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In light of the Essjay controversy, a number of editors have become very angry about how User:Essjay misrepresented himself. Yes, he caused a major PR blow to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation, but don't we have policies that prevent using individual experience? When it comes to editing articles, we must look at the sources which are being used in the article, rather than the credibility of the editor who put it in there. Although an expert in the field is helpful as they have easier access to sources, but should those credentials have any effect in editing articles for an encyclopedia where only 3rd party sources are allowed?
Wikipedia's attribution policy dictates that information should be attributed to a reliable published source. Even someone with verifiable expertise in a subject cannot make edits based on their own opinion or interpretation of a subject, however well-informed that opinion is. Wikipedia is not a publisher of original thought.
This does not imply that someone with expertise shouldn't edit articles within their field; they should be encouraged to do so. They can also cite their own published research as an external source. But no Wikipedian can expect the community to accept their opinion as truth. Attributability, not truth, is the threshold for inclusion.