Wikipedia:Attribution

This page was proposed as a merger of several core Wikipedia policy pages, but a community poll resulted in no consensus to adopt it. Please defer to Wikipedia:Verifiability and Wikipedia:No original research when actually applying the two to article content.

Shortcuts WP:A WP:ATT

This page in a nutshell: All material on Wikipedia must be attributable to a reliable, published source.

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia—that is, a comprehensive compendium of knowledge. The threshold for inclusion on Wikipedia is whether material is attributable to a reliable published source, not whether it is true. Wikipedia is not the place to publish your opinions, experiences, or arguments.

Although everything on Wikipedia must be attributable, in practice, not all material is attributed. Editors should provide attribution for quotations and for any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged, or it may be removed. The burden of evidence lies with the editor wishing to add or retain the material. If an article topic has no reliable sources, Wikipedia should not have an article on it.

Wikipedia's core content policies are Wikipedia:Neutral point of view, Wikipedia:No original research, and Wikipedia:Verifiability. These policies determine the type and quality of material that is acceptable in articles. Because the policies are complementary, they should not be interpreted in isolation from one another.