, 1874 – This series the history of liberal thought and the present day; aspects of con- of pages contains information to contributions to liberal theory.