SikhiWiki:Verifiability

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The threshold for inclusion of an article in SikhiWiki is verifiability, not truth. "Verifiable" in this context means that any reader must be able to check that material added to SikhiWiki has already been published by a reliable source, because Wikipedia does not publish original thought or original research.

SikhiWiki:Verifiability is one of SikhiWiki's four content-guiding policies. The other three are SikhiWiki:No original research, SikhiWiki:Neutral point of view and SikhiWiki:Relevance. Jointly, these policies determine the type and quality of material that is acceptable to SikhiWiki. They should not be interpreted in isolation from one another, and editors should therefore try to familiarize themselves with all four. The principles upon which these four policies are based are non-negotiable and cannot be superseded by other policies or guidelines, or by editors' consensus. Their policy pages may be edited only to improve the application and explanation of the principles.


One of the keys to writing good encyclopaedia articles is to understand that they must refer only to facts, assertions, theories, ideas, claims, opinions, and arguments that have already been published by reputable publishers. The goal of SikhiWiki is to become a complete and reliable encyclopedia. Editors should cite reliable sources so that their edits may be verified by readers and other editors.

"Verifiability" in this context does not mean that editors are expected to verify whether, for example, the contents of a New York Times article are true. In fact, editors are strongly discouraged from conducting this kind of research, because original research may not be published in SikhiWiki. Articles should contain only material that has been published by reliable sources, regardless of whether individual editors view that material as true or false. The threshold for inclusion in SikhiWiki is thus verifiability, not truth.

Summary of Requirements

  • 1. Articles should contain only material that has been published by reputable sources.
  • 2. Editors adding new material to an article should cite a reputable source, or it may be challenged or removed by any editor.
  • 3. The obligation to provide a reputable source lies with the editors wishing to include the material, not on those seeking to remove it.

See Wikipedia guidelines