CEO.wiki:Verified Sources
Verified Sources on CEO.wiki
CEO.wiki maintains the highest standards of source verification, ensuring every fact is backed by reliable, authoritative documentation.
Our Source Standards
Primary Sources
We prioritize official, first-hand sources:
- SEC filings - Proxy statements (DEF 14A), 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K forms
- Annual reports - Official company publications
- Earnings transcripts - Verified call transcripts
- Press releases - Official company announcements
- Court documents - Legal filings and judgments
- Government records - Official agency databases
Reliable Secondary Sources
Reputable news and analysis:
- Major business publications - Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters
- Industry journals - Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes
- News agencies - Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg News
- Academic publications - Peer-reviewed business journals
- Professional databases - S&P Capital IQ, FactSet, Bloomberg Terminal
What We Don't Accept
Sources we reject:
- Social media posts (unless official company accounts for specific announcements)
- Blogs and opinion sites without editorial oversight
- Anonymous sources without corroboration
- Promotional materials without independent verification
- Outdated information superseded by official updates
- Rumor mills and gossip sites
Why Source Verification Matters
Accuracy and Reliability
Verified sources ensure:
- Factual accuracy of all information
- Protection against misinformation
- Trust in the platform
- Legal compliance and risk mitigation
- Professional credibility
For Different Audiences
Investors rely on verified data for:
- Due diligence in investment decisions
- Risk assessment
- Regulatory compliance
- Fiduciary responsibility
Journalists need:
- Citable, trustworthy references
- Fact-checking support
- Background research
- Story verification
Researchers require:
- Academic-quality sources
- Reproducible findings
- Citation trails
- Data integrity
Legal professionals depend on:
- Admissible documentation
- Authenticated records
- Verifiable facts
- Audit trails
Our Verification Process
Multi-Step Validation
Every fact undergoes:
1. Initial contribution - Editor adds information with source citation 2. Source evaluation - Review of source reliability and authority 3. Cross-reference check - Verification against multiple sources 4. Expert review - Subject matter experts validate technical claims 5. Citation formatting - Proper attribution and linking 6. Ongoing monitoring - Regular updates and re-verification
Citation Requirements
All articles must include:
- Inline citations for specific claims
- Full bibliography with publication details
- Accessible links to online sources
- Archive links for web sources (preventing link rot)
- Publication dates for time-sensitive information
Red Flags and Challenges
Editors watch for:
- Single-source claims (require corroboration)
- Conflicting information across sources
- Outdated information
- Circular reporting (news stories citing each other)
- Potential conflicts of interest
Source Categories by Topic
For Biographical Information
Preferred sources:
- Official biographies from company websites
- Educational institution records
- LinkedIn professional profiles (for basic career info)
- Major newspaper profiles
- Book-length biographies by established authors
For Compensation Data
Required sources:
- SEC proxy statements (DEF 14A forms)
- Annual proxy filings
- Equity grant disclosures
- Compensation committee reports
For Performance Metrics
Accepted sources:
- SEC financial filings (10-K, 10-Q)
- Earnings reports and press releases
- Stock exchange data
- Analyst reports from major firms
- Company investor presentations
For Corporate Governance
Reliable sources:
- Board meeting minutes (when public)
- Proxy statements
- Corporate governance guidelines
- Committee charters
- Regulatory filings
Contributing with Proper Sources
How to Cite
Learn our citation standards:
Finding Quality Sources
Resources for locating verified sources:
- SEC EDGAR Database - US public company filings
- SEC Company Search - Search by company
- Major business databases (may require subscription)
- University library databases
- News archive services
Challenging Content
If you find unsourced or poorly sourced content:
- Add Template:Citation needed template
- Discuss on the article's talk page
- Remove obviously false or defamatory content immediately
- Report to administrators if needed
Maintaining Source Quality
Regular Updates
We continuously:
- Monitor for source degradation (broken links, removed content)
- Update with newer official filings
- Replace deprecated sources
- Archive important web sources
- Refresh old citations
Community Oversight
Our community ensures quality through:
- Peer review of new contributions
- Expert editors in specific industries
- Flagging and discussion systems
- Quality assessment projects
- Regular source audits
Transparency
Every source is:
- Clearly attributed
- Linked when available online
- Dated for currency assessment
- Evaluated for reliability tier
- Accessible for verification