Arkham Wiki:Sourcing policy
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Sourcing policy
Arkham Wiki is an evidence-based reference project. Claims should be supported by reliable sources whenever possible, especially claims about chronology, continuity, character history, canon status, identities, relationships, and behind-the-scenes information.
The goal is not merely to repeat information found elsewhere, but to trace claims back to their original source.
Core rule
Whenever possible, cite the original source of a claim.
For example:
- Prefer the game over another wiki describing the game.
- Prefer the original developer interview over a YouTube video summarizing it.
- Prefer the comic issue itself over Comic Vine or a fan database.
- Prefer an official announcement over a social-media repost discussing it.
Another wiki may help locate information, but it should not normally be used as the final source.
Source hierarchy
Primary sources
Primary sources are the strongest sources for information about events within the Arkham universe.
Examples include:
- Released Batman: Arkham games
- In-game dialogue
- Cutscenes
- Audio recordings
- Character biographies
- Case files and database entries
- Environmental text
- Collectibles
- Canon comics
- Canon novels
- Official tie-in material
- Released downloadable content
- Officially released virtual reality games
When citing a game, editors should provide as much identifying information as reasonably possible.
For example:
Batman: Arkham Origins Crime Scene: Lacey Towers Dialogue spoken by Batman
or:
Batman: Arkham City Interview Tape: Hugo Strange #3
Official secondary sources
These may be used for development history, creator intent, production information, or clarification not stated directly in the fictional work.
Examples include:
- Developer interviews
- Writer interviews
- Official studio websites
- Publisher announcements
- Official press releases
- Official social-media statements
- Official strategy guides
- Developer commentaries
- Convention panels
- Official promotional material
Whenever possible, cite the original interview, article, video, or publication rather than a later summary.
Unreliable or insufficient sources
The following should generally not be used as evidence for factual claims:
- Fandom pages
- Other fan wikis
- Reddit posts
- YouTube lore videos
- TikTok videos
- AI-generated text
- Fan theories
- Uncited forum posts
- Search-engine snippets
- Comic Vine summaries
- IMDb trivia
- Wiki-style databases that do not identify their original source
These may sometimes help editors locate a real source, but the original source should be cited instead.
Circular sourcing
Circular sourcing is not acceptable.
Example:
Arkham Wiki → Fandom → YouTube video → Arkham Wiki
If none of those sources identify where the information originally came from, the claim remains unsupported.
Editors should trace information back to the game, comic, novel, interview, official statement, or other original source.
Claims that require citations
Citations are especially important for:
- Character identities
- Real names
- First meetings
- Timeline placement
- Character ages
- Deaths
- Relationships
- Canon status
- Continuity claims
- Events said to occur before or after another event
- Developer intent
- Cut content
- Unused concepts
- Retcons
- Contradictions
- Statements beginning with phrases such as "it is confirmed that..."
If a claim cannot currently be sourced, use:
{{Citation needed}}
Do not invent a citation merely to remove the tag.
Fact, implication, and speculation
Editors must distinguish between what a source explicitly states and what an editor concludes from it.
Confirmed
A source directly establishes the claim.
Example:
A character explicitly calls Bruce Wayne "Batman."
Implied
Evidence supports the interpretation, but the source does not state it directly.
Example:
A password, environmental clue, or repeated reference may suggest a connection without confirming it.
Use:
{{Canon status|status=implied}}
when the distinction is important.
Speculation
Speculation should not be written as fact.
Statements such as:
This probably means... It is likely that... This must have been...
should either be clearly identified as interpretation or omitted from encyclopedic sections.
Conflicting sources
When reliable sources contradict each other:
- Do not silently choose one.
- Cite both sources.
- Explain the contradiction neutrally.
- Use the disputed status when appropriate.
Example:
{{Canon status
| status = disputed
| note = Two official sources provide conflicting information.
}}
A contradiction does not automatically make an entire comic, game, or other work non-canon.
Developer statements
Developer statements may clarify intent or production history, but they should be attributed.
Write:
Writer Jane Doe stated in a 2014 interview that...
rather than:
It is canon that...
unless the fictional work itself establishes the same information.
Lost and archived sources
If an original webpage is no longer available, archived copies may be used.
Editors should record when possible:
- Interview title
- Interviewee
- Interviewer
- Publication
- Publication date
- Original URL
- Archive URL
- Relevant quote or summary
- Date accessed
Archived sources are strongly preferred over unsourced quotations copied between fan sites.
Quotations
Quotes should be kept reasonably short and used only when the exact wording matters.
Long passages should normally be summarized instead.
The citation should identify where the quote came from.
Citation quality
A citation should allow another editor to find the source.
Bad:
Source: Arkham City
Better:
Batman: Arkham City, Hugo Strange Interview Tape #3
Better still:
Batman: Arkham City, Hugo Strange Interview Tape #3, recording unlocked through Riddler challenge progression.
When no source can be found
If a commonly repeated claim cannot be traced to a reliable source:
- Do not present it as confirmed.
- Add
[citation needed]
if appropriate.
- Move it to a research or discussion page if necessary.
- Record what sources were checked.
"Everyone says it" is not sufficient evidence.
Correcting existing misinformation
When removing or correcting a widely repeated claim:
- Provide the source supporting the correction.
- Explain the issue in the edit summary.
- Avoid attacking previous editors or other communities.
- Focus on the evidence.
Arkham Wiki exists to improve the accuracy of Arkham information, not to create disputes with other fan communities.