Aevum Encyclopedia / Editorial Standards / Citation Guidelines

Citation & Sourcing Guidelines

📅 Last Updated: January 15, 2025 👥 Maintained by: Editorial Board 📄 Version: 3.2

Overview

At Aevum Encyclopedia, verifiability is foundational. Every claim, statistic, and historical assertion must be traceable to a reliable, accessible source. These guidelines ensure consistency across our 2.4M+ articles while maintaining academic rigor and digital usability.

⚠️ Key Requirement

All new articles and significant edits must include at least one independently verifiable source. Unreferenced material may be flagged for review or removed.

Core Principles

  • Verifiability over Truth: Content must be sourced, regardless of how widely accepted a fact may be.
  • Neutral Sourcing: Balance perspectives by citing multiple reputable sources for contentious topics.
  • Primary over Secondary: Prioritize original documents, peer-reviewed journals, and official publications.
  • Accessibility: Whenever possible, link to open-access or publicly available materials.
  • Transparency: Clearly mark paywalled, archived, or institutionally restricted sources.

Citation Format

Aevum uses a unified hybrid format inspired by Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) and Turabian, optimized for digital readability. Inline citations use bracketed sequential numbers, with full references listed at the end of each article.

The quantum teleportation protocol was first demonstrated in 1998 by Zeilinger's group.[1]
[1] Bouwmeester, D., Pan, J.-W., Mattle, K., Eibl, M., Weinfurter, H., & Zeilinger, A. (1997). Experimental quantum teleportation. Nature, 390(6660), 575–579. https://doi.org/10.1038/38142

Digital Enhancements:

  • Hyperlinked DOIs, URLs, and ISBNs are automatically parsed and rendered as clickable metadata.
  • Archive links (Wayback Machine, Internet Archive) are appended when primary links are deprecated.
  • Language tags indicate non-English sources (e.g., [2](fr)).

Source Types & Acceptability

✅ Peer-Reviewed Journals ✅ Academic Press Books ✅ Government/UN Publications ✅ Reputable News Outlets ⚠️ Self-Published/Preprints ❌ Social Media/Forums ❌ Unverified Blogs

Academic Journals & Books

Always include volume, issue, page range, and DOI where available. Use the publisher's official catalog record when possible.

Websites & Digital Media

Include the full URL, access date, and author/organization name. Avoid linking to dynamically generated or session-based URLs.

Multimedia & Interviews

Cite platform, creator, upload date, and exact timestamp for referenced segments. Example:

[4] NASA Goddard. (2024, March 12). James Webb Telescope Reveals New Galaxy Clusters [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/abc123 (8:14–9:45)

AI & Automation

Aevum's AI citation assistant helps contributors format references and detect broken links, but human verification is mandatory. The system flags:

  • Missing DOIs or inaccessible URLs
  • Potential citation loops or self-referencing
  • Format deviations from the standard
🤖 AI Limitations

Automated tools do not assess source credibility. Contributors must independently verify that cited material directly supports the claim.

Contributor Standards

Editors and verified contributors are expected to:

  1. Cross-check facts against at least two independent sources when possible.
  2. Avoid over-citing single authors or ideologically aligned publications.
  3. Update references when newer editions or corrected versions are published.
  4. Use the {{Cite needed}} template for unverified claims pending review.
  5. Report broken links via the citation maintenance dashboard.

Recurring citation violations may result in editorial review or contributor suspension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cite my own published research?
Yes, but only if it has been peer-reviewed and published through an accredited journal or press. Self-archived preprints require additional context and editorial approval.
What if a source is behind a paywall?
Cite it normally, but add a [Paywalled] tag and provide an abstract or institutional repository link if available. Never bypass access controls.
How do I handle translated sources?
Cite the original language publication first, then add the translation as a secondary reference. Mark language codes clearly (e.g., [3](de), [3](en-trans)).
Are Wikipedia or other encyclopedias acceptable sources?
No. Secondary encyclopedias, dictionaries, and general reference works are not acceptable for verifiable claims. Use primary research or authoritative textbooks instead.