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A self-published source can be independent, authoritative, high-quality, accurate, fact-checked, and expert-approved. Self-published sources can be reliable, and they can be used (but not for third-party claims about living people). Sometimes, a self-published source is even the best possible source or among the best sources. For example:
A secondary source is significantly separated from these primary sources. A reporter's notebook is an (unpublished) primary source, and the news story published by the reporter based on those notes is also a primary source. This is because the sole purpose of the notes in the notebook is to produce the news report.
Once you have found one good scholarly source, you can see what sources it cites and what cited it (citation chaining). This video describes citation chaining using Google Scholar. If you are having trouble accessing a particular source, e.g. due to privacy laws, try this list of ways to get around IP-based restrictions.
Self-published and questionable sources may be used as sources of information about themselves, usually in articles about themselves or their activities, without the self-published source requirement that they are established experts in the field, so long as: The material is neither unduly self-serving nor an exceptional claim;
Being able to reasonably verify who wrote the blog is necessary to being able to source it as a primary source. The blog should meet one of the following criteria: The blog is part of a credible site: a news agency, magazine, or other company; and the blog or postings are clearly identified as belonging to the named individual.
And even though a self-published source might be acceptable, a non-self-published source is usually preferred, if available. Examples of acceptable sourcing of self-published works: I think that this page should state that, very broadly speaking, non-self-published sources are usually preferred for most purposes.
This article may contain excessive or inappropriate references to self-published sources. Please help improve it by removing references to unreliable sources where they are used inappropriately. ( March 2011 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message )
A self-published source is a published source that has not been subject to any form of independent fact-checking, or where no one stands between the writer and the act of publication. It includes personal websites, and books published by vanity presses.