If you want to make a page related to WikiProject Harry Potter featured (whether it is an article or a list), you have to apply sources to every piece of information. Any information given in an article should be verifiable by a reliable source. If you want to make a page featured you probably need at least 30 references. There is some confusion as to what proper sourcing is and therefore this guide is made to help you save time and go for the right source right away.
Any web site in which the material is created by fans, i.e. users of the web site, is not, for the most part, considered a reliable source. See below for acceptable uses.
Even though IMDb seems like a valuable source for information, it functions more or less the same way Wikipedia does. It gets its information from its users, which is then approved by the staff. Since the information comes from the users, the site fall under the criteria above and can not be considered a reliable source.
The books and films themselves
The books and films themselves are primary sources and thus can not be used for anything else but plot summaries. You can not use it for drawing conclusions.
News articles: These are usually solid information and sometimes go a bit deeper than the usual stuff.
Fan sites: Be wary of using them, but reliable fan sites, specifically, those found at Harry Potter fandom, are fine for citing information about the films, when Warner Bros. directly supplies the information to the site. (All of the sites in the "fandom" article are in direct contact with Warner.) Other information found in news postings on the site that come from the direct source are also acceptable.
Books: Paper sources are the best kind of source you can use. Over time people have been writing a few decent books. Below is a list of recommendations:
Beahm, George (2005). Fact, Fiction, and Folklore in Harry Potter's World: An Unofficial Guide. Hampton Roads Publishing Company. ISBN978-1571744401.
Baggett, David; Shawn E. Klein; William Irwin, eds. (2004). Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts. Open Court. ISBN978-0812694550.
Colbert, David (2005). The Hidden Myths in Harry Potter: Spellbinding Map and Book of Secrets. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN978-0312340506.
Waters, Galadriel; Astre Mithrandir (2003). Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter (Analysis of Books 1-4). Wizarding World Press. ISBN978-0972393614.
Beahm, George (2007). Muggles and Magic: An Unofficial Guide to J.k. Rowling and the Harry Potter Phenomenon. Hampton Roads Pub Co. ISBN978-1571745422.
Boyle, Fionna (2004). An Unofficial Muggle's Guide to the Wizarding World: Exploring the Harry Potter Universe. Ecw Press. ISBN978-1550226553.
A large number of seminars, scholarly articles and meeting abstracts are listed here.
