Week 8 Reflection: Reliable Sources 
Name：CHENYUNLIN

Summary:

In Wikipedia’s editing system, “verifiability” is more important than “truth.” This means whatever you add must be supported by a reliable, third-party published source.

Wikipedia’s standards for reliable sources include: Has the source been published? Is it a formal publication like a book, journal, or news media? Is there editorial oversight? Has the source undergone editorial review and fact-checking? Is it authoritative? Is the author an expert in the field and affiliated appropriately? Is the content original research or firsthand investigation? Original research is not suitable for Wikipedia. Is it a secondary source? Even when citing research, third-party independent analysis or commentary should be prioritized.

Reflection:

In the internet age, almost everyone has a platform to express opinions. However, Wikipedia’s standards do not deny the value of personal voices but emphasize that knowledge must be verifiable, traceable, open, and transparent.

These principles apply not only to Wikipedia editors but are also worth learning in our daily information consumption: When reading news, do you check the media source? Before sharing information, do you know who the source is?

We live in an age of “information explosion” and need to develop our “information literacy.”

Wikipedia has become the world’s largest free knowledge base not only because it is open source but also because it has a seemingly minor yet crucial content review system  the reliable source system is the core.

In a world where true and false information is intertwined and emotional manipulation is widespread, protecting the credibility of knowledge is more important than speeding up its spread.

This is not only the responsibility of the Wikipedia community but also a fundamental quality for every information user.


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