Do You Need To Cite Information That Is Common Knowledge?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Do you need to cite information that is common knowledge? One sign that something is community knowledge is that it is stated in 5 or more sources. So, if it's known to educated people, or can be easily looked up, or appears in many sources, it is likely to be “common knowledge” and so

does not need to be cited

.

What information does not need to be cited?

When writing about yourself or your lived experiences, a is not necessary.

Original ideas, including the write-up of results from your own research or projects

, do not require .

Do you have to cite common knowledge MLA?

Common knowledge is information that is accepted and known widely

you do not need to cite it

: Facts that can be easily verified. As you are conducting your research on a topic, you will see the same facts repeated over and over.

Why does common knowledge not have to be cited?

Do you need to cite common sayings?


All well-known that are attributable to an individual or to a text require citations

. You should quote a famous saying as it appears in a primary or secondary source and then cite that source.

How do you tell if something needs citation or whether it's common knowledge?

One sign that something is community knowledge is that it is stated in 5 or more sources. So,

if it's known to educated people, or can be easily looked up, or appears in many sources, it is likely to be “common knowledge” and so does not need to be cited

.

What are five things that do not need to be cited or documented?

  • Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject.
  • When you are writing up your own results obtained through lab or field experiments.

How do you cite general knowledge?


Common knowledge does not need to be cited

. However, you should be extra careful when deciding what counts as common knowledge. Common knowledge encompasses information that the average educated reader would accept as true without needing the extra validation of a source or citation.

When should you not cite a source?

Don't cite

when you are stating common knowledge

.

Examples of information that would not need to be cited include: The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States in January, 2009.

Should I avoid referencing other people's work?


If you are paraphrasing another writer's ideas or opinions, or information that is not common knowledge, you must cite the source

. Citations are important, not only because they give credit to the original author, but also because they allow your reader to find the original information.

What information should be cited?

  • Quotations, opinions, and predictions, whether directly quoted or paraphrased.
  • Statistics derived by the original author.
  • Visuals in the original.
  • Another author's theories.
  • Case studies.

What are two guidelines to determining whether or not information is considered common knowledge?

The two criteria that are most commonly used in deciding whether or not something is common knowledge

relate to quantity: the fact can be found in numerous places and ubiquity: it is likely to be known by a lot of people

. Ideally both conditions are true.

Why does common knowledge not have to be cited quizlet?

Common knowledge needs a citation or it is plagiarism. An in text citation refers to the practice of giving credit to the author within the paper.

If you paraphrase the ideas of another person using your own words

, you do not have to cite it.

What's an example of common knowledge?

Examples of common knowledge:


The earth revolves around the sun

. Soccer, or futbol, is a popular sport worldwide. Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. The Eifel Tower is located in Paris.

Can you plagiarize even if you cite the source?


If you've properly paraphrased or quoted and correctly cited the source, you are not committing plagiarism

. However, the word correctly is vital. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must adhere to the guidelines of your citation style (e.g. APA or MLA).

Can you plagiarize a citation?

Citations in your paper are necessary to provide credit to the proper sources;

failure to cite properly could result in plagiarism

. Although it is important to cite any ideas retrieved from sources, such as paraphrased explanations, quotations, statistics, or figures.

Can you plagiarize a reference?

Answer:

References are usually excluded from automated plagiarism checks

, as they would naturally throw up a very high percent similarity in the results. While references are always excluded, there's no universally accepted guideline as to what percent similarity is considered plagiarism.

Do I have to cite facts?


You do not need to cite in your papers every conversation you have about the ideas or evidence

. But you do need to develop a judgment about which conversations are incidental and which result in ideas that merit reference in your texts.

Do I need to reference facts?

Is common knowledge copyrighted?


The term “common knowledge” refers to facts and information that are so well-known and clearly established that a writer can use them in their work without citing a specific source

.

Is it okay to copy and paste from an Internet page without citing the page?

Copying and Pasting from the internet fan be done without citing the internet page, because

everything on the internet is common knowledge and can be used without citation

.

Do not have to cite the source of numerical data or graphs because it is common knowledge?


I do not have to cite the source of numerical data or graphs because it is common knowledge

. Plagiarism is using the ideas and words of someone else as my own work without citing the original work. Many students commit plagiarism because they are too busy or do not think their work is good enough to do well.

Do you need to cite the source even if you paraphrase or summarize?

Why does common knowledge not have to be cited quizlet?

Common knowledge needs a citation or it is plagiarism. An in text citation refers to the practice of giving credit to the author within the paper.

If you paraphrase the ideas of another person using your own words

, you do not have to cite it.

Is it wrong to not cite sources Why or why not?


Citing sources properly is essential to avoiding plagiarism in your writing

. Not citing sources properly could imply that the ideas, information, and phrasing you are using are your own, when they actually originated with another author. Plagiarism doesn't just mean copy and pasting another author's words.

Do paraphrases need to be cited?


Paraphrasing ALWAYS requires a citation

. Even if you are using your own words, the idea still belongs to someone else. Sometimes there is a fine line between paraphrasing and plagiarizing someone's writing.

What is considered common knowledge in a research paper?

Generally, common knowledge is

information that someone finds undocumented in at least five credible sources

. For example, writing is difficult,” is considered common knowledge in the field of composition studies because at least five credible sources can back the claim up.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.