Can I reference Wikipedia in my essay?

Yes you can reference Wikipedia in your essay, however,  while Wikipedia is a great source to provide an overall introduction to a topic, the use of articles from the site in academic research isn't usually acceptable because the wiki can be changed by anyone.  

Wikipedia only covers a basic level of information, it’s not appropriate to cite it for university-level work. Instead, use Wikipedia as a way to gain a general understanding of a topic or issue, and use the references in the article to find further information.

Use Wikipedia as a starting point if absolutely necessary, don't end your research there, but rather, go to a primary source (often listed in the article's references) to confirm the information and cite the primary source. 

The Credo Reference Collection is a valuable collection of dictionaries and encyclopedias supporting  the general subject disciplines taught at Notre Dame.

Depending on your discipline of study, please refer to the following links for encyclopedias and dictionaries.  Encyclopedias are a useful starting point for an introduction to a topic or to find factual information.  

Please note that for Arts and Sciences,  click on the link provided below and then select a more refined subject discipline.