Wikipedia:The answer to life, the universe, and everything

Significant coverage

We need significant coverage. This helps show that a topic meets the notability guidelines. We need multiple sources that discuss the topic directly and in detail. Not: passing mentions, directory listings, or any old thing that happens to have the topic's name in it.

Reliable sources

We need sources that are reliable. Usually this means that the publisher has a reputation for fact checking and the text must be approved by an editor before it is printed. Choose: books from reputable publishing houses, mainstream newspapers, or other periodicals. Not: tabloids, discussion boards, fansites, Facebook, YouTube, or most blogs. (In some cases, introductory articles to a blog written by a professional journalist may be OK, but blog comments by anonymous people are not acceptable.)

Independent sources

We need sources that are independent from the subject of the article. Not: articles written by the topic, paid for by the topic, their website, or their organization. Not a press release written by a publicist that puts a positive "spin" on a subject and omits negative incidents. Not a report put out by an organization owned by the subject. We want readers to be able to rely on what they read, and to be able to verify claims they read in Wikipedia articles. So, please add footnotes to your article citing reliable sources such as mainstream newspapers, magazines and published books.

Notes

• This is NOT a Wikipedia policy or guideline; please defer to such in cases of inconsistency with this page.
• For an explanation of the title of this page, see The answer to life, the universe, and everything.

See also

• Wikipedia:Don't cite WP42 at AfD
• Wikipedia:Cite WP42 at AfD
• Wikipedia:Everything you need to know: a similar guide in the same style.
• Wikipedia:Common sourcing mistakes (notability)