LGBTQIA+ Wiki:Sourcing Policy

As aims to be an objective, informative resource for all things related to the LGBTQIA+ community, it is imperative that all our pages are properly sourced. All content must be verifiable. In other words, all information treated as fact on this site must be supported by reliable sources published in print or online. Note that wiki-based articles and categories cannot be used as sources. Social media is not reliable and should only be referenced for information originating on those sources, such as showing early uses of terms or crediting the creator of a design. Personal experiences also cannot be used as sources here since one person's experiences can't be generalized to other people. As such, we provide and request multiple sources and viewpoints for all topics.

In order to guarantee the accuracy and credibility of information on, encyclopedic references must be used where it would be logical to do so. While every article should have ample sources, information that has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, such as quotations and definitions, definitely require citations.

Finding sources to reference
To learn more about researching, here are some resources at the Purdue Online Writing Lab (aka Purdue OWL):
 * Evaluating Sources, especially Evaluating Digital Sources: Different types of information require different types of sources. Although a lot of information is available online and in print, it may be inaccurate, invalid, or simply not useful. Things you should be wary of include: "clickbait" headlines, personal blogs and websites, and sites that anyone can edit such as wikis. Recognizing when information is or isn't credible is an important skill, whether you're in school, at work, or just living your life.
 * Using Research and Evidence: On this wiki, we use second hand research, meaning the information has been compiled by others rather than coming from first hand, personal experiences and observations. Purdue OWL has further details, but highlights the following points in deciding what to use:
 * "Who is the author?"
 * "How recent is the source?"
 * "What is the author's purpose?"
 * "What type of sources does your audience value?"
 * "Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources!"

Reference templates
To properly source, use one of the following template that is most relevant to your cited source.
 * Cite web — Used to reference information obtained from online material and publications.
 * Cite print — Used to reference information obtained from printed material and publications.

Adding a reference
Instructions on how to format the citation template and the meaning of its parameters can be found on the respective template pages. If you require further assistance after reading the instructions on the template page, you can ask an administrator for help.

Each reference should also be provided with a unique name so that you and other editors may use the same reference multiple times without retyping the entire code. For example:
 * Referencing for the first time:
 * Using this reference a second time:

At the bottom of the page, the following needs to be added (if not already preloaded) to ensure the list of references appears:

Reference placement
Here are some basic guidelines to referencing: Example: Be inclusive and open to others. Result: Be inclusive and open to others.
 * 1) References go immediately after punctuation and outside of quotation marks, with no space between the end of a sentence and a reference tag.
 * 1) To avoid difficulties associated with readability, only add references in logical places:
 * 2) *If an entire paragraph is from the same source, add the reference at the end of the paragraph.
 * 3) *If a paragraph was written based on multiple sources, place the reference at the end of specific sentences or words as necessary.
 * 4) *When the same source is used for multiple sentences or phrases in a row, place the reference only at the end of the last one, not after each one.

Unreferenced assertions
Editors who encounter assertions in articles that are dubious in accuracy and have not been sourced should do one of the following:
 * 1) try to find a source and add it
 * 2) add Source at the end of the sentence or paragraph.

A list of articles with missing sources can be found at Category:Articles with unsourced information. This category will be looked at periodically, and if something remains without a source, that entry will be removed.