Wikipedia is a paradox: Its official subtitle is the “encyclopedia that anyone can edit,” yet precious few know how do that. Indeed, so copious and cryptic are the encyclopedia’s rules that even if your intentions are pure, you’re bound to violate one of them.

So what’s the secret to success? In a word: Sourcing. Above all, Wikipedia editors focus on footnotes to determine what to include and what to exclude.

To that end, it behooves aspiring Wikipedians to learn the acronym “SIR.” “SIR” stands for “significant,” “independent,” and “reliable,” and it’s the hiding-in-plain-sight key to confirming that whatever article you want to cite is appropriate.
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