Which are major styles most commonly used by communication scholars for citing sources in a bibliography multiple select question?

Quiz: Plagiarism

The following multiple-choice quiz tests your knowledge of what is and what is not considered to be plagiarism, as well as of strategies to avoid plagiarizing when you are engaged in the writing process. Good luck.

After you have read the question and chosen the answer you think is correct, a response will appear, telling you whether you were right or wrong and explaining why.

1. You are guilty of plagiarism if you:
   1. Make use of the works of others to gather information.

      Wrong. This is how much research is done. As long as you give an attribution when you take an idea or the exact words from the works you read, you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. In fact, by indicating that another scholar has come to a conclusion that supports your argument (or in some cases, a conclusion that you wish to argue against), you are making a rhetorical claim that strengthens your case. The correct answer is b) "Use the work of another and misrepresent it as your own." In that case, you are deliberately trying to suggest that the clever idea or wording was your own creation, which is a lie, and, of course, plagiarism.

   2. Use the work of another and misrepresent it as your own.

      Correct. This is plagiarism because you are deliberately trying to suggest that the clever idea or wording was your own creation, which is a lie, and, of course, plagiarism.

   3. Make use of the works of others to support your own arguments.

      Wrong. This is how much research is done. As long as you give an attribution when you take an idea or the exact words from the works you read, you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. In fact, by indicating that another scholar has come to a conclusion that supports your argument (or in some cases, a conclusion that you wish to argue against), you are making a rhetorical claim that strengthens your case. The correct answer is b) "Use the work of another and misrepresent it as your own." In that case, you are deliberately trying to suggest that the clever idea or wording was your own creation, which is a lie, and, of course, plagiarism.

   4. Examine the ideas and arguments of others to help you shape your own thoughts or views on a particular issue.

      Wrong. This is how much research is done. As long as you give an attribution when you take an idea or the exact words from the works you read, you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. In fact, by indicating that another scholar has come to a conclusion that supports your argument (or in some cases, a conclusion that you wish to argue against), you are making a rhetorical claim that strengthens your case. The correct answer is b) "Use the work of another and misrepresent it as your own." In that case, you are deliberately trying to suggest that the clever idea or wording was your own creation, which is a lie, and, of course, plagiarism.

2. Drawing information or content from the work of another without acknowledging the source by citing a reference is considered to be plagiarism in all of the following cases except:
   1. Using the exact words of the author.

      Wrong. This is plagiarism. You always have to give a reference when you quote specific words or passages from another source - and you must put the author's words within quotation marks to indicate that you are doing this. Note that quoting is usually done more in the arts and social sciences than in the sciences and is usually best done 1) when the words quoted are the best, most memorable, or most succinct way of expressing the information, 2) when you are referring to an original text that you are writing about - as in a close reading, or 3) when the words are those of an acknowledged master or authority in the field. The correct answer to this question is c). It is not necessary to cite information that is common knowledge. One of the ways to judge if something is common knowledge is to ask yourself if everyone in the field would know this information or if no-one would argue against it. For example, it is common knowledge that Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada in the 1970's, so you would not have to cite that information. However, if you wanted to say that until the energy crisis beginning in 1973, with its attendant inflation, he had continued the old economic policies of previous Liberal governments - then you would need to cite your source.

   2. Using data that the author has compiled through his/her independent investigation.

      Wrong. Remember, that the data that others create are the result of their own work, and are like a kind of intellectual capital. The originator must be credited for his or her own work. An additional reason to give credit is that the fact that someone else's research supports your argument makes your thesis stronger, so it is to your own advantage to cite the author's name. The correct answer is to this question is c). It is not necessary to cite information that is common knowledge. One of the ways to judge if something is common knowledge is to ask yourself if anyone in the field would know this information or if no-one would argue against it. For example, it is common knowledge that Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada in the 1970's, so you would not have to cite that information. However, if you wanted to say that until the energy crisis beginning in 1973, with its attendant inflation, he had continued the old economic policies of the Liberal governments that had gone before him - then you would need to cite your source.

   3. Using information from the author's work that is regarded as common knowledge in the discipline.

      Correct. It is not necessary to cite information that is common knowledge. One of the ways to judge if something is common knowledge is to ask yourself if anyone in the field would know this information or if no-one would argue against it. For example, it is common knowledge that Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada in the 1970's, so you would not have to cite that information. However, if you wanted to say that until the energy crisis beginning in 1973, with its attendant inflation, he had continued the old economic policies of the Liberal governments that had gone before him - then you would need to cite your source.

   4. Reproducing in your paper a chart contained in the author's work.

      Wrong. A chart is like any other data. Remember, that the data that someone else creates is the result of their own work, and is like a kind of intellectual capital. The originator must be credited for his or her own work. In addition, that someone else's data supports your argument makes your thesis stronger, so it is to your own advantage to cite the author's name. The correct answer to this question is c). It is not necessary to cite information that is common knowledge. One of the ways to judge if something is common knowledge is to ask yourself if anyone in the field would know this information or if no-one would argue against it. For example, it is common knowledge that Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada in the 1970's, so you would not have to cite that information. However, if you wanted to say that until the energy crisis beginning in 1973, with its attendant inflation, he had continued the old economic policies of the Liberal governments that had gone before him - then you would need to cite your source.

3. Which of the following is not an example of "padding" a bibliography?
   1. Including in your bibliography works that you consulted but to which you made no direct or indirect reference or use of in your research paper.

      Correct. You're on the ball. Since a bibliography is a list of all the works used when doing your research, it might, therefore, quite legitimately include works that you did not specifically cite in the text of your paper, but which were helpful to you as background studies. This term is more often used in the arts and social sciences than in the sciences, which would probably conclude a research paper with "References," or "Works Cited" pages. These last two formats list only the works actually cited in the paper.

   2. Including in your bibliography sources that you did not consult but know would be relevant to the topic of your research paper.

      Wrong. By doing this you are intentionally trying to deceive the reader of your paper and to make him or her believe that you have done more work than you really have done. This is considered to be academic misconduct. The correct answer is a). A bibliography is a list of all the works used when doing your research. It might, therefore, include works that you did not specifically cite in the text of your paper, but which were helpful to you as background studies. This term is more often used in the arts and social sciences than in the sciences, which would probably conclude a research paper with "References," or "Works Cited" pages. These last two formats list only the works actually cited in the paper.

   3. Listing the titles of complete works as separate entries in your bibliography when you actually used a single volume made up of excerpts from those works.

      Wrong. This is academic misconduct since you are deliberately attempting to deceive the reader by suggesting that you have done much more research than you actually did. The correct answer is a). A bibliography is a list of all the works used when doing your research. It might, therefore, include works that you did not specifically cite in the text of your paper, but which were helpful to you as background studies. This term is more often used in the arts and social sciences than in the sciences, which would probably conclude a research paper with "References," or "Works Cited"pages. These last two formats list only the works actually cited in the paper.

   4. Including in your bibliography sources that you did not consult directly, but that were referred to in several of the books or articles that you did consult.

      Wrong. This is academic misconduct because you are attempting to deceive the reader into believing that you actually did read the source. What you should have done, if you were not able to read the work yourself, is to cite it in the following manner (or according to the style guide you are using: (as cited in Smith, 1999). The correct answer is a). A bibliography is a list of all the works used when doing your research. It might, therefore, include works that you did not specifically cite in the text of your paper, but which were helpful to you as background studies. This term is more often used in the arts and social sciences than in the sciences, which would probably conclude a research paper with "References," or "Works Cited" pages. These last two formats list only the works actually cited in the paper.

4. Paraphrasing too closely to the original text, even if you do credit the source, is still considered as plagiarism because:
   1. By changing a few words or the order of the original words, you have changed the author's exact words.

      Wrong. It is quite permissible, and in most cases preferable to put the author's own words into your own, as long as you do not misinterpret them or change their meaning. However, you didn't do enough changing if you only changed a few of the words and changed the order of the original. So you did plagiarize, but not for the reason above. When you are summarizing or paraphrasing you should be careful not to use the author's original words. Either put the whole thing into your own words or put quotations around those words that belong to the original author. Answer d) is correct. The rule is that whenever you use more than three consecutive words of an original text you must put them within quotation marks.

   2. By not providing the exact words of the author in their entirety, you are attributing to the author some words that he/she did not write.

      Wrong. It is quite permissible, and in most cases preferable to put the author's own words into your own, as long as you do not misinterpret them or change their meaning. If you change the meaning of the passage, it might not be plagiarism, but it is certainly academic misconduct. Answer d) is correct. The rule is that whenever you use more than three consecutive words of an original text you must put them within quotation marks.

   3. You must never use the words of others when you are using their ideas.

      Wrong. It is quite correct to use the words of others in the body of your essay - although it would not be a good essay if your paper consisted primarily of a large number of quotations from other sources - if those words are within quotation marks. So answer d) is correct. The rule is that whenever you use more than three consecutive words of an original text you must put them within quotation marks.

   4. You have failed to indicate, by means of direct quotation marks, which are the exact words of the original.

      Correct. The rule is that whenever you use more than three consecutive words of an original text you must put them within quotation marks. Failure to do so is plagiarism.

5. Why is it insufficient to cite sources for your work through a bibliography alone?
   1. Because no one will know what works you consulted in the preparation of your essay.

      Wrong. That's exactly what a bibliography is - a list of the works you consulted while you were doing the research for your paper. However, a bibliography would be of no use to anyone who wanted to check where you found any particular information in your essay, nor would it indicate which information came from which source. So if all you do is to include a bibliography (or a Works Cited, or References page) at the end of your essay, you are really not giving credit for the separate items of information in your text and would still be guilty of plagiarism. In fact, if you merely list the sources of your information, you hide the exact source of your information with the literary equivalent of smoke and mirrors; indeed, you may even appear to suggest that some of those ideas in the paper were your own when they were the intellectual property of the original writer. Answer c) is correct.

   2. Because a bibliography does not provide specific page references for the sections of your sources that you actually read when you were doing your research.

      Wrong. Even if you listed the pages you read while compiling your research, a bibliography would be of no use to anyone who wanted to check where you found any particular information in your essay, nor would it indicate which information came from which source. So if all you do is to include a bibliography (or a Works Cited, or References page) at the end of your essay, you are really not giving credit for the separate items of information in your text and would still be guilty of plagiarism. In fact, if you merely list the sources of your information, you hide the exact source of your information with the literary equivalent of smoke and mirrors; indeed, you may even appear to suggest that some of those ideas in the paper were your own when they were the intellectual property of the original writer. Answer c) is correct.

   3. Because by so doing you fail to indicate the exact source(s) of each specific passage.

      Correct. A bibliography is only the list of sources consulted while researching your paper. So if all you do is to include a bibliography (or a Works Cited, or References page) at the end of your essay, you are really not giving credit for the separate items of information in your text and would still be guilty of plagiarism. In fact, if you merely list the sources of your information, you hide the exact source of your information with the literary equivalent of smoke and mirrors; indeed, you may even appear to suggest that some of those ideas in the paper were your own when they were the intellectual property of the original writer.

6. Information provided in your essay must be referenced in all of the following cases except:
   1. When the information involves an interpretation peculiar to the author from whose work you are drawing.

      Wrong. If an author or researcher has interpreted information in a singular way, that interpretation or theory can be seen to be his or her intellectual property just as much as a discovery by a scientific researcher would be. If you do not cite the source of the interpretation, you are plagiarizing, since you are intimating that the interpretation is your own. Answer b) is correct: information considered to be common knowledge within a field is not referenced. This will vary to some extent from discipline to discipline, but we can say in general that facts that could be found in a general reference book or first-year survey texts need not be referenced. Interpretations commonly held and accepted may not require acknowledgment. Check with your professor when in doubt.

   2. When the information describes common knowledge.

      Correct. Information considered to be common knowledge within a field is not referenced. This will vary to some extent from discipline to discipline, but we can say in general that facts that could be found in a general reference book or first-year survey texts need not be referenced. Interpretations commonly held and accepted may not require acknowledgment. Check with your professor when in doubt.

   3. When the information comes from an e-mail or phone call.

      Wrong. When the information you have gathered comes from an e-mail, a list-serv, or any method of personal communication such as a phone call or letter, it still must be cited within your text. Often, your citation will read something like this: (J. Smith, personal communication, October 21, 2003). Because the data is not recoverable, you do not need to list this in your bibliography or reference list. Answer b) is correct: information considered to be common knowledge within a field is not referenced. This will vary to some extent from discipline to discipline, but we can say in general that facts that could be found in a general reference book or first-year survey texts need not be referenced. Interpretations commonly held and accepted may not require acknowledgment. Check with your professor when in doubt.

   4. When the information or idea that you are recording is disputed within the discipline.

      Wrong. This information must be referenced. When you write a paper you are making an argument; you are trying to convince your reader that what you are saying is reasonable, and that you have an adequate command of your subject matter and are aware of the conversation going on in your field. This means that you should be dealing with any information or ideas that might either be contrary to your own argument or that might be disputed by other authorities. You should indicate that you are aware of these ideas, and in particular, you should not pretend that any outlier opinions are your own creation. Answer b) is correct: information considered to be common knowledge within a field is not referenced. This will vary to some extent from discipline to discipline, but we can say in general that facts that could be found in a general reference book or first-year survey texts need not be referenced. Interpretations commonly held and accepted may not require acknowledgment. Check with your professor when in doubt.

   5. b and c.

      Wrong. Only answer b) is correct: information considered to be common knowledge within a field is not referenced. This will vary to some extent from discipline to discipline, but we can say in general that facts that could be found in a general reference book or first-year survey texts need not be referenced. Interpretations commonly held and accepted may not require acknowledgment. Check with your professor when in doubt. Answer c) is incorrect. When the information you have gathered comes from an e-mail, a list-serv, or any method of personal communication such as a phone call or letter, it still must be cited within your text. Often, your citation will read something like this: (J. Smith, personal communication, October 21, 2003). Because the data is not recoverable, you do not need to list this in your bibliography or reference list.

7. You are unable to work out the calculations for your lab report but you know what the correct answer should be. Since your report is due, you take one of your numbers from an old lab report so that you can arrive at the correct answer. Is this considered to be plagiarism?
   1. Your professor doesn't expect everything to work out and if s/he knows that you falsified a few of your numbers to fit in with your results s/he won't be worried about it because the important thing is that you tried and that you understand what should have happened.

      Wrong. It is plagiarism if you take the numbers from another lab report and it would have been falsification, another type of academic misconduct, had you fudged the numbers of your own accord. So either way it is wrong. Answer b) is correct.

   2. Since you are copying someone else's work without crediting the source, this is clearly plagiarism.

      Correct. Yes, you are guilty of plagiarism. It is plagiarism if you take the numbers from another lab report and it would have been falsification, another type of academic misconduct, had you fudged the numbers of your own accord. So either way it would be wrong.

   3. This was such a tiny part of the lab report, that it really doesn't matter.

      Wrong. Even though you altered only one number, you are still attempting to mislead the reader by trying to create the impression that something happened that did not, and it is that deception which classifies your action as plagiarism. Answer b) is correct.

8. You're worried that your paper will look as if all the ideas come from someone else and appears to list one reference citation after another. You can avoid this by:
   1. Having your own over-riding argument and thesis, being analytical, and presenting your own interpretations of the evidence.

      Answer a) is one of the two possible answers to this question in this list. Both a) and c)are right so answer d) would be the correct choice here. Answer a) is correct because the ideas and quotations from other sources should serve to flesh out and support the main argument or thesis of your paper, which is your own creation. So your own opinion or theory about the subject should be the driving force of your paper, and the references should be subordinate to this argument, brought in to give the evidence to defend your case. Answer c) is also correct in that it identifies the way you can avoid having a paper where references are too obtrusive and seem overwhelming.

   2. Omitting references when you are in doubt whether you need to reference ideas or information.

      Wrong. The only references you should omit from your text are those identifying ideas that are considered to be common knowledge - that is, ideas which would be known to all who are working in the field. Here, answer d (both a & c) is correct. Answer a) is correct because the ideas and quotations from other sources should serve to flesh out and support the main argument or thesis of your paper, which is your own creation. So your own opinion or theory about the subject should be the driving force of your paper, and the references should be subordinate to this argument, brought in to give the evidence to defend your case. Answer c) is also correct in that it identifies the way you can avoid having a paper where references are too obtrusive and seem overwhelming.

   3. Integrating quotes and ideas into the text so that they fit in with your own words in a seamless web, and varying the way you introduce your references to the original sources. That way the citations will not be so intrusive.

      Answer c) is one of the two possible answers to this question. Since both a) and c) are right, then answer d) would be the correct choice here. Answer a) is correct because the ideas and quotations from other sources should serve to flesh out and support the main argument or thesis of your paper, which is your own creation. So your own opinion or theory about the subject should be the driving force of your paper, and the references should be subordinate to this argument, brought in to give the evidence to defend your case. Answer c) is also correct in that it identifies the way you can avoid having a paper where references are too obtrusive and seem overwhelming.

   4. a and c.

      Answer d) is correct. Answer a) is correct because the ideas and quotations from other sources should serve to flesh out and support the main argument or thesis of your paper, which is your own creation. So your own opinion or theory about the subject should be the driving force of your paper, and the references should be subordinate to this argument, brought in to give the evidence to defend your case. Answer c) is also correct in that it identifies the way you can avoid having a paper where references are too obtrusive and seem overwhelming.

9. You have a friend who usually looks over your papers and together you discuss how to improve them. Is this plagiarism?
   1. Yes, you should never accept help with the writing of your papers.

      Wrong. It's a good idea to bounce your ideas off someone else, just as long as you restrict yourself to discussing the ideas in the paper in general terms, to talking about structure and the strengths and weaknesses of your argument, and to discussing grammar points. When it's considered to be plagiarism is when your friend suggests changes to your thesis, to the evidence you offer to support your arguments, or directly to the way you word your paper. So the correct answer is b).

   2. It's fine to get help from a friend as long as your discussion is a general one, and does not involve detailed conceptual or editorial changes.

      Correct. It's a good idea to bounce your ideas off someone else, just as long as you restrict yourself to discussing the ideas in the paper in general terms, to talking about structure and the strengths and weaknesses of your argument, and to discussing grammar points. When it's considered to be plagiarism is when your friend makes changes to your thesis, to the evidence you offer to support your arguments, or directly to the way you word your paper.

10. You are in a computer science course. The documentation for a new programming language is on the Web and the author has given permission to use the code. Do you cite the source or not?
    1. No, since the author has given permission to use the code, all you have to do is copy it.

       Wrong. The fact that the author has given permission for others to copy the code does not mean that you can use it without giving credit. If you were to do so, you would be implying that you, yourself were the author of the code and thus engaged in an act of deception. You must give the original creator of the code credit for the creation. Otherwise it is tantamount to stealing and an act of plagiarism. The correct answer is b).

    2. Yes, you still need to cite the original source of the code.

       Correct. The fact that the author has given permission for others to copy the code does not mean that you can use it without giving credit. If you were to do so, you would be implying that you, yourself were the author of the code and thus engaged in an act of deception. You must give the original creator of the code credit for the creation. Otherwise it is tantamount to stealing and an act of plagiarism..

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