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| ==What is a reliable source?== | ==What is a reliable source?== | ||
| {{see|Misplaced Pages:Verifiability|Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view}} | {{see|Misplaced Pages:Verifiability|Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view}} | ||
| The word "source |
The word "source," as used in Misplaced Pages, has three related meanings. It can refer to 1) the piece of work that is being cited, 2) the creator of the work (the author or artist), and 3) the publisher or location where it is to be found (a website, book, album or painting). All three can affect the reliability of the work. Portions of this page use "source" exclusively in the first sense for the sake of clarity, but that does not limit the scope of this guideline. | ||
| A reliable source is a published work regarded as trustworthy or authoritative in relation to the subject at hand. Evaluation of reliability will depend on the credibility of the author and the publication, along with consideration of the context. |
A reliable source is a published work regarded as trustworthy or authoritative in relation to the subject at hand. Evaluation of reliability will depend on the credibility of the author and the publication, along with consideration of the context. Reliable publications are those with an established structure for fact-checking and editorial oversight. A world-renowned mathematician may not be a reliable source about biology. Authors may be reliable outside their primary field if recognized as having expertise in a secondary area of study. In general, an article should use the most reliable and ''appropriate'' published sources to cover all majority and significant-minority published views, in line with ]. See ] for further description of reliable sources. | ||
| Articles should be sourced to works written by reliable third parties, or found in reliable publications with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Sources should be appropriate to the claims made: exceptional claims require exceptional sources. All articles must adhere to Misplaced Pages's ], fairly representing all majority and significant-minority viewpoints that have been published by reliable sources, in rough proportion to the ] of each view. Tiny-minority views and fringe theories need not be included, except in articles devoted to them. | |||
| In general, the most reliable publications are peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed books published in university presses; university-level textbooks; magazines, journals, and fact-checked books published by respected publishing houses. As a rule of thumb, the greater the degree of scrutiny involved in checking facts, analyzing legal issues, and scrutinizing the evidence and arguments of a particular work, the more reliable a work or publication is. However, it should not be assumed that any of these are actually peer-reviewed or fact-checked just by their recognition status or format. | |||
| Academic and peer-reviewed publications are highly valued and usually the most reliable publications in areas where they are available, such as history, medicine and science. However, care must be taken to distinguish between broadly-accepted material on the one hand, and commentary, criticism, novel theories, academic bias, and competing schools of thought on the other. Material from reliable non-academic publications may also be used in these areas, particularly if they are respected mainstream publications. The appropriateness of any source always depends on the context. Where there is disagreement between sources, their views should be clearly attributed in the text. | |||
| Mainstream newspapers and magazines are of varying reliability. Material ranges from neutral reporting of facts to opinion pieces that are not verified. They may be the best or only source for some subjects such as business events or recent popular culture, but should be treated with care. Errors and biases may be repeated from one article to the next, or based on a common news source, so the appearance of a single fact in multiple publications does not necessarily guarantee reliability. | |||
| Publications with a poor reputation for fact-checking or with no editorial oversight should only be used in articles about the authors or publishers themselves, unless no other sources are available. However, any contentious claims should not be repeated, unless made first in reliable sources. | Publications with a poor reputation for fact-checking or with no editorial oversight should only be used in articles about the authors or publishers themselves, unless no other sources are available. However, any contentious claims should not be repeated, unless made first in reliable sources. | ||
Revision as of 10:55, 16 November 2007
 | This page documents an English Misplaced Pages content guideline. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page. | Shortcuts |
 | This page in a nutshell: Articles should be based on reliable, third-party, published sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. |
This page is a guideline, not a policy: The relevant policies on sources are Misplaced Pages:Verifiability and Misplaced Pages:No original research, and additional restrictions in biographies of living people.
What is a reliable source?
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Verifiability and Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of viewThe word "source," as used in Misplaced Pages, has three related meanings. It can refer to 1) the piece of work that is being cited, 2) the creator of the work (the author or artist), and 3) the publisher or location where it is to be found (a website, book, album or painting). All three can affect the reliability of the work. Portions of this page use "source" exclusively in the first sense for the sake of clarity, but that does not limit the scope of this guideline.
A reliable source is a published work regarded as trustworthy or authoritative in relation to the subject at hand. Evaluation of reliability will depend on the credibility of the author and the publication, along with consideration of the context. Reliable publications are those with an established structure for fact-checking and editorial oversight. A world-renowned mathematician may not be a reliable source about biology. Authors may be reliable outside their primary field if recognized as having expertise in a secondary area of study. In general, an article should use the most reliable and appropriate published sources to cover all majority and significant-minority published views, in line with Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view. See Misplaced Pages:Verifiability#Sources for further description of reliable sources.
Publications with a poor reputation for fact-checking or with no editorial oversight should only be used in articles about the authors or publishers themselves, unless no other sources are available. However, any contentious claims should not be repeated, unless made first in reliable sources.
See Misplaced Pages:Reliable sources/Noticeboard for queries about the reliability of particular sources.
Why use reliable sources?
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Verifiability, Misplaced Pages:No original research, Misplaced Pages:Citing sources, and Misplaced Pages:CopyrightsMisplaced Pages:Verifiability says that any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged needs a source, as do quotations, and the responsibility for finding a source lies with the person who adds or restores the material. Sometimes it is better to have no information than to have information without a source.
Sources are used:
- To support an assertion made in an article. Sources used in this manner should be directly referenced for the point that is being supported.
- To give credit to the source, to avoid the appearance of plagiarism or copyright violations.
If all the sources for a given statement or topic are of low reliability, the material may not be suitable for inclusion in Misplaced Pages.
Aspects of reliability
Further information: Misplaced Pages:VerifiabilityReliability in general
Articles should rely on sources written by reliable third parties or found in publications with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Sources should be appropriate to the claims made.
Reliability of specific source types
Scholarship
Misplaced Pages relies heavily upon the established literature created by scientists, scholars and researchers around the world. Items that fit this criterion are usually considered reliable. However, they may be outdated by more recent research, or controversial in the sense that there are alternative scholarly explanations. Misplaced Pages articles should point to all major scholarly interpretations of a topic.
- The material has been thoroughly vetted by the scholarly community. This means published in peer-reviewed sources, and reviewed and judged acceptable scholarship by the academic journals.
- Items that are recommended in scholarly bibliographies are preferred.
- Items that are signed are more reliable than unsigned articles because it tells whether an expert wrote it and took responsibility for it.
Original research is not a reliable source
Misplaced Pages should not be the original source for new research, ideas, interpretations, or analyses. Such original research has not yet been published in a reliable source, and therefore is not suitable for inclusion in Misplaced Pages. When citing reliable sources, editors must ensure that the sources are not interpreted or analyzed in a novel or non-obvious way.
Extremist sources
Organizations and individuals that are widely acknowledged as extremist, whether of a political, religious or anti-religious, racist, or other nature, should be used only as sources about themselves and their activities in articles about themselves, and even then with caution.
Self-published sources
- Self-published sources raise reliability concerns. See the policy page Misplaced Pages:Verifiability#Self-published sources (online and paper).
Reliability in specific contexts
Exceptional claims require exceptional sources
Shortcut See also: Misplaced Pages:Fringe theoriesCertain red flags should prompt editors to examine the sources for a given claim.
- Surprising or apparently important claims that are not widely known.
- Surprising or apparently important reports of recent events not covered by reliable news media.
- Reports of a statement by someone that seems out of character, embarrassing, controversial, or against an interest they had previously defended.
- Claims not supported or claims that are contradicted by the prevailing view in the relevant academic community. Be particularly careful when proponents say there is a conspiracy to silence them.
Exceptional claims should be supported by multiple high quality reliable sources, especially regarding scientific or medical topics, historical events, politically charged issues, and in material about living people.
Biographies of living persons
Material about living persons must be sourced very carefully. Without reliable third-party sources, a biography will violate the No original research and Verifiability policies, and could lead to libel claims.
Claims of consensus
Claims of consensus must be sourced. The claim that all or most scientists, scholars, or ministers hold a certain view requires a reliable source. Without it, opinions should be identified as those of particular, named sources.
Other examples
See Misplaced Pages:Reliable sources/examples for examples of the use of statistical data, advice by subject area (including history, physical sciences, mathematics and medicine, law, Business and Commerce, popular culture and fiction), and the use of electronic or online sources.
Convenience links
The term "convenience link" is typically used to indicate a link to a copy of a resource somewhere on the Internet, offered in addition to a formal citation to the same resource in its original format. It is important to ensure that the copy being linked is a true copy of the original, without any comments, emendations, edits or changes. When the "convenience link" is hosted by a site that is considered reliable on its own, this is relatively easy to assume. However, when such a link is hosted on a less reliable site, the linked version should be checked for accuracy against the original, or not linked at all if such verification is not possible.
Where several sites host a copy of the desired resource, the site selected as the convenience link should be the one whose general content is most in line with Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view and Misplaced Pages:Reliable sources.
See also
- Misplaced Pages:Check your facts, essay
- Misplaced Pages:Common knowledge, essay
- Misplaced Pages:Independent sources, essay
- Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check
- Misplaced Pages:Citing sources
External links
- How to Read a Primary Source, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, Patrick Rael, 2004.
- How to Read a Secondary Source, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, Patrick Rael, 2004.