21 Common Knowledge
There is only one exception to the rule about citing information from others, and that is common knowledge.
What is common knowledge?
Key Takeaways
General common knowledge is information:
- That can be verified easily and consistently in several different sources
- That many people are believed to know
- Examples:
- capital cities, important historical dates and persons, basic mathematics, common sense observations
- This information does not need to be cited
AI and Common Knowledge:
- AI cannot generate “common knowledge” in the traditional sense because it creates content based on training data
- AI output should generally be cited even if it contains commonly known information, because the specific phrasing and presentation came from the AI
- When in doubt, cite AI assistance rather than assuming the information qualifies as common knowledge
Besides general common knowledge, there is also information that is so well-known within a field of study that it is considered common knowledge WITHIN this particular field. However, as this information would not be common knowledge OUTSIDE of this field, it is better that you cite it in order to avoid the possibility of plagiarizing.
Key Takeaways
Discipline specific common knowledge is:
-
Information that is well known only within a specific field of study
-
It is NOT considered common knowledge outside of the specific discipline
To determine what is common knowledge can be tricky, so when in doubt, cite!
Test your understanding
Have a look at the following statements and decide whether they would need to be cited or not.
It is always better to cite if you are unsure if something is common knowledge.
Test your understanding: AI and Common Knowledge
Statement: “The capital of France is Paris.”
- If you wrote this yourself: No citation needed (common knowledge)
- If AI generated this statement: You should disclose AI use if required by your instructor, even though the fact itself is common knowledge
Statement: “The Battle of Hastings occurred in 1066 and marked a turning point in English history, fundamentally altering the trajectory of medieval England.”
- If AI generated this phrasing: Should be cited, even though the basic historical fact is common knowledge, because the specific analysis and phrasing came from AI
