A P.O.P. Quiz
Test your Knowledge of Plagiarism and Proper Research Methods
You may also download this quiz as a pdf file by clicking here: POP Quiz
So you think you’re smarter than a few pirates, aye? Take this true or false test and see if you’re a first-class captain or simply a scallywag. Good luck!
TRUE OR FALSE:
1. Plagiarism is a fancy word for “stealing”.
Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work like an author, scientist, artist or musician and pretending that work came from you. Swiping, snatching, raiding, pinching, and thieving are all words that describe the act of plagiarizing too. The Answer: True.
2. Citing or “to cite” means to show where you got your information.
Not “site” or “sight” but “cite” and yeah, it’s a special word that basically means to document where you got all that stuff that didn’t come straight from inside your noggin. The Answer: True.
3. All internet information is common knowledge. Anyone can use it and it never needs to be cited.
Everything needs to be cited even if you only have some of the website’s information. Be careful with those kind of sites. If a website doesn’t list an author then think again about using it in a report. Ask yourself, how do I know this information is correct if I don’t even know the swab who wrote it? The Answer: False.
4. If you only use part of someone’s speech you don’t have to cite it.
Don’t be a word stealer. Even if it’s only some of the words to a speech, make sure you identify the person who delivered the speech, the title of the speech (if there is one), where it was said, and the date of the speech. Better to over- source than under-source, Matey! The Answer: False.
5. A “bibliography” is a list of all the sources a person uses in researching his/her topic.
It’s a long and “word-y” word, but it will give your report a lot of credibility. Show exactly where you gathered all your information to get that A+! So, yes, yes, yes...The Answer: True.
6. If you’re in a rush to finish a report for school, your teacher will understand if you just “cut and paste” a few things into the body of the report it and turn it in.
Are you crazy? Teachers are the smartest people in the world. Nothing gets past them—not dogs eating your homework, or spitballs flying through the air and certainly not plagiarizing someone else’s work. The Answer: False.
7. Most kids get F’s on plagiarized reports.
Simple and easy answer: Yes. Or you’ll have to redo the entire report, so do it right the first time and you’ll save yourself a bunch of time. The Answer: True.
8. If you want to see your teacher’s face turn purple, turn in a plagiarized paper.
Your teacher will get angry but he/she will also sit you down and explain what you have done is illegal and wrong. Don’t be a scoundrel. Some schools and colleges suspend students for breaking the honor code if they plagiarize. So keep your teacher his or her normal color and cite everything. The Answer: True.
9. It’s okay to mix your own thoughts and feelings in a report with those of others, as long as you can tell the difference.
But wait, this one gets tricky. It’s okay to express your opinions but don’t mix them in with those you are directly sourcing. That means don’t add personal stuff in quotes or paragraphs that you have taken from another source. Your feelings and opinions can go into a report but your reader better be able to tell they are your opinions and feelings and not someone else’s.The Answer: True.
10. Citing where you got your information makes your report more credible.
Absolutely! Ahoy! Spot-on! Totally true! Yeah, man!
11. Putting your favorite music in a power-point presentation for your school is fine because you’ve already purchased the music.
Avast! Even if you buy the music you still usually need to get permission to use the song beyond just hearing those tunes come through your ipod or stereo. You also need to cite the music and any images you’ve put into your presentation that didn’t come directly from you. Some music recorded before 1923 is free to the public but always check copyrights before using any material that is not yours. The Answer: False.
12. I don’t have to cite a comic strip.
You better believe you do! Those little characters and their genius artists have rights too. Did that strip come from your own head? No? Well, cite it in your bibliography to give that cartoonist credit. Don’t go taking the loot without thanking the person who created it. The Answer: False.
13. It’s okay to copy material from an author without his/her permission.
Are you a scallywag? No, no, no. Cite it or get permission before you use it. The Answer: False.
14. Plagiarism is unfair to the real authors and artists.
How would you feel if you created something really special and people stole it every day? What if they never even gave you credit for the idea? Yep, it would feel like swimming with sharks. Kinda’ painful, aye? The Answer: True.
As the Pirates of Plagiarism would say: Plagiarism is stealin’, swipin’, snatchin’, pinchin’, pilferin’ and raidin’ ideas and words that ain’t ‘yers.
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