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320:. "That sounds odd to me. Can anyone else verify that?" or "If we took a poll of experts in the field, would they all agree with this?" or "Is there a published source we can cite for this?" or "Is there anyone who is not {a supporter of the cause, a member of the cult, etc.} who could confirm this or offer another perspective?"
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are all published. Also, just citing a law that seems to make a specific instance of something illegal is not always enough. There may be other laws which override the cited law in the situation under consideration, and there are many details of the application of the law which complicate matters.
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Medical claims. There are many pitfalls, false leads, and confusing details and countervailing factors in medicine. It's also very important to report only accurate information. Even though
Knowledge readers are cautioned not to use the encyclopedia instead of visiting a physician, we wouldn't want
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It can be a good idea to explain how things came to be the way they are. The fact that the letter is the first letter of the alphabet is an easily verified fact, which can be looked up in a dictionary. A link to a linguistic reference that explains the origins of the alphabet would be excellent
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You should evaluate the testimony of
Wikipedians as you would any other primary source. Keep in mind that it can be rude to simply tell someone "I don't believe you" or "I think you are lying" or "You are so biased; no one should believe anything you say." Many people honestly hold mistaken
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Some facts may be so-called "common knowledge" today, but weren't known in the past or weren't obvious. It's a good idea for there to be some explanation of how these facts were discovered, how they have since been confirmed. For example, that the giant ball of fire in the sky is called the
282:. But many of us have experienced popular music, know our local geography, and are familiar with the meanings of words within our local communities, although, as always, if your edit is challenged, no matter how convinced you are that you're right, you must cite a reliable published source.
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Linguistics: Language data beyond the smallest local communities, for example regional or national data on word use. Language variation is rich within a language. The data compiled by lexicographers and linguists quite often shows usage different from any one individual's everyday
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When reporting claims and opinions, so-called "weasel words" tend to crop up, like "some believe", and "others claim", which should always be avoided. Replace the weasel words with names of people, institutions, or publications, and cite the source of your claim. See
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opinions, and no one likes having their beliefs rejected. Many people also don't realize that the experiences of others are different from their own until other people share them, but are perfectly willing to be enlightened if it's done in a civil fashion.
112:. It often turns out that most people don't actually share this knowledge. Even claims that are widely believed often turn out to be anywhere from only mostly true to the complete opposite of what is actually the case.
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The most diplomatic thing might be for someone to affirmatively say "I don't think that's correct, and here's some evidence from outside sources or my own experience which don't seem to match up with what you wrote".
344:. The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun is also a fact, but it's far from obvious from simple observation. A link to the history of this scientific discovery would be excellent documentation.
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Historical facts. An account by a professional historian, or if none is available, a contemporary written account. In the latter case, such a primary source should be interpreted with caution.
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that presents reports based on your own experience, or your own ideas, theories, or arguments, even when these are based on established facts, are not allowed, according to
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Universally-accepted everyday orders that are taught in early elementary school ("A comes before B in the
English alphabet." or "January comes before February in the Gregorian calendar.")
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There are some claims that many
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Anything the reporting
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anything bad to happen to someone because of an inaccuracy here. There are plenty of written sources that are more authoritative than the average
Wikipedian; see
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Anything where a PhD (or other advanced training) is required in the field to be able to evaluate truth and consistency with the consensus view; for example,
123:. Citing sources when your edit is challenged by another editor is Knowledge policy, and any unsourced edits may be removed. For more information, see
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What appears to be common knowledge for some
Wikipedians may be unknown to many from other cultures and backgrounds. For a different viewpoint, see
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