policies:sourcing [Michipedia]

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====== Sourcing Policy ======

Michipedia is committed to preserving accurate, verifiable, and well-documented information about Michigan. All content should be supported by reliable sources whenever possible.

===== Accepted Sources =====

The following source types are generally acceptable:

* Government records and publications
* Court documents and legal filings
* Academic journals and university publications
* Historical societies and museums
* Books from reputable publishers
* Newspapers and established news organizations
* Official organizational records
* Archival collections
* Institutional and organizational wikis maintained by accredited entities

Examples include:

* University-maintained knowledge bases
* Government-operated wiki platforms
* Museum and archival wiki projects
* Historical society reference databases

===== Sources Not Accepted =====

Michipedia does not accept content sourced solely from:

* Wikipedia
* Fandom
* Miraheze projects without editorial oversight
* Personal blogs
* Anonymous forums
* Social media posts
* AI-generated content without independent verification

===== Wikipedia =====

Wikipedia is not considered an acceptable source for Michipedia articles.

While Wikipedia is a widely used reference platform, it is an open crowdsourced encyclopedia that allows editing by the general public. Information found on Wikipedia should instead be traced to the original source cited within the article.

Editors may use Wikipedia as a research aid to locate primary and secondary sources, but Wikipedia itself should not be cited as a reference.

===== Institutional Wikis =====

Michipedia recognizes that some organizations maintain internal or public knowledge bases using wiki software.

Institutional and organizational wikis may be used when:

* The organization maintains editorial control.
* The information is published under the organization's authority.
* The organization has recognized expertise in the subject matter.
* The content is attributable to a reputable institution.

Examples may include government agencies, universities, museums, libraries, archives, and established nonprofit organizations.

===== Primary Sources =====

Primary sources may be used for straightforward factual statements, including:

* Dates
* Official actions
* Organizational records
* Legal documents
* Government publications

Editors should avoid drawing conclusions not explicitly supported by the source.

===== Secondary Sources =====

Secondary sources are generally preferred because they provide analysis, interpretation, and historical context.

Examples include:

* Scholarly books
* Academic articles
* Historical publications
* Independent journalism

===== Verification Requirement =====

Any editor may challenge unsourced material.

Material that cannot be reasonably verified may be:

* Tagged for citation
* Revised
* Removed

===== Guiding Principle =====

When possible, cite the original source rather than another encyclopedia.

Michipedia documents knowledge; it does not rely upon other crowdsourced encyclopedias as authorities.