Acknowledging Sources: Avoiding Plagiarism! Quiz

1. To illustrate your paper on Hollywood entertainment, you use this well-known photo of Marilyn Monroe from Art.com. Do you cite the source?

Yes

No

You should always cite the source for the artwork you use in your research. Citing art copied from the Web can be tricky--sometimes the site hosting the art is not the actual copyright holder to that work. Using a database like ARTstor, available through the UTA Library, can help you find and cite images correctly.

Explanation

You should always cite the source for the artwork you use in your research. Citing art copied from the Web can be tricky--sometimes the site hosting the art is not the actual copyright holder to that work. Using a database like ARTstor, available through the UTA Library, can help you find and cite images correctly.

2. Susan comes from a country whose educational culture does not emphasize the importance of citing sources. Because of this unawareness, she fails to cite major portions of her paper. When the professor charges her with plagiarism, she tells him about her country's expectations. Can Susan still get in trouble with the university?

Yes

No

International students must abide by the same standards for academic integrity as U.S. students. If you need help with citing your sources, visit the university writing center or the library for help.

Explanation

International students must abide by the same standards for academic integrity as U.S. students. If you need help with citing your sources, visit the university writing center or the library for help.

3. In class, your professor talks about a study she conducted. The results of the study have not been published, but you get permission to use the results in your paper. Do you cite the source?

Yes

No

Even though the work has not been published, you cite the source since you did not conduct the study yourself.

Explanation

Even though the work has not been published, you cite the source since you did not conduct the study yourself.

4. Where can you go for help with citing sources?

Your instructor

The University’s Writing Center

The Library

All of the above

All of the options mentioned - instructor, university's writing center, and library - are reliable sources of help for citing sources. Instructors are knowledgeable about the specific citation styles required for assignments and can provide guidance. The university's writing center is dedicated to assisting students with various aspects of writing, including citation. The library often offers resources, such as style guides and citation manuals, to help students accurately cite their sources. Therefore, all of these options can be relied upon for help with citing sources.

Explanation

All of the options mentioned - instructor, university's writing center, and library - are reliable sources of help for citing sources. Instructors are knowledgeable about the specific citation styles required for assignments and can provide guidance. The university's writing center is dedicated to assisting students with various aspects of writing, including citation. The library often offers resources, such as style guides and citation manuals, to help students accurately cite their sources. Therefore, all of these options can be relied upon for help with citing sources.

5. Since Wikipedia articles can be written and changed by anyone and do not have an author listed, do you need to cite it as a source?

Yes

No

If you are quoting or paraphrasing information from the Web--even if it's Wikipedia, YouTube, or Facebook--you must cite the source.

Explanation

If you are quoting or paraphrasing information from the Web--even if it's Wikipedia, YouTube, or Facebook--you must cite the source.

6. While researching your paper, you come across an article that contains a persuasive paragraph arguing your point of view. You rewrite the paragraph in your own words. This is called:

Quoting

Paraphrasing

Summarizing

Quoting is a word-for-word copy of the material surrounded by quotation marks. Summarizing is an abstract of an entire work while paraphrasing applies to a smaller portion of the work.

Explanation

Quoting is a word-for-word copy of the material surrounded by quotation marks. Summarizing is an abstract of an entire work while paraphrasing applies to a smaller portion of the work.

7. Select the best definition for paraphrasing.

To copy a passage of text word-for-word.

To restate a passage of text in your own words.

An abstract of an entire work.

When you quote a passage, you duplicate the passage word for word and surround it with quotation marks. When you paraphrase, you are taking a portion of the work, like a paragraph from an article, and restating that paragraph in your own words. If you were to write an abstract of the whole article, that would be considered a summary. Put simply, paraphrasing involves a small part of the work while summaries involve the whole work.

Explanation

When you quote a passage, you duplicate the passage word for word and surround it with quotation marks. When you paraphrase, you are taking a portion of the work, like a paragraph from an article, and restating that paragraph in your own words. If you were to write an abstract of the whole article, that would be considered a summary. Put simply, paraphrasing involves a small part of the work while summaries involve the whole work.

8. Plagiarism does NOT apply to which of the following?

Images

Computer code

Music

Math formulas

It applies to all of them.

Plagiarism does not just apply to words, it can even apply to ideas!

Explanation

Plagiarism does not just apply to words, it can even apply to ideas!

9. Which sentence about citing is NOT true?

You have to cite everything you use, even if it’s common factual information like the dates of World War II or the date of Napoleon’s death.

There are over 200 citation styles, including MLA,APA, and Chicago.

By citing your sources, you give your work credibility and identify your ideas as well as the ideas of others.

You can be expelled from the university for not citing your sources.

A good explanation of common knowledge comes from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/): "Generally speaking, you can regard something as common knowledge if you find the same information undocumented in at least five credible sources. Additionally, it might be common knowledge if you think the information you're presenting is something your readers will already know, or something that a person could easily find in general reference sources. But when in doubt, cite; if the citation turns out to be unnecessary, your teacher or editor will tell you."

Explanation

A good explanation of common knowledge comes from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/): "Generally speaking, you can regard something as common knowledge if you find the same information undocumented in at least five credible sources. Additionally, it might be common knowledge if you think the information you're presenting is something your readers will already know, or something that a person could easily find in general reference sources. But when in doubt, cite; if the citation turns out to be unnecessary, your teacher or editor will tell you."

10. Select the best definition of plagiarism.

Making up quotes and sources to support your paper's thesis.

Collaborating with another (without the instructor’s authorization) when preparing an assignment.

Using another person's ideas, words, or other creative work without citing them as the source.

All of the above.

You are fabricating sources when you make them up, but you are not plagiarizing. When you collaborate with someone without the instructor's permission, you are committing collusion. Both fabrication and collusion violate academic integrity, but they have separate definitions from plagiarism.

Explanation

You are fabricating sources when you make them up, but you are not plagiarizing. When you collaborate with someone without the instructor's permission, you are committing collusion. Both fabrication and collusion violate academic integrity, but they have separate definitions from plagiarism.

11. In making a determination of plagiarism, does it matter how much of the paper is copied?

Yes

No

Even a few words or paragraphs with improper citation can be considered an act of plagiarism, but the consequences of plagiarism may change in response to the amount copied.

Explanation

Even a few words or paragraphs with improper citation can be considered an act of plagiarism, but the consequences of plagiarism may change in response to the amount copied.

12. For a marketing class, you conduct a survey of students on campus. You include the results in your paper. Do you cite the source?

Yes

No

You do not cite your own, previously unpublished, work.

Explanation

You do not cite your own, previously unpublished, work.

13. Which sentence about quoting is NOT true?

Block quotes are several sentences long and do not require quote marks around them.

When paraphrasing or summarizing text, you should put quotes around particularly distinctive words or phrases.

If the original text contains bad grammar or spelling, you can correct it in your quote without indicating that you did so.

When you leave out part of a quote, use an ellipsis to indicate that the quote has been abridged.

Quoting is, by definition, a word for word recreation of the original; however, you may need to add information for clarity, omit parts of long quotes, or indicate that a peculiar spelling or construction is accurate. Your style manual can show you how to make these changes to quotes correctly.

Explanation

Quoting is, by definition, a word for word recreation of the original; however, you may need to add information for clarity, omit parts of long quotes, or indicate that a peculiar spelling or construction is accurate. Your style manual can show you how to make these changes to quotes correctly.

14. George found the perfect quote to use in a paper he is writing for his political science class and decided to paraphrase it. The original quote says, "After Gingrich publicly threatened that the U.S. might have to default on its debt for the first time in history if he didn't get his way (his precise cuts), he lost the public. And the Comeback Kid won the next election big time." George writes: According to a web-exclusive Newsweek article by Michael Hirsh, once Gingrich threatened that the U.S. was not going to pay its debt for the first time ever if the Congress didn't do what he wanted, he lost the American public. Because of this, the Comeback Kid won the next election by a lot. Did George paraphrase correctly?

Yes

No

Though George did cite the source of his text, he did not rewrite the original in his own words. He retained the language and structure of the original, making this a poor example of paraphrasing. For help with paraphrasing, consult the Purdue Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/.

Explanation

Though George did cite the source of his text, he did not rewrite the original in his own words. He retained the language and structure of the original, making this a poor example of paraphrasing. For help with paraphrasing, consult the Purdue Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/.

15. You start your persuasive essay on college football with these words adapted from Shakespeare:
"Friends, students, Mavericks, lend me your ears! I come to bury football, not to praise it."
Do you need to cite the original source of the quote?

Yes

No

Generally, you do not need to cite something that is common knowledge like a famous Shakespeare quote; however, if you are unsure how well known the quote or saying is, check with your professor or err on the side of caution and cite the source.

Explanation

Generally, you do not need to cite something that is common knowledge like a famous Shakespeare quote; however, if you are unsure how well known the quote or saying is, check with your professor or err on the side of caution and cite the source.