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This essay relates to ways to find reliable sources, depending on the particular topic (see below: List of suggested sources). There are the general Wikipedia policies:
- WP:Reliable sources (WP:RS) - rules about determining reliable sources
- WP:Verifiability (WP:V) - rules about writing verifiable text.
- WP:BLP - rules about living people, and what not to quote from sources.
Other essays:
- WP:Reliable source examples - general issues to consider.
Specific questions:
- WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard (WP:RSN) - ask about specific sources.
However, editors new to a particular topic might not realize some specific major publications are preferred as sources. Guideline WP:MEDRS suggests sources for medical text, but other subjects need recommendations for reliable sources, as well.
The term "reliable" is a relative measure, depending on context. The answer to the question, "Is X a reliable source?" should always be "For what?" because expert publications might be better sources to back rare details, whereas news reports cover general aspects. For example, a top newspaper is typically unable to match the expertise of a medical journal or computer-technology magazine, but news reports are the most likely to have recent information, for major facts (but not for precise technical details, which are sometimes mistaken in general news reports).