Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
What is the difference between asserting a fact and asserting an opinion? The text of Wikipedia articles should assert facts, but not assert opinions as fact.. When a statement is a fact (e.g., information that is accepted as true and about which there is no serious dispute), it should be asserted using Wikipedia's own voice without in-text attribution.
At one time, when false balance was prevalent, news media sometimes reported all positions as though they were equally credible, even though the facts clearly contradicted a position, or there was a substantial consensus on one side of an issue, and only a fringe or nascent theory supporting the other side.
Even where a topic is presented in terms of facts rather than opinions, inappropriate tones can be introduced through how facts are selected, presented, or organized. Neutral articles are written with a tone that provides an unbiased, accurate, and proportionate representation of all positions included in the article.
Base articles on reliable, independent, published sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Source material must be published, on Wikipedia meaning made available to the public in some form. [f] Unpublished material is not considered reliable. Use sources that directly support the material presented in an article and are ...
The opinions of specialists and recognized experts are more likely to be reliable and to reflect a significant viewpoint. [note 4] If the statement is not authoritative, attribute the opinion to the author in the text of the article and do not represent it as fact. Reviews for books, movies, art, etc. can be opinion, summary, or scholarly pieces.
Credibility dates back to Aristotle's theory of Rhetoric.Aristotle defines rhetoric as the ability to see what is possibly persuasive in every situation. He divided the means of persuasion into three categories, namely Ethos (the source's credibility), Pathos (the emotional or motivational appeals), and Logos (the logic used to support a claim), which he believed have the capacity to influence ...
Instead, there are facts, opinions, facts about opinions, and opinions about opinions. We must not present a fact as an opinion, nor an opinion as a fact; and so on for the other categories. Besides, truth is a boolean value (100% true or 100% false) only in certain technical contexts, such as mathematics or programming languages. In most other ...
The opinions of those with significant experience, highly trained or possessing an advanced degree are often considered a form of proof. Their knowledge and familiarity within a given field or area of knowledge command respect and allow their statements to be criteria of truth. A person may not simply declare themselves an authority, but rather ...