No. You do not have to cite sources for facts that are not the result of unique individual research. Facts that are readily available from numerous sources and generally known to the public are considered ‘common' knowledge ,Ó and are not protected by copyright laws.
How do you know if something is considered common knowledge?
What is common knowledge? Common knowledge includes information that appears across many sources without a clear origin — for example, famous historical dates. It also includes long-established facts or theories that are considered foundational to a field — for example, fundamental equations in physics.
What are some examples of common knowledge?
- January is the first month of the year.
- Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
- 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.
- Facebook is a social media network.
What is common knowledge in copyright?
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.
What's considered common knowledge?
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.
What is not common knowledge?
What is not Common Knowledge? Datasets generated by you or others . Statistics obtained from sources such as the US Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. References to studies done by others. Reference to specific dates, numbers, or facts the reader would not know unless s/he had done the research.
Do you have to reference common knowledge?
Common knowledge does not need to be cited . Common knowledge includes facts that are known by a lot of people and can be found in many sources.
What are five things that don't 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.
Do you have to cite to be or not to be?
If you come across the phrase “to be or not to be” and use it in your paper, you should cite it . Whether it's two words or ten, you have to credit your source any time you use someone else's words.
How do you cite your own knowledge?
Personal experiences and knowledge generally do not need to be cited in an APA references page or within the body (in-text citation) of your paper. Personal experience and knowledge is part of your voice; it is what you bring to your paper.
Can common knowledge be plagiarized?
“ There is no clear boundary on what is considered common knowledge . Even experts on plagiarism disagree on what counts as common knowledge. ... Some experts say that a fact is common knowledge if it can be found in three independent sources.
What is the difference between common knowledge and common sense?
Common sense has many different guises and a fundamentally sociological dimension ; whereas common knowledge refers to a collective epistemic state that has been formally defined. ... In particular, common sense often involves some common knowledge; and common knowledge cannot exist without some underlying common sense.
What is the difference between common knowledge and general knowledge?
Common knowledge need not concern one specific subject, e.g., science or history. ... Common knowledge is distinct from general knowledge . In broader terms, common knowledge is used to refer to information that a reader would accept as valid, such as information that many users may know.
Is public domain free?
The term “public domain” refers to creative materials that are not protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright, trademark, or patent laws. ... You are free to copy and use individual images but copying and distributing the complete collection may infringe what is known as the “collective works” copyright.
How do you know if something is public domain?
In general, anything published more than 75 years ago is now in the public domain . Works published after 1978 are protected for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years.
Is everything in an encyclopedia common knowledge?
Everything on the Internet is considered common knowledge – WRONG! ... Information found in an encyclopedia is considered common knowledge – WRONG! Encyclopedias contain lots of information, some of which is common knowledge, and some which is not. Facts found in newspaper articles are considered common knowledge – WRONG!
