Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/27 February 2012/Wikipedia:Verifiability/Group 4

Verifiability mediation (general talk)
Work groups: one (talk) • two (talk) • three (talk) • four (talk)
RfC draft

This page is to be used by work group four in the Wikipedia:Verifiability MedCab case. It will be used to create the "all-new" draft, for presentation in a community-wide RfC. This draft will be a completely new draft, and will include whatever content the drafters deem appropriate. There will be complete freedom in this draft, as long as it suitably outlines or introduces the rest of the policy page.

Editors should:

Add their proposed wording to a new section.
Not sign their section with the standard four tildes (~~~~).
Not comment on other sections. This will be done at the discussion page.
Not change the wording of drafts. They should add a new draft with the changed wording.

Draft 0

Verifiability is the foremost requirement in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented. For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Material that complies with this policy may still be removed if the material does not comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Drafts 1-5

Draft 1

Verifiability is a basic requirement for the material published in our encyclopedia. Verifiability means that the ideas don't originate at Wikipedia, but instead are traceable to published, reliable sources.

An inline citation relates the Wikipedia material to the published, reliable source; see the section below, #Anything challenged or likely to be challenged.

Material that does not have a suitable citation may be removed using the procedure described below in #Burden of evidence. Please remove unsourced contentious material about living people immediately, see Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons.

Core content policies

Wikipedia:Verifiability (WP:V), Wikipedia:No original research (WP:NOR), and Wikipedia:Neutral point of view (WP:NPOV) are Wikipedia's core content policies. They work together to determine content, so editors should understand the key points of all three. Note that WP:DUE within WP:NPOV is used to determine the due weight to be assigned to any given source. Article content must also comply with the Wikipedia:Copyright policy and the Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not policy (WP:NOT).

Perceived truth and personal experience

Perceived truth and personal experience are not substitutes for the verifiability requirement. No matter how convinced you are that something is true, do not add it to an article unless it is verifiable.

References

Draft 2

Verifiability is a basic requirement for the material published in our encyclopedia. Verifiability means that material is traceable to published, reliable sources.

Citations relate the Wikipedia material to the published, reliable source; see the section below, #Anything challenged or likely to be challenged.

[The following two sections are added after the lede.]

Three interrelated core content policies

"Wikipedia:Verifiability" ("WP:V"), "Wikipedia:No original research" ("WP:NOR"), and "Wikipedia:Neutral point of view" ("WP:NPOV") are three interrelated core content policies. They work together to determine content, so editors should understand the key points of all three. Note that "WP:DUE" within "WP:NPOV" is used to determine the due weight to be assigned to any given source.

Perceived truth and personal experience

Perceived truth and personal experience are not substitutes for the verifiability requirement. No matter how convinced you are that something is true, do not add it to an article unless it is verifiable.

Draft 3

Verifiability is essential for the credibility of Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented. For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately. The burden of evidence lies with the editor who adds or restores material.

Material that complies with this policy may still be removed if the material does not comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Draft 4

Verifiability is one of the primary policies to be followed when editing Wikipedia. In Wikipedia, verifiability means that readers must be able to check that information in Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source. It is not enough that the information is true. It must be verifiable before you can add it.

While an appropriate published source must be known to exist for any content being added, in practice editors do not need to attribute everything. However, this policy does require that all quotations and anything challenged, or likely to be challenged should be attributed in the form of an inline citation that directly supports the material. For how to write citations, see Citing sources.

This policy applies to all material in the mainspace—articles, lists, sections of articles, and captions—without exception, and in particular to material about living persons. Anything that requires but lacks a source may be removed by other editors, and unsourced contentious material about living persons must be removed immediately.

Verifiability is a requirement for inclusion, not a guarantee of inclusion. The fact that something has been published does not necessarily mean it should be included: other policies, guidelines and considerations apply.

Draft 5

Verifiability is a constraint for material published by the English Wikipedia. Verifiability means that material is traceable to published, reliable sources. Editors link material to published, reliable sources with citations.

[The following two sections are added after the lede.]

Three interrelated core content policies

Wikipedia:Verifiability (WP:V), Wikipedia:No original research (WP:NOR), and Wikipedia:Neutral point of view (WP:NPOV) are three interrelated core content policies. They work together to determine content, so editors should understand the key points of all three.

What verifiability is not

Verifiable material may or may not be accurate^[1] or significant. Verifiable material may or may not be compliant with the Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not policy (WP:NOT), the Wikipedia:Copyright violation policy (WP:COPYVIO), or the Wikipedia:Biography of living persons policy (WP:BLP).

Perceived truth and personal experience are not substitutes for the verifiability constraint.

References

^ See Dewey Defeats Truman.

Draft 6

Verifiability is the foremost requirement in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented. For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Compliance with the Verifiability policy does not guarantee that material will be accepted. For example, it must also comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Draft 7

Verifiability is one of the most essential requirements in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented. For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Compliance with the Verifiability policy does not guarantee that material will be accepted. For example, it must also comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Draft 8

Verifiability is one of the most essential requirements in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented.^[1] For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Compliance with the Verifiability policy does not guarantee that material will be accepted. For example, it must also comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Notes

^ Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.

Draft 9

Verifiability is one of the most essential requirements in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented.^[1] For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed. Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Compliance with the Verifiability policy does not guarantee that material will be accepted. For example, it must also comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Notes

^ Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.

Draft 10

Verifiability is one of the most essential requirements in Wikipedia. Information added to articles must be verifiable using only reliable sources that have been published.

An appropriate inline citation is evidence that information is verifiable. Inline citations are required for any information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, and for all quotations. Suitable inline citations should refer to published reliable sources that explicitly support the information being presented.^[1] For help on adding citations, see Citing sources.

Any material that requires an inline citation but does not have a suitable one may be removed.^[2] Unsourced contentious material about living people must be removed immediately.

Compliance with the Verifiability policy does not guarantee that material will be accepted. For example, it must also comply with other policies and guidelines, most notably No Original Research, Neutral Point of View, and Copyright.

Notes

^ Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.
^ An alternative to removal is adding a {{citation needed}} inline tag. If it is impractical to add these because there would be too many of them, consider using at the top of a section {{ref improve section}} or at the top of the article {{refimprove}}.

Draft 11

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References

Draft 12

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

References

Draft 13

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

References

Draft 14

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

References

Draft 15

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

References

[1] See Dewey Defeats Truman.

[2] Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.

[3] Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.

[4] Also, see the section Using sources of the policy No original research, which says that material from sources should be summarized or rephrased in your own words.

[5] An alternative to removal is adding a {{citation needed}} inline tag. If it is impractical to add these because there would be too many of them, consider using at the top of a section {{ref improve section}} or at the top of the article {{refimprove}}.