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If its subject is amenable to definition, then the first sentence should give a concise definition: where possible, one that puts the article in context for the nonspecialist. [7] Similarly, if the subject is a term of art, provide the context as early as possible. [8] If the article is about a fictional character or place, make sure to say so. [9]
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 .
Begin each definition with a capital letter, even if it is a sentence fragment. The above does not apply to the use of description lists (with or without glossary templates) for material that does not form a glossary, such as list of characters, or an index of different models in a series of products.
Sources that are reliable for some material are not reliable for other material. For instance, otherwise unreliable self-published sources are usually acceptable to support uncontroversial information about the source's author. You should always try to use the best possible source, particularly when writing about living people.
"Say where you read it" follows the practice in academic writing of citing sources directly only if you have read the source yourself. If your knowledge of the source is secondhand—that is, if you have read Jones (2010), who cited Smith (2009), and you want to use what Smith (2009) said—make clear that your knowledge of Smith is based on ...
The lead section should summarise with due weight the life and works of the person. When writing about controversies in the lead section of a biography, relevant material should neither be suppressed nor allowed to overwhelm: always pay scrupulous attention to reliable sources, and make sure the lead correctly reflects the entirety of the article.
When you cite a book, you are relying almost entirely on the author. Book publishers have little incentive to worry about facts since people generally buy books based on the author rather than the publisher. For this reason books are seldom very reliable sources.
Roger 8 Roger, I think the start of WP:RSCONTEXT should be two paragraphs, like this: . The reliability of a source depends on context. Each source must be carefully weighed to judge whether it is reliable for the statement being made in the Wikipedia article and is an appropriate source for that content.