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Wikipedia is considered one of the major free open source websites, where millions can read, edit and post their views for free. Therefore Wikipedia takes the effort to provide its readers with well-verified sources. Meticulous fact-checking is an aspect of the broader reliability of Wikipedia.
A reliable source is one that presents a well-reasoned theory or argument supported by strong evidence. Reliable sources include scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or books written by researchers for students and researchers, which can be found in academic databases and search engines like JSTOR and Google Scholar.
The following research by political scientist Sverrir Steinsson, published in the American Political Science Review, lays out some facts about Wikipedia's credibility: . A qualitative content analysis shows that Wikipedia transformed from a dubious source of information in its early years to an increasingly reliable one over time.
Highly credible sources are the most effective, especially those which surprisingly report facts against their own perceived bias; Reframing the issue by adding context can be more effective than simply labeling it as incorrect or unproven. Challenging readers' identity or worldview reduces effectiveness.
Consequently, some judgment and comparison of sources is needed in order to identify reliable sources. Reliable sources respect truth; a source that is commonly untruthful is not reliable. A source may be partly or more or less reliable. Concurrence of possibly reliable sources may help in identifying reliable sources, and editors should seek it.
Sources accepted as reliable for Wikipedia may rely on Wikipedia as a reference source, sometimes indirectly. If the original information in Wikipedia was false, once it has been reported in sources considered reliable, Wikipedia can use them to reference the false information, giving an apparent credibility to falsehood.
The source is certified by an authority or official finding; The source is self-published, or the purported authors themselves vouch for the source's authenticity in a reputable source; The source is corroborated by witnesses who go on record. A difficult-to-forge recording exists of the author(s) making the statements or claims in question.
[g] Exercise caution when using such sources: if the information in question is suitable for inclusion, someone else will probably have published it in independent, reliable sources. [1] Never use self-published sources as third-party sources about living people, even if the author is an expert, well-known professional researcher, or writer.