Many times I go to WIKI to get a general idea of the topic and not as an authoritative resource to be quoted.
Often I find there are sources mentioned within the WIKI article which can potentially be used as my authoritative resource.
For instance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paintlists several information sources at the bottom
Bently, J. (Author) and Turner, G.P.A. (Author) (1997). Introduction to Paint Chemistry and Principles of Paint Technology. Unk. ISBN 0-412-72320-4.
Talbert, Rodger (2007). Paint Technology Handbook. Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. ISBN 1-57444-703-3.
Woodbridge, Paul R. (Editor) (1991). Principles of Paint Formulation. Unk. ISBN 0-412-02951-0.