This is an essay on the Wikipedia:Reliable sources guideline. 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. |
Different content policies and guidelines use slightly different standards. One of the commonly misunderstood distinctions is between "secondary source" and "third party".
"Secondary" does not mean "independent" or "uninvolved". Most independent sources are not secondary sources.