Whenever you write a fact in a text section of a Mahalo page, at the end of the sentence, just after the period with no space after the period put URL to link to the authoritative website where you found this fact. Take a look at this sentence as an example:
[[Barack Obama]] is the 44th President of the [[United States]].http://www.mahalo.com/barack-obama
This adds a footnote number to the end of the sentence when the page displays. Click that footnote number and it will take you to the bottom of the page, where your URL is now automatically listed in a "References" section.
Do not put citations in the middle of a sentence - if there is more than one reference for a sentence, place them both after the sentence, leaving a space between each reference. Do not put all the citations at the end of a paragraph - that would imply that everything in that paragraph came from the same source. Your citations should reflect the multiple sources used in your research.
Content sites are not considered authoritative. Neither are affiliate sites or personal blogs. Sites must be from a recognized authority on the subject. Content sites include sites like: about.com, ehow.com, livestrong.com, golflink.com, ezinearticles.com, Associated Content, Buzzle, iSnare.com, SearchWarp.com, Idea Marketers, Article Alley, Wise Geek, and Suite 101. Remember that these are just examples of content sites. There are many others out there.
A citation is NEEDED whenever you: Use a quote State a statistical fact Paraphrase information from another source Utilize someone else's opinions and interpretations Are making a medical, legal, or financial STATEMENT State specific and detailed information which is not commonly known
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that every fact must be cited. This means that you need to verify everything that you write. Do not rely on your personal experience, education or opinion. Especially, do not show your opinion nor any bias in your writing. Not even favorable opinion or bias. Remain neutral. Present just the facts. If it makes sense on your topic to present popular opinions, then present both sides and let the reader make up his or her own mind which one makes more sense. Make sure and cite references for these popular opinions, too.