Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers

Read the student passage and determine if the student needs to cite the source of the information. If the material does not need citation because it is common knowledge, click on Common knowledge. If the material is not common knowledge and the student should cite the source, click on Needs citation.

For help with this exercise, see Avoiding plagiarism.

Example

1 of 10

Question

undefined. In double-blind trials to test the effectiveness of St. John’s wort as an antidepressant, the plant performed no better than a placebo.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 1

2 of 10

Question

undefined. In 2012, Ben Bernanke was the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 2

3 of 10

Question

undefined. In both 2011 and 2012, the most popular name given to baby girls in the United States was Sophia.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 3

4 of 10

Question

undefined. Phrenology, the study of bumps on the skull, advanced scientists’ understanding of the ways different parts of the brain function.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 4

5 of 10

Question

undefined. The sense of smell and the sense of taste are linked.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 5

6 of 10

Question

undefined. When the Homestead Act took effect, granting 160 acres of western land to any head of a household—male or female—who would live there and improve it for five years, women filed 10% of the claims.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 6

7 of 10

Question

undefined. Babe Ruth’s record for home runs in a single season was not broken for decades.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 7

8 of 10

Question

undefined. Many California earthquakes occur along the San Andreas Fault.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 8

9 of 10

Question

undefined. Studies have shown that unlike elderly Americans, who tend to become more forgetful as they age, elderly people in mainland China have memories as good as those of younger people in their culture.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 9

10 of 10

Question

undefined. Anorexia and bulimia are disorders affecting more young women than young men.
◯ Common knowledge
◯ Needs citation
Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers – 10