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When a statement that you feel to be obvious is challenged, try to think of a person (such as a person in a foreign country) to whom the statement might not be obvious, or a situation in which your obvious statement might be wrong.
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The question is not whether readers can or can not be expected to have knowledge of a certain fact, but whether the fact in question is a relevant point of debate in the expert literature on the article topic.
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First of all, you do need citations in the "main" article, i.e., where the subject is the "obvious" statement or its major element. I.e., the statement "the sky is blue" must be footnoted in the article
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The reason why the sky sometimes appears blue is technical, and requires an explanation that needs citing, if the technical discussion is at all relevant to the topic at hand.
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Some editors may dispute apparently simple and obvious "facts". A statement that "the sky is blue" may be questioned because the sky frequently has a different colour—
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Readers come from different backgrounds and with different knowledges, cultures and experiences. It would be inappropriate to assume everyone's knowledge is the same.
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Just because something appears obvious to you, doesn't mean it's obvious to everyone. Build articles from reliable, expert sources, and cite those sources.
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It contains the advice or opinions of one or more
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Even the most obvious and simple assertion may need an explanation. The statement that the sky is blue needs explaining that it is due to
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and consider that people from other countries may not have the same perspective or common knowledge. Indeed, even the very concept of
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Before making a statement, no matter how trivial or "obvious", make sure that it could not be misinterpreted or challenged.
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Blind people can't verify the color of the sky. If the respected source is present, the statement could be more trusted.
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The sky actually appears to be blue less than half the time. Some conditions under which the sky may not appear blue:
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Clouds can obscure the color of the sky. With cloudy weather overhead, the sky can be whitish, grey, or even black.
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If it really is common knowledge, it really isn't that difficult to source. For example, this source supports
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notes that "At twilight, salmon reds, oranges, purples, white-yellows, and many shades of blue can be seen."
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Natural disasters, such as forest fires, can lead to a haze over the sky, making it appear orange or red.
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The color of the sky will vary depending on time of day, local conditions, and perspective of the viewer.
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article. If a source about night mentions the sky's colour, that verifies its relevance.
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A field guide notes that "the blue sky is so commonplace that it is taken for granted".
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A cite to a reliable source reassures people, even when the statement appears obvious.
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says "while the blue sky bends above/You've got nearly all that matters". Songwriter
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User:Uncle G/On sources and content § There are no exceptions to everything
348:"When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red".
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It's easier to find a citation than to argue over why it is not needed
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The colour of the sky might not be important enough to mention in the
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Be aware of the individual and unique nature of each of our readers.
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A yellow sky sometimes appears before a severe thunderstorm.
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Knowledge (XXG):You don't need to cite that the sky is blue
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the sky to be blue that need explaining by expert sources.
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It is sometimes felt that "obvious" statements, such as "
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After sunset, the sky darkens to purple, and later black.
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If there is any doubt about the claim addressed in the
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362:wrote of "when the sky is a bright canary yellow."
279:that the blueness of the sky is common knowledge:
490:Roach, Franklin Evans; Gordon, Janet L. (1973) .
366:On other planets, the sky is almost never blue
536:The Bible, Matthew 16:2 (King James version).
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287:One can go on to mention that the poet
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401:Knowledge (XXG):The Pope is Catholic
299:smiling at me," airmen fly into the
185:In certain contexts, such as in the
466:Service, Robert (1940). "Comfort".
395:Knowledge (XXG):Citation underkill
307:The "obvious" isn't always obvious
45:thoroughly vetted by the community
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496:. Springer Science & Business
468:Collected Poems of Robert Service
548:Light and Colour in the Outdoors
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443:A Field Guide to the Atmosphere
275:the idea that the sky is blue,
517:"What color is the night sky?"
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376:tritanopia
297:Blue Skies
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346:Pharisees
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55:Shortcuts
383:See also
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500:4 April
336:In the
195:causing
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520:(PDF)
342:Jesus
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321:night
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