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Common Knowledge Handout

This document discusses citing common knowledge and lived experience in academic writing. It states that all information used in assignments should be cited, except for original analysis, experimental results, common knowledge, and personal experience. Common knowledge is information widely known in a specific context, though citing is always safer. Lived experience generally does not belong in academic papers unless specified. The document provides examples of common knowledge and cautions that current events and basic disciplinary concepts should be cited. It emphasizes that when in doubt, students should cite to strengthen their arguments.

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36 views1 page

Common Knowledge Handout

This document discusses citing common knowledge and lived experience in academic writing. It states that all information used in assignments should be cited, except for original analysis, experimental results, common knowledge, and personal experience. Common knowledge is information widely known in a specific context, though citing is always safer. Lived experience generally does not belong in academic papers unless specified. The document provides examples of common knowledge and cautions that current events and basic disciplinary concepts should be cited. It emphasizes that when in doubt, students should cite to strengthen their arguments.

Uploaded by

JAGRIT ARORA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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www.umanitoba.

ca/student/academiclearning

Citing Common Knowledge & Lived Experience

All information or data included in academic assignments should be cited. Not citing could result in a charge of
plagiarism (see UM Academic Integrity website). The only time you are not expected to provide a source is when
the information you write is your original analysis of the information/data you are presenting (i.e. no other
researcher has reached similar conclusions), the results of an experiment you conducted, and in some cases
“common knowledge,” and personal or lived experience.

Common knowledge is knowledge shared by most people in a specific context. This context may be determined
by location, age, culture, area of study, or any number of other factors. What is common in one context may not
be common in another, and most knowledge/information/data included in an academic writing is not
common. It is always better to cite, even if you think the information may be “common.”

Common knowledge examples


• Factual information that is difficult to attribute to one source
o Canada has a federal constitutional monarchy
o The earth is tilted on its access
• Factual information that is attributable but is largely accepted as true by the academic community. It is
good practice cite attributable information, unless told otherwise.
o The Big Bang is a theory that describes the beginning of our universe1

Lived Experience is not typically included in an academic paper unless otherwise stated in the assignment
guidelines (i.e. the paper is a reflection paper or work experience report); nevertheless, you may have been
involved in historical, political or social events that are relevant to your research topic. You do not need to cite
this experience, but it is expected that you will connect this experience to other research and/or analysis that
must be cited.

Cautions:
• Some faculty may not require you to cite specific terms or concepts that are considered “common” to the
discipline; for example, cognitive psychologists know that memory rehearsal is a strategy used to store
information. But other faculty will expect you to cite that information because citing demonstrates to the
reader that you are well versed in basic disciplinary concepts.
• Current events, even if they are covered in the news (TV or print media), or talked about in class are not
common knowledge and should be cited.
• When in doubt, cite. Citing does not diminish your analysis/argument; citing strengthens your
argument or claim, and shows your reader that you are aware of research available on the topic you are
presenting.

Common Knowledge sources that informed this handout

MIT (n.d.). What is common knowledge. https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/citing-your-sources/what-


common-knowledge
Princeton (2016). Not-so-common knowledge.
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/notcommon/

Questions? ALC tutors and UM Librarians will help with citations, referencing and integrating sources.

1The term “Big Bang” is attributable to Monsieur George Lemaître. Source: Kragh, H. (1999). Cosmology and controversy: The historical
development of two theories of the Universe. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

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