Bahaipedia:Gateway not a destination

Bahaipedia sees itself as a gateway to knowledge, not a destination. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided the inspiration for this policy when He stated that the first principle of Bahá’u’lláh was the search after truth. The purpose of Bahaipedia is to support that search by presenting well-researched articles which clearly point the way towards authoritative sources of knowledge about Bahá’í topics. Thus, the aim of this policy is to ensure that readers are able to transition from the general information they find here to the specific quotes and source material our articles are based on.

The two general principles behind this policy are that articles must be well sourced and cited, and authoritative sources should be preferred whenever possible. For example, articles covering Bahá’í teachings should cite extensively from, and link directly to the authoritative writings concerning the subject in question. Articles covering history should choose the most reliable sources available, and when possible link users to online versions of content. This allows visitors to transition directly from Bahaipedia to the Bahá’í Writings or other sources where visitors can conduct further investigation. If a choice exists between citing from the Bahá’í writings or citing a non-institutional author the former should be chosen.

General principles

See also: Bahaipedia:Verifiability and Bahaipedia:Bahá’í point of view

There are two general principles that form the foundation of this policy:

1. Articles should be well sourced and cited in order to make it easier for readers to transition towards the original sources.

As a hypertext medium, the World Wide Web allows users to use hyperlinks to transition quickly from one page to another, enabling them to explore topics in great depth. Citing sources enables Bahaipedia users to connect statements they read here to their sources elsewhere. In this way, they can not only verify the truth of those statements but also potentially dive deep into the Creative Word of God, fulfilling Bahá’u’lláh's exhortation: "Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths."

2. Although many types of sources may be used on Bahaipedia, priority should be given to authoritative sources whenever possible.

Bahaipedia seeks to present information from a Bahá’í point of view, meaning that information presented is in essential harmony with the Writings and Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. Many types of sources should be considered for use on Bahaipedia, including the Bahá’í Writings themselves, works by Bahá’í institutions, and academic works by researchers of many backgrounds, Bahá’í or otherwise. All the same, in striving to present a Bahá’í point of view, it is appropriate to give preference to official and authoritative sources.

In some cases, e.g. in matters of belief that are well discussed in the Bahá’í Writings and official guidance, limiting oneself to those sources would be appropriate. In other cases, e.g. topics which are not specifically discussed in the Writings, giving due weight to a variety of other sources would make sense. The following sections offer specific examples of different types of cases.

Articles covering Bahá’í teachings, practices and institutions

For the subset of articles that discuss the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í practices, and Bahá’í institutions the acceptable sources, and those to be used primarily are the writings of the Central Figures, of Shoghi Effendi, and the Bahá’í institutions themselves. Acceptable secondary sources that can be used to provide additional context are books and material published through the Bahá’í publishing trusts, or through other publishers provided those books and material are generally considered reliable.

Examples

The following sentences are an example of an incorrect way to include information on Bahaipedia, taken from the article on the Universal House of Justice:

In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh ordains the institution of the House of Justice and defines its functions. Its responsibilities are also referred to in several other Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.

The problem with these sentences are that they do not allow the reader to transition into the authoritative writings on the subject. Where in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the Universal House of Justice ordained and defined? What specific Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh reference the responsibilities of the House and where are the links to those Tablets?

Articles covering history of people, places and buildings

Articles that are primarily written for the purpose of discussing history may use any reliable source. If a concern arises as to the reliability of a source the talk page should be used to determine consensus among editors. All statements need to be connected to a source and be verifiable, Bahaipedia is not a place for original research, assumptions, inferences or speculation.