How should you cite a common knowledge fact within an academic essay?

Question

• A. Cite yourself as the writer of the paper who knows the fact.
• B. Common knowledge doesn't require a citation.
• C. Use an in-text citation but not a reference list citation.
• D. Cite a Wikipedia article that describes the fact in question.

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. Common knowledge doesn't require a citation.

Common knowledge refers to information that is widely accepted and known by a large group of people, such as historical facts or universally recognized concepts. Since this information is not attributed to a specific source, it does not require a citation in an academic essay. However, if there's any doubt about whether something is common knowledge, it's safer to provide a citation to avoid potential issues of plagiarism.