References

Summary

References connect topic pages to source material. The wiki uses human-readable reference sections in pages and machine-readable bibliography keys in front matter for validation. Further reading is for route recommendations; this page is for source policy.

Reference policy

  • Prefer primary sources for algorithms, model families, standards, and API behavior.
  • Use authoritative books or standards for stable foundational material.
  • Use official documentation for product or API usage.
  • Use secondary explanations only as supporting context, not as the sole source for technical claims.
Claim typeBest sourceWhy
Algorithm definition or theoremOriginal paper, textbook, or standard referenceAvoids inherited simplifications or changed notation.
Library/API behaviorOfficial documentation for the exact projectBehavior can change across versions and providers.
Benchmark result or model capabilityPaper, technical report, or benchmark card with datesPrevents stale leaderboard claims from becoming timeless prose.
Governance or safety controlStandard, regulator, or recognized frameworkKeeps policy claims tied to an auditable authority.

Page-level references

When a page relies on a source, add a short ## References section with enough information to verify the claim. If the source is in the central bibliography, also add its key to the front matter under references.

A reference should support a specific claim in the page. If a source only inspired the topic or is useful background, put it in further reading rather than using it as evidence for a concrete technical statement.

Common mistakes

  • Citing a blog post for a result that should cite the original paper.
  • Adding a bibliography key to a page before the key exists in the central bibliography.
  • Leaving source notes in prose without enough detail to find the source again.