Garkinkel's central point is that Wikipedia is based on a
principle of verifiability as a basis for inclusion. Here is the
policy statement: "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is
verifiability, not truth—that is, whether readers are able to
check that material added to Wikipedia has already been
published by a reliable source, not whether we think it is true.
Editors should provide a reliable source for quotations and for
any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged, or
the material may be removed."The Wikipedia policy statement goes
on to define what is meant by a reliable source and
distinguishes between primary, secondary and tertiary sources.
This is a very thoughtful presentation of about the idea of
verification and the distinctions between different types of
sources. I would suggest that this presentation is as good as
any common introduction to the use of source material when
presenting ideas. Indeed, I would suggest that many faculty in
high school and college could use this site