Understanding Plagiarism Quiz
Test yourself: Answer yes or no to each question. Click on the question to see the correct answer with an explanation.
Yes. Even if you footnoted the source correctly, your paraphrased text is unacceptable. To paraphrase correctly, you must restate the original passage in your own words and in your own style. Reordering sentences or replacing adjectives is not enough. Go to the SUNY Empire Online Writing Center to learn more about paraphrasing.
Yes. It is plagiarism if you do not give credit for the source of the information. At minimum you must include a footnote with the full bibliographic information (author, title and publisher, etc.). Many graphic images are protected by U.S. copyright regulations. If this image is included in your paper, you must either contact the publisher for permission to use the image, or find out if paper is covered by the educational "fair use" exemption. For more information on copyright email an SUNY Empire librarian at librarian@esc.edu.
No. You did give proper attribution to the source and correctly paraphrased the author's original content. Instead, you committed a dishonest act by misrepresenting your research efforts.
No. Computer code plagiarism includes: 1) Sharing lines of code even though collaboration is expressly forbidden; 2) Incorporating code from another source and without proper attribution; 3) Discussing specific algorithmic strategies with another with the intent of using this person's ideas; 4) Reusing code from another source to the extent that only variables or statement order are changed.
Yes. You did not provide sufficient information about your source. First, the distinctive phrase must be put into quotation marks to indicate it is not your words. Although you documented the author and the article title in your text, you must provide the rest of the citation in a footnote. This reference must include the journal name, the volume, issue, year and pages.
Scoring
0-2 Correct Answers
Don’t delay. You’ll need to acquaint yourself with the basics of plagiarism so you don’t get yourself into trouble. Start with this online brochure published by the university called Academic Integrity and Writing the Research Paper.
3-4 Correct Answers
Not bad! To avoid all possible pitfalls, visit the Writing Resources in the Writing Support to hone your skills in paraphrasing and using citations correctly.
5 Correct Answers
Well done! You’ve got an excellent understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid it through careful attribution of others' ideas. Consider sharing your knowledge with others via a study group or an online discussion.