11 What and Why We Cite
Why we cite
Although in some cultures it is a sign of respect to use the words or ideas of others without giving credit to that person, this is not acceptable in the American higher education system.
Academics engage in conversations to advance their knowledge and understanding of a subject. This happens primarily in written form through the publication of scholarly materials. In these academic conversations, it is necessary and expected that all prior thought is acknowledged and that all contributors to the conversation are credited. As a student, you are also a contributor to these conversations, and you therefore must credit all the sources from which you drew information.
Crediting your sources is completed through a process called citation. A citation is a reference to a source of information. It gives specific key information about the source so that readers can locate it.
The main reasons why we cite are:
- To situate your work in the current literature
- To distinguish prior contributions from new original thought
- To ensure that thoughts and ideas are passed on accurately
- To enable a reader to locate and read the source(s) you used
- To give credit to the person whose ideas you used
- To respect the intellectual output of others
- To add credibility and support to your argument
- To uphold academic integrity standards
What You Need to Cite
What exactly do you need to cite in your paper?
As a rule of thumb, you need to cite anything that is not your own, original work. This includes thoughts, ideas, structures, data, and more. Your own thoughts and ideas, however, do not require a citation.
Be sure to cite all information you take from others, no matter what it is or where you got it from. Whether the information is from a printed source, the Internet, a television show, the radio, a tweet, a blog, a Facebook post, PowerPoint slides, or even a personal discussion, you still must cite your source and give credit to the original creator.
Common Knowledge
There is only one exception to the rule about citing information from others, and that is common knowledge.
What is common knowledge?
General common knowledge describes information that:
- Can be verified easily and consistently in several different sources
- Is known by most people
Information that meets these conditions does not require a citation. Capital cities, important historical dates and persons, basic mathematics, and observations stemming from common sense are a few examples of general common knowledge. For example, you would not need to provide a citation when describing Abraham Lincoln as the 16th president of the United States or specifying CO2 as the chemical formula of carbon dioxide.
In addition to general common knowledge, there is information that is so well-known within a field of study that it is considered common knowledge within the particular field.
Discipline-specific common knowledge describes information that:
- Is well-known only within a specific field of study
- Is not considered common knowledge outside of a specific discipline
Because information of this kind is not considered common knowledge outside of a specific field, it is better to cite it in order to avoid the possibility of plagiarism. Determining whether information qualifies as either type of common knowledge is tricky, and the safest option is to use a citation whenever you are in doubt.
Key Takeaways
- Common knowledge is well-known information that does not require a citation.
- Discipline-specific common knowledge is well-known only by individuals within a specific field.
- It is always better to cite if you are unsure if something is common knowledge.
