Reliable publications include established newspapers, academic journals and books, textbooks, and other published sources with reputations for accuracy and fact-checking.
Unreliable sources include blog posts and other self-published works, press releases, and social media posts.
In order for a source to be considered verifiable, other editors should be able to consult the source.
Is the source independent of the subject?
Is the source connected in any way to the subject? This is especially important when writing biographies or about organizations.
For example, if you were writing a biography, sources like the person's webpage or personal blog would not be considered independent.
Is the source primary or secondary?
Primary sources include first-hand accounts, autobiographies, and other original content.
Wikipedia allows limited use of primary sources, but typically only for straightforward, descriptive statements of facts, and only if they are published and verifiable without requiring specialized knowledge.
Secondary sources should be the main basis for a biography on Wikipedia.
If you're working on a topic related to medicine or psychology, ensure that your sources follow these special guidelines.
If you're creating a new article, consider the following:
Ensure that your topic meets Wikipedia's notability guidelines.
In order for a topic to meet the notability requirement, you must be able to identify 2-3 sources that are reliable, verifiable, and independent of the subject you're writing about.
Finding sufficient sources to establish notability can be especially hard when writing about people or organizations.
Sources that are not independent of the subject might be useful additions, but don't count towards the notability requirement.
Wikipedia has developed special guidelines for writing about living persons. Please follow these carefully.
Wikipedia has a series of guidelines for writing about different categories of people, such as academics and artists. If you're trying to create a new entry about a living person, please look at these carefully.
If you're not sure whether a source is reliable, ask a librarian! If you have questions about Wikipedia's sourcing rules, you can use the Get Help button below to contact your Wikipedia Expert.
Edit this section to compile the bibliography for your Wikipedia assignment. Add the name and/or notes about what each source covers, then use the "Cite" button to generate the citation for that source.
Examples:
Luke, Learie. 2007. Identity and secession in the Caribbean: Tobago versus Trinidad, 1889–1980 Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press.
This is a book published by a university press, so it should be a reliable source. It also covers the topic in some depth, so it's helpful in establishing notability.
Galeano, Gloria; Bernal, Rodrigo (2013-11-08). "Sabinaria , a new genus of palms (Cryosophileae, Coryphoideae, Arecaceae) from the Colombia-Panama border". Phytotaxa.
This is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so it should be a reliable source. It covers the topic in some depth, so it's helpful in establishing notability.
Baker, William J.; Dransfield, John (2016). "Beyond Genera Palmarum: progress and prospects in palm systematics". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.
This is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so it should be a reliable source for a specific fact. Since it only dedicates a few sentences to the topic, it can't be used to establish notability.
Stellantis Media - Ralph Gilles (stellantisnorthamerica.com)
^ Designer Ralph Gilles on the 2013 SRT Viper (popularmechanics.com)
^ "Profile: Ralph V Gilles, Chief Design Officer, Stellantis NV". Bloomberg
Watson, Thomas (2006-09-22). "The cult of Ralph: Chrysler's Ralph Gilles". Canadian Business. Retrieved 24 February 2012
"The cult of Ralph: Chrysler's Ralph Gilles". Canadian Business, Sep 22, 2006 Thomas Watson.
Gilles Ralph (2016-02-25). "I owe my career to a letter from Chrysler". blog.fcanorthamerica.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
Webster, Sarah. "From slacker to superstar: Gilles is new darling of automotive design world". Vanier College. Vanier College. Retrieved 8 October 2023
Stellantis Media - Ralph Gilles (stellantisnorthamerica.com)
"Chrysler Head Designer Is Latest to Leave Firm". Wall Street Journal. 19 August 2008. p. B4. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
Healey, James R. (June 8, 2011). "Fiat shuffles Chrysler hats: Design chief/Dodge CEO Gilles to run SRT". USA Today. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
» Ralph V. Gilles | Automotive Hall of Fame
Ralph Gilles Wins 2023 Lifetime Award | EyesOn Design
"Netflix launches new documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design with a stellar lineup".
"Abstract: The Art of Design" Ralph Gilles: Automotive Design (TV Episode 2017) - IMDb
Motor Trend Names Chrysler 300 2005 Car of the Year
(Photo wiki commons, (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch))
MotorCities - An Interview with Ralph Gilles of Stellantis | 2021 | Story of the Week
Chrysler 300C Lead Designer Honored at 10th Annual N'Digo Foundation Gala (theautochannel.com)
Chrysler Group's Ralph Gilles Wins 'Innovation Award' from NV Magazine (theautochannel.com)
Now that you have compiled a bibliography, it's time to plan out how you'll improve your assigned article.
In this section, write up a concise outline of how the sources you've identified will add relevant information to your chosen article. Be sure to discuss what content gap your additions tackle and how these additions will improve the article's quality.
Consider other changes you'll make to the article, including possible deletions of irrelevant, outdated, or incorrect information, restructuring of the article to improve its readability or any other change you plan on making. This is your chance to really think about how your proposed additions will improve your chosen article and to vet your sources even further.
Note: This is not a draft. This is an outline/plan where you can think about how the sources you've identified will fill in a content gap.
