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a list of sources that have never been discussed, or whose reliability should be obvious to most editors; a list of primary, secondary, or tertiary sources; a list of independent or affiliated sources; a list of self-published or traditionally published sources; a representative sample of all sources used on Wikipedia or all sources in existence
Wikipedia articles should be based on reliable, published sources, making sure that all majority and significant minority views that have appeared in those sources are covered (see Wikipedia:Neutral point of view). If no reliable sources can be found on a topic, Wikipedia should not have an article on it.
The age of a source affects its relevance and usefulness in research. In fast-changing areas, recent publications are important for the latest findings. Older sources may provide foundational knowledge or history, but one must consider their date. Understanding the context of both new and old sources is essential for clarity.
Common questions asked of search engines are answered using knowledge ingested from Wikipedia, and often credit or link to Wikipedia as their source. Wikipedia is likely the most important single source used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, such as ChatGPT, for which Wikipedia is valued as a well-curated data set with ...
As with sources in English, if a dispute arises involving a citation to a non-English source, editors may request a quotation of relevant portions of the original source be provided, either in text, in a footnote, or on the article talk page.
Sources of information are commonly categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary sources.In brief, a primary source is one close to the event with firsthand knowledge (for example, an eyewitness); a secondary source is at least one step removed (for example, a book about an event written by someone not involved in it); and a tertiary source is an encyclopaedia or textbook that provides a ...
An issued patent may be considered a reliable source for the existence of the patent (or application), the names of the inventors, the date of the patent, and a straightforward description of what was invented. Government patent authorities, however, do not fact-check, edit, or endorse any material in the patent application. Their main concern ...
These are general guidelines, but the topic of reliable sources is a complicated one, and is impossible to fully cover here. You can find more information at Wikipedia:Verifiability and at Wikipedia:Reliable sources. There is also a list of commonly used sources with information on their reliability.