Wikipedia is a valuable resource for information, but its collaborative nature means verifying the information you find is crucial. Here’s a guide to understanding Wikipedia’s source citation guidelines, ensuring you effectively evaluate the credibility of information and contribute responsibly.
Why Are Source Citations Important on Wikipedia?
- Verifiability: A core principle of Wikipedia is that all information must be verifiable by external sources. Source citations allow readers to track down the original source and assess its credibility for themselves.
- Accuracy: Citations help to minimize the spread of misinformation by ensuring information can be traced back to a reputable source.
- Transparency: Source citations provide transparency about the information’s origin and allow readers to understand different perspectives on a topic.
When to Use Source Citations on Wikipedia
- Factual Claims: Any factual claim, statistic, or potentially contentious statement requires a source citation.
- Direct Quotes: All directly quoted material must be attributed to its source.
- Controversial Topics: Information about sensitive subjects, living people, or topics prone to debate requires citations for verification.
How to Find Source Citations on Wikipedia
Wikipedia articles typically include a “References” section located at the bottom of the page. This section lists all the sources used to support the information in the article. Each reference is formatted according to specific citation styles, but they generally include details like:
- Author(s)
- Title of the source (book, article, website, etc.)
- Publisher (if applicable)
- Publication date
- URL (for online sources)
How to Contribute Source Citations to Wikipedia
If you’re editing a Wikipedia article and adding new information, you’ll need to provide source citations to support your edits. Here’s a basic process:
- Find a reliable source that backs up your information.
- Use inline citations within the article text to indicate where the information comes from. These are usually denoted by superscript numbers.
- Add the complete source information to the “References” section, following the appropriate citation style used in the article.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources
