Common Knowledge vs. Plagiarism

Some ideas are considered "common knowledge" and do not need to be cited, but exactly what is considered common knowledge depends on the academic discipline and the audience for the writing. What is common knowledge in Hawai'i may not be common knowledge in Maine, for example. Especially when you are in school and learning about many new concepts in every course, it can be hard to tell what your instructor will consider "common knowledge." In order to decide if the material you want to use in your paper constitutes "common knowledge," you may find it helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I know this information before I took this course?
• Did this information/idea come from my own thoughts or from something I read, heard, or saw?

If you answer "no" to either of these questions, then the information is not "common knowledge" to you. In these cases, you need to cite your source(s) and indicate where you first learned this information, even if it is "common knowledge" in the field.

The Moral: If you are unsure if the information you're writing about is common knowledge, it's a good idea to include a citation.

When in doubt, include a citation.

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