Essay
The source, the whole source, and nothing but the source
- This is an essay on the original research and neutral point of view policies. It contains the advice or opinions of one Wikipedia contributor. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.
- This page in a nutshell:
- Cite everything with a source.
- Add all information from each source in the same proportion as the source.
- Don't deviate from overview sources when determining relevance.
When giving sworn testimony in many countries, one must swear an oath that they will tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". But on Wikipedia, we have a higher standard of verifiability, not truth. To write an honest article, you should swear a different oath: that the information you provide is from the source, the whole source, and nothing but the source.
Most editors use sources, but surprisingly few adhere to this oath. This is unfortunate, because these practices are essential to make an article truly verifiable, comprehensive, and neutral.