Reliable publications include established newspapers, academic journals and books, textbooks, and other published sources with reputations for accuracy and fact-checking.
Unreliable sources include blog posts and other self-published works, press releases, and social media posts.
In order for a source to be considered verifiable, other editors should be able to consult the source.
Is the source independent of the subject?
Is the source connected in any way to the subject? This is especially important when writing biographies or about organizations.
For example, if you were writing a biography, sources like the person's webpage or personal blog would not be considered independent.
Is the source primary or secondary?
Primary sources include first-hand accounts, autobiographies, and other original content.
Wikipedia allows limited use of primary sources, but typically only for straightforward, descriptive statements of facts, and only if they are published and verifiable without requiring specialized knowledge.
Secondary sources should be the main basis for a biography on Wikipedia.
If you're working on a topic related to medicine or psychology, ensure that your sources follow
these special guidelines.
If you're creating a new article, consider the following:
Ensure that your topic meets Wikipedia's
notability guidelines.
In order for a topic to meet the notability requirement, you must be able to identify 2-3 sources that are reliable, verifiable, and independent of the subject you're writing about.
Finding sufficient sources to establish notability can be especially hard when writing about people or organizations.
Sources that are not independent of the subject might be useful additions, but don't count towards the notability requirement.
Wikipedia has developed special guidelines for writing about
living persons. Please follow these carefully.
Wikipedia has a series of
guidelines for writing about different categories of people, such as academics and artists. If you're trying to create a new entry about a living person, please look at these carefully.
If you're not sure whether a source is reliable, ask a librarian! If you have questions about Wikipedia's sourcing rules, you can use the Get Help button below to contact your Wikipedia Expert.
This is where you will compile the bibliography for your Wikipedia assignment. Add the name and/or notes about what each source covers, then use the "Cite" button to generate the citation for that source.
This is the official city council page detailing the latest PBNYC cycle. While it is a primary source, it offers specific facts and implementation details.
Sandoval, Gabriel. 2021. City Council Members Bringing Back Participatory Budgeting for Some, Not All.[2]
This is an article published by a reputable local journal, so it should be a reliable source. It describes how the participatory budgeting process changed in New York over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Office of the Mayor of New York City. 2022. Mayor Adams, Civic Engagement Commission Announce Launch Of First-Ever Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process.[3]
This is a press release announcing the latest PBNYC initiative. While it is a primary source, this initiative is so new that there are few to no unbiased secondary sources available. It covers the topic in some depth, so it's helpful in establishing notability.
Harvard Kennedy School: Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. 2015. Award: Participatory Budgeting in New York City.[4]
This is an announcement for an award by a university research organization, so it should be a reliable source. It dedicates a paragraph to describing the demographics of participants of the 2014-2015 PBNYC cycle, so it should be a reliable source for those specific facts.
Reliable publications include established newspapers, academic journals and books, textbooks, and other published sources with reputations for accuracy and fact-checking.
Unreliable sources include blog posts and other self-published works, press releases, and social media posts.
In order for a source to be considered verifiable, other editors should be able to consult the source.
Is the source independent of the subject?
Is the source connected in any way to the subject? This is especially important when writing biographies or about organizations.
For example, if you were writing a biography, sources like the person's webpage or personal blog would not be considered independent.
Is the source primary or secondary?
Primary sources include first-hand accounts, autobiographies, and other original content.
Wikipedia allows limited use of primary sources, but typically only for straightforward, descriptive statements of facts, and only if they are published and verifiable without requiring specialized knowledge.
Secondary sources should be the main basis for a biography on Wikipedia.
If you're working on a topic related to medicine or psychology, ensure that your sources follow
these special guidelines.
If you're creating a new article, consider the following:
Ensure that your topic meets Wikipedia's
notability guidelines.
In order for a topic to meet the notability requirement, you must be able to identify 2-3 sources that are reliable, verifiable, and independent of the subject you're writing about.
Finding sufficient sources to establish notability can be especially hard when writing about people or organizations.
Sources that are not independent of the subject might be useful additions, but don't count towards the notability requirement.
Wikipedia has developed special guidelines for writing about
living persons. Please follow these carefully.
Wikipedia has a series of
guidelines for writing about different categories of people, such as academics and artists. If you're trying to create a new entry about a living person, please look at these carefully.
If you're not sure whether a source is reliable, ask a librarian! If you have questions about Wikipedia's sourcing rules, you can use the Get Help button below to contact your Wikipedia Expert.
This is where you will compile the bibliography for your Wikipedia assignment. Add the name and/or notes about what each source covers, then use the "Cite" button to generate the citation for that source.
This is the official city council page detailing the latest PBNYC cycle. While it is a primary source, it offers specific facts and implementation details.
Sandoval, Gabriel. 2021. City Council Members Bringing Back Participatory Budgeting for Some, Not All.[2]
This is an article published by a reputable local journal, so it should be a reliable source. It describes how the participatory budgeting process changed in New York over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Office of the Mayor of New York City. 2022. Mayor Adams, Civic Engagement Commission Announce Launch Of First-Ever Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process.[3]
This is a press release announcing the latest PBNYC initiative. While it is a primary source, this initiative is so new that there are few to no unbiased secondary sources available. It covers the topic in some depth, so it's helpful in establishing notability.
Harvard Kennedy School: Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. 2015. Award: Participatory Budgeting in New York City.[4]
This is an announcement for an award by a university research organization, so it should be a reliable source. It dedicates a paragraph to describing the demographics of participants of the 2014-2015 PBNYC cycle, so it should be a reliable source for those specific facts.