At its core, Wikipedia is based on a set of fundamental principles known as the Five Pillars. These precepts establish that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, committed to being a free resource, maintaining a neutral point of view, promoting respect and civility, and encouraging flexibility to improve the project.
Building on these pillars, Wikipedia has two basic types of rules: mandatory policies, which define the project's scope and govern editor behavior, and widely-observed guidelines, which primarily focus on the specifics of editorial content.
Behavioral policies and guidelines include expectations that editors "assume good faith" in others' contributions, avoid disruptive editing, and disclose financial interests related to topics they edit. Since it is impossible to write rules about every possible situation, Wikipedia relies on consensus-building to address gaps in the rules.
Content policies clarify what Wikipedia is not: a dictionary, directory, blog, or "indiscriminate collection of information". Original research is prohibited—only previously published information is allowed. Topics must meet notability thresholds to merit standalone pages, reliable sources must verify all information, and special care is required when handling content that could affect the reputations of living people.
