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I've been spreading {{unreferenced}} tags with
great (slightly
restrained, after the TFD nomination ;-) glee, and I see others
have taken to it too.
What are your standards for applying an "unreferenced" tag? Do you apply
it to every statement in an article that doesn't have a reference? Or do you just
select statements that appear to be
outliers or unlikely from your experience?
I think in a scientific article, indescriminate use of the unreferenced tag would collide
with the assumption of good faith. Many facts in our articles are not referenced, but if
you were to challenge for instance the statement that beta blockers inhibit the nocturnal
release of melatonin, especially after the statement had been in the article for awhile,
the burden should be on you to at least have checked the PDR and have done a medline
search.
Indiscriminate unreferenced tags could be a problem anywhere, not just
in scientific articles. The primary obligation for someone challenging
a statement should be to put a polite question on the contributor's talk
page and give him at least a week to respond. Doing that would be prima
facie evidence that you have assumed good faith. If the wrong facts
have been there for a year another week won't make a big difference.
Ec