Cite Sources Quiz
This self-quiz will help you decide if you are ready to move on to the next section of the Information Skills Tutorial. You will be able to check your answers.
- 1.
Why is it necessary to cite sources? (check all that apply)
- A.
To give credit where credit is due.
- B.
So that readers can go back to the original sources of facts and opinions for themselves.
- C.
To avoid violating copyright.
Correct Answer(s)
A. To give credit where credit is due.
B. So that readers can go back to the original sources of facts and opinions for themselves.Explanation
You cite so your readers can trace your intellectual footsteps back to the source of the information. Citing also serves as a professional courtesy to the researchers whose discoveries and ideas you are using. But citing has nothing to do with copyright. You can cite something and still be violating copyright, or you can legally copy something in the public domain and still be committing plagiarism.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Which of the following is NOT a valid citation style?
- A.
Chicago
- B.
APA (American Psycological Association)
- C.
MLA (Modern Languages Association)
- D.
ICS (International Council of Sciences)
Correct Answer
D. ICS (International Council of Sciences)Explanation
The citation styles you will run into most often are MLA, APA, Chicago (a.k.a. Turabian) and CSE (Council of Science Editors.)Rate this question:
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- 3.
When you cite a work that does not list a publication date, you should
- A.
Use the current date.
- B.
Leave the date blank.
- C.
Make your best guess.
- D.
Not use the source, because a valid source always lists its publication date.
Correct Answer
B. Leave the date blank.Explanation
Whenever you have incomplete information (often the case with web sites or unpublished materials) provide every detail you have, but don't make anything up.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Which of the following do you NOT need to cite?
- A.
A paraphrase.
- B.
A number or statistic.
- C.
An opinion.
- D.
A fact that is common knowledge.
Correct Answer
D. A fact that is common knowledge.Explanation
Cite EVERYTHING that is not either your own discovery, idea, opinion, or else common knowledge. Common knowledge is subjective, but it generally means that the "person on the street" would know it and not even remember where they'd learned it. For example, "leaves are green because that's the color of chlorophyll" or "Earth is the third planet from the sun."Rate this question:
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- 5.
When you are citing a source that isn't covered in your style guide, you should
- A.
Use the Misc. Source format.
- B.
Submit the citation information for that source separately.
- C.
Use citation format for the kind of source that is most similar to it.
- D.
Cite it as if it were a book.
Correct Answer
C. Use citation format for the kind of source that is most similar to it.Explanation
Style guides try to provide a format for every source in existence, but you may encounter a web site or unpublished material that doesn't fit any format exactly. Simply adapt the closest format. Focus on providing all the information that your reader will need to locate the information source you used.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Mar 21, 2023Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Jun 09, 2010Quiz Created by
Sarahmorehouse
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