Is It Plagiarism?
Paraphrasing and Quoting
Thesis Statements
Essay Structure
APA Format
100
The original author, M. Carson, writes in 2012: English class introduces you to many soft skills; it’s useful even if you never need to write another essay in your life. You write: Carson (2012) argues that the true importance of English class lies in the so-called soft skills it teaches, giving it value even for those who will never write essays again. Is it plagiarism? Why or why not?
Nope, it is introduced with a signal phrase, paraphrased, and cited
100
Should paraphrasing or quoting be your "default mode"? Why?
Paraphrasing! You want to keep the paper in your own voice
100
What is a thesis statement?
A single sentence (usually) that expresses the central claim or idea of your paper
100
What physical structure did I compare introductions and conclusions to? Why?
Bridges--help transport the reader in and out of the essay's "space"
100
What font and type size should your ENTIRE paper be in?
Times New Roman 12!
200
You find a number of pre-made graphs on the Internet that relate perfectly to your topic. You copy and paste them into your paper and put the URL below each graph. Is it plagiarism? Is it good research practice?
If you give credit to the original source in some way, it is not plagiarism. However, it is not good research practice and most teachers would not accept it (since it's not your original work)
200
What are some signal phrases that work well to introduce quotes?
As X writes, In X's own words, etc.
200
Where should your thesis statement go (as in where will it be physically located in your paper) if your introduction is more than one paragraph long?
Probably still at the end of the introduction, even if the intro is two paragraphs
200
What details should always be included on an outline?
Thesis statement, topic sentences, as many supporting details as possible
200
What is the difference between an in-text citation for a direct quote vs. an in-text citation for a paraphrase?
P. or para. is optional for a paraphrase
300
The original author, J. Brown, writes in 2017: What many students don't realize is that research is a constantly changing process; it is impossible to take a straight path even if you plan it perfectly. You write: Brown (2017) explains that even when a student plans ahead, research may branch off in unexpected directions. Is it plagiarism?
No. It is paraphrased thoroughly, so only the author and date are needed
300
What are some good reasons to quote?
If you want to unpack the original meaning, if paraphrasing would dilute the impact of the original, or if it's so specific that any paraphrase would lead to plagiarism
300
What two things MUST be included in a thesis statement?
A topic and a claim/critical opinion
300
How does the thesis statement help you structure an essay?
The supporting sub-topics should become topic sentences for paragraphs
300
Why do you have to look at both the formula AND the example for bibliographic entries in the B&S APA style guide?
Because some information won't be clear from the formula alone
400
Someone else writes: Summer is the best time of year to enjoy the outdoors in the warm weather. You write: As the weather turns warmer in summer, it's the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Is it plagiarism? Why or why not?
No! This is just a common sentiment that doesn't require the backing of any research (and therefore doesn't take a citation)
400
What are the three parts of a quote sandwich?
Intro tag, quote, explanation
400
What two things MAY be added to a thesis statement to make it more useful to the reader (especially in a short essay)?
Context/contrast and supporting sub-topics
400
What are the three parts of most paragraphs? (Hint: two are always there, and the third is optional but common)
Topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence
400
How is a level 1 subheading formatted in APA?
Centered, bolded
500
The original author, L. Smith, writes in 2016: It used to be common to begin a research process in the library with a stack of 3x5 notecards in hand. Students would on one side of the card write the citation information for each source, and on the other take notes to be used in a paper. Unfortunately, this highly effective system has not made its way into the digital age. You write: In the past it was normal to start researching holding a pile of plain notecards in the library. Students wrote citation information such as the author on one side of each card and used the other side to take notes for their paper. Sadly, this very useful procedure has been abandoned in the age of computers and the Internet (Smith, 2016). Is it plagiarism?
Yes. This is an inadequate paraphrase--the kind that the computer may not find but you should look out for
500
What are some signal phrases that can help you disagree with something you just quoted?
Although X is right about blank, she is on shakier ground with blank; X fails to take into account that blank; X is mistaken because he assumes blank; X's view is not supported by the facts...
500
What do I mean when I say a thesis statement shouldn't be an announcement? Give an example and show how it could be phrased both as an announcement and not as an announcement
"This essay will compare medical office assisting to medical assisting." --> "When comparing medical office assisting to medical assisting, the difference in clinical duties becomes apparent."
500
Fill in the blanks: The goal of a conclusion is to ______, not repeat; ___________, not summarize
remind, synthesize
500
What is an abstract? How does it differ from an introduction?
A one-paragraph summary of your entire paper (usually written after the paper is complete) as opposed to a paragraph or two that lays the foundation for your paper
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