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Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Tutorial

What is common knowledge?

(Source: Academic Integrity at MIT, 2020)

Common knowledge is information that is accepted as reliable and widely known by the average, educated person and generally does not require citation, including:

  • Information that most people know, such as the Golden Gate Bridge is located in California or that Abraham Lincoln was a president of the United States. 
  • Information shared by a cultural or national group, such as the names of national figures or heroes in a nation's history.

Keep in mind that not all information is widely known across academic disciplines, cultures or national groups, so when in doubt, cite.

To determine if the information you're using is considered common knowledge ask these key questions:

  • Who is my designated audience?

  • What is their pre-existing knowledge of the topic?

  • Will I be asked where I obtained my information?

Subjects: General Education