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Some answers on the Mains cite YouTube videos as sources.

Are YouTube videos and also, similar kinds of Videos from other sites too, allowed as effective sources?

For ex: If a YouTube video is of some official sampradāyas or mațh, of some known hindu personality like Châr Dhâm's Shankârâchârya or a modern âchârya/guru, those can be allowed?

How about videos of non - hindu people (who might be followers of Hinduism or not), âchâryas or gurus?

Are similar rules to be followed for Video works too as discussed in this QnA: Who all are authority or qualified to post an authoritative opinion on religion, spirituality and Hindu Dharma?

Also, if videos as citation sources are allowed, can there be any guidelines as to how to cite those videos, like giving the time stamps from which OP sources answers, etc.?

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    In general, the videos of such sampradayas contain statements from scriptures only. So, video can be an extra add-on to the answer. But, video link only answers are not encourageable for site.
    – hanugm
    May 22, 2021 at 6:15

1 Answer 1

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The Stack Exchange Network doesn’t encourage answers which have only links. Their take with respect to this is:

Links are fantastic, but they should never be the only piece of information in your answer.

Now, as per our site’s Help Centre on how to write a good answer:

Links to external resources are encouraged, but please add context around the link so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it’s there. Always quote the most relevant part of an important link, in case the external resource is unreachable or goes permanently offline.

We can see the Stack Exchange does not encourage answers which have only links, and the same would apply in the case of a video too.

In accordance with the help centre rule (supra), it would be nice to give a link to the video as well as quote the relevant portion in your question or answer. Time stamp is recommended sake of convenience of viewers, though it maybe avoided. If one chooses to avoid the time stamp, then it is advisable to mention the time at which the quoted portion comes in the video at least in mandatorily in your answers. Questions may avoid either though it is not recommended to avoid.

Accordingly for both the situations (with time stamp and without time stamp) references drawn from videos may look something like:-

Case 1: With Time Stamp
Puri Shankaracharya says

The Śvetāśvatara Upanishad, says माया तु प्रकृतिं विद्यात् - Know Maya to be Prakriti.

Case 2: Without Time Stamp
At 1:12, Puri Shankaracharya says

The Śvetāśvatara Upanishad, says माया तु प्रकृतिं विद्यात् - Know Maya to be Prakriti.

As regards the doubt on sources, I think the sources would remain same as the post linked in the question. An example of a valid source, as given by you, would be Puri Shankaracharya.

Only difference being instead of written material with a link, it would be a video with a link and we would have to take a little effort to type it out.

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  • Time stamp can get "typical" for some, so yes, the other option remains open too, is important.
    – Vivikta
    May 30, 2021 at 10:10
  • Typical means?......
    – Adiyarkku
    May 30, 2021 at 10:30
  • Too much technical or sometimes "time-consuming". :D
    – Vivikta
    May 30, 2021 at 10:36
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    Oh understood😄
    – Adiyarkku
    May 30, 2021 at 11:24

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