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Revision quiz

Here are a series of exercises to test your understanding of referencing and plagiarism. You can use this to identify any gaps in your knowledge and highlight areas of the tutorial you may need to revisit.

1
Plagiarism

Why should plagiarism be avoided in academic work?

a) It shows you are a lazy student who can't be bothered to do the work for his or herself.
b) It is dishonest to pass off someone else's words or ideas as your own.
c) It is a serious offence at the university and is dealt with severely.
d) All of the above.
a) True.a) Oh dear! This is true.b) True. Well done!b) Oh no! You should have another look at the section above on 'Referencing and plagiarism'..c) True.c) Oh dear! Plagiarism is very serious and can lead to a student's expulsion from university.d) Well done. Plagiarism is a very serious offence.d) You should have selected all the options above!.
Check your answer

2

Here is a passage from Leo Felix, Large Cats in Britain? (1994, p.61) and below it is an extract from a student's essay which makes use of it.

Sightings of large black cats have been reported in remote upland areas of the South-West such as Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor for nearly sixty years, although conclusive evidence of the presence of melanistic jaguars or leopards has yet to be provided: no bodies, fur or bones have been found, all possible tracks or droppings have been proved to belong to less exotic species and no one has yet managed to photograph them.

There are few residents of the South-West who have not heard of the 'Beast of Bodmin' or other stories of large black cats which inhabit the region's uplands. Felix (1994, p.61) has attempted to expose these stories as modern myths, pointing out that, 'conclusive evidence of the presence of melanistic jaguars or leopards has yet to be provided'. Yet people still believe.

This student is guilty of plagiarism.

a) True
b) False
Well done. The student has identified the source in his/her essay and has distinguished the words of Felix with quotation marks.Oh dear. Have another look. The student has acknowledged the source of his/her information and distinguished the words of Felix with quotation marks.
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3
Footnotes

Footnotes can be used as a means of including information or argument in your assignments which would otherwise take the piece of work over the word limit.

a) True
b) False
Correct! Footnotes should only contain referencing information to enable readers to find and consult your source. Everything else should remain in the main text.Oh No! Footnotes should only contain referencing information to enable readers to find and consult your source. Everything else should remain in the main text. Have another look at the footnote section above.
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4
Referencing systems

Fill in the gaps in this passage

There are a of accepted systems for referencing writing. Unless specified by your or lecturer, there is no 'right' way to reference your work. However, whichever system you choose, you must be . The most important thing is to ensure that you acknowledge all of your sources with complete and references.

Well done! You must be really getting the hang of this now.Oh dear. Try reading the introductory sections of the tutorial again, then have another go!

Word bank: academic, accurate, consistent, department, number

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5
Footnotes

In which of these sentences is the footnote number correctly placed?

a) The medicinal properties of the Mongolian Trumpet Tree2 were first described by David Shears.
b) As Howard first suggested over seventy years ago, the Mongolian Trumpet Tree may have been a source of ambrosia for the gods of Olympus.3
c) A team of botanists at Bristol University4 have developed an apparatus for the hydroponic cultivation of the Mongolian Trumpet Tree.
d) In a recent paper5, Fowler warned that without careful birth control, the life extending properties of the Mongolian Trumpet Tree could lead to catastrophic global overpopulation within a generation.
Please select an answerOh no. The number should appear after punctuation, which in this case is at the end of the sentence. Have another look at the footnote section above.Yes. The footnote number should be placed at the end of the sentence.No. The number should be placed after punctuation. Have another look at the footnote section above. In this case the number would be best placed at the end of the sentence. Have another look at the footnote section above.
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6
MHRA Footnote style

Write out a footnote reference to the following book.

Author: James Forsman

Title: Cornwall in the Victorian Novel

Date: 1987

Publisher: Brown

Place of publication: London

Page: 88

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7
Bibliography

Fill in the gaps with the correct words.

A bibliography is a list of all the works cited in the . The sources should be listed in order, by . A bibliography should not include works not cited in footnotes, or be out with sources which were not actually for the assignment!

Well done! The bibliography is very important.Oh dear. A correctly written bibliography is an essential part of any piece of written work. Check the section on bibliographies above.

Word bank: alphabetical, consulted, footnotes, padded, surname

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8
Harvard Referencing System. Parenthetical citations.

Write out a parenthetical reference for the following journal article.

Author: Heinrich Keppler

Title: Cleopatra's foreign policy

Journal: The Journal of Ptolemaic Studies

Date: 1987

Page: 167

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9
Reference list entries.

Write out a reference list entry for the following chapter in a book.

Author: Petronella Davidson

Title of chapter: Hurricane Katrina and the 2005 Petroleum Crisis.

Title of book: Hurricane Katrina: America's worst disaster?

Editor: Alexander Weatherman

Date: 2005

Place of publication: New York

Pages: 43-87

Publisher: Cyclone

Check your answer