Question

When synthesizing information from multiple reliable sources for a Wikipedia article, what specific criterion determines whether the resulting text constitutes prohibited original research?

Accepted Answer

The specific criterion that determines whether synthesized information constitutes prohibited original research on Wikipedia is the introduction of a new claim, idea, or conclusion that is not explicitly supported by *allof the cited sources *individually*. Synthesis involves combining information from multiple sources to present a more comprehensive view or to draw connections between related ideas. However, Wikipedia&#x27;s policy against original research (NOR) prohibits editors from using synthesis to advance a position or argument that is not directly and obviously supported by each source on its own. If the synthesized text creates a *newinterpretation, implication, or deduction that requires the reader to make an additional inferential step beyond what the sources themselves state, it is considered original research. For instance, if Source A states &#x27;X is correlated with Y&#x27; and Source B states &#x27;Y is correlated with Z&#x27;, it would be original research to state &#x27;Therefore, X is correlated with Z&#x27; unless a third reliable source *explicitlymakes that connection. The key is that the conclusion must be a straightforward and logical consequence of the sources taken together, without requiring the editor&#x27;s personal analysis or interpretation to reach that conclusion. The synthesis must be an *obvioussummarization, not a novel argument.

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When synthesizing information from multiple reliable sources for a Wikipedia article, what specific criterion determines whether the resulting text constitutes prohibited original research?