Is it necessary to cite information that is common knowledge or widely accessible, like historical information or popular scientific information, e.g. 70% of the earth is covered in water?

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The question asks whether it is necessary to cite information that is common knowledge or widely accessible, such as historical facts or widely known scientific figures like '70% of the earth is covered in water.'
Option Yes: This stance claims that you must cite even common knowledge. In practice, most instructors and style guides reserve citations for information that is not widely known, surprising, or specific to a source. However, there are contexts where even widely known facts should be cited if they are being used to support a particular argument, or if the information is presented in a way that relies on a specific source, or if there is a risk of ambiguity about what counts as common knowledge for the audience. Therefore, this option errs by insisting on citation in all cases of common knowledge, which is overly rigid and not aligned with typical academic practice.
Option No: This stance reflects the common guideline that widely known information does not require citation. Typically, well-established facts that are broadly accessible (such as general historical timelines, widely taught scientific facts, or universally acknowledged statistics like the fact about Earth's surface water) do not need to be cited. Yet a caveat applies: if the audience lacks basic background, if the claim is disputed, or if the assignment specifies a citation standard, then citing sources may still be appropriate to provide authority or context. Thus this option is generally consistent with standard citation practices, while acknowledging potential exceptions.
In summary, option one would push for citations in scenarios where they are not usually required, which can lead to unnecessary clutter or misapplication of citation rules. Option two aligns with the conventional rule that common knowledge does not require citation, though it’s important to remain mindful of specific instructions or academic expectations that might call for citations in particular cases.

SP25 ESL 118 011 Paraphrasing and Plagiarism Quiz

Is it necessary to cite information that is common knowledge or widely accessible, like historical information or popular scientific information, e.g. 70% of the earth is covered in water?

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