Editing Encyclopedia:Editing policy (section)

==Adding information to Wikipedia==
{{See also|Wikipedia:Plagiarism#Copying material from free sources}}
Wikipedia ''[[WP:What Wikipedia is not#Encyclopedic content|summarizes]]'' accepted knowledge. As a rule, the more accepted knowledge it contains, the better. Please [[WP:Be bold|be bold]] and add content summarizing accepted knowledge, but be particularly cautious about removing sourced content. Information in Wikipedia must be [[WP:Verifiability|verifiable]] and cannot be [[WP:No original research|original research]]. Show that content is verifiable by citing [[WP:Reliable sources|reliable sources]]. Because a lack of content is better than misleading or false content, unsourced content may be challenged and [[WP:BURDEN|removed]]. To avoid such challenges, the best practice is to provide an [[WP:inline citation|inline citation]] when adding content (see: [[WP:Citing sources]] for instructions on how to do this, or ask for help at the [[WP:Help desk|Help desk]]).

Wikipedia respects others' copyright. Although content must be backed by reliable sources, [[WP:Copying text from other sources|avoid copying]] or [[WP:Close paraphrasing|closely paraphrasing]] a copyrighted source. You should read the source, understand it, and then express what it says [[WP:Verifiability#Copyright and plagiarism|in your own words]]. An exception exists for the often necessary use of short quotations; they must be enclosed in quotations marks, accompanied by an inline reference to the source, and usually attributed to the author. (See the [[Wikipedia:Non-free content|fair use doctrine]] which allows limited quoting without permission.) 

Another way you can improve an article is by finding a source for existing unsourced content. This is especially true if you come across statements that are potentially controversial. You do not need to be the person who added the content to add a source and citation for it.