Understanding Plagiarism

Common knowledge is information that is widely known by a majority of people within a community or culture. You don't typically need to cite information that is considered common knowledge but it can depend on the context.

Examples:

• There are four seasons.
• The Earth revolves around the sun.
• George Washington was the first U.S. president.
• Water freezes at 32 degrees.

Consider the Context

One thing that can be confusing about common knowledge is that it can shift depending on the context of the situation. Information that is considered common knowledge for a specific field or college class may be more in-depth than information that is common knowledge to the general public. If you’re not sure what is or isn’t common knowledge within the context of your class, ask your faculty member to clarify that for you. It's typically better to cite the information if you're not sure.