Wikipedia:Verifiability and notability
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Verifiability and notability are sometimes conflated in Wikipedia discussions. However, they are distinct, both in principle and practice.
Verifiability
editVerifiability is satisfied when a statement or block of information that is challenged, or likely to be (reasonably) challenged, is supported by a citation to an acceptable source. The source should be relevant, cited accurately and used in-context (which relates very closely to Wikipedia:No original research).
Verifiability addresses sourcing information within articles, both in principle and mechanically.
Notability
editNotability addresses whether or not we are likely to have enough sources to craft a complete article, both in principle and mechanics.
As such, multiple reliable sources are required to meet notability criteria. As a loose guideline, a minimum of 3 sources with comprehensive coverage should be provided. However, the quality of sources is far more important than the quantity. Those multiple sources must also be third-party (independent). They additionally must provide substantive (in-depth) coverage of the subject. Notability is usually considered established for a topic when multiple reliable independent sources provide in-depth coverage of the topic.
Comparison
edit- Both verifiability and notability require reputable references.
- Verifiability deals with the information in the article.
- Notability deals with the topic of the article.
Note
editIt is important to bear in mind that the major content rules are deeply interrelated and arise from similar principles, which essentially rely on the basic principles of sound sourcing and accurate presentation.