Engineering students in a study space at The University of Sheffield

Referencing and plagiarism

Don’t be afraid to have a go - the quiz won’t count towards your overall course progress but should help you to better understand what goes in an Introduction section.

Quiz rules

  • Quizzes do not count towards your course score, they are just to help you learn
  • You may retake the quiz as many times as you wish to answer all the questions question
  • Select what you consider to be the correct answer to each question and click the "check my answers" button at the bottom of the page.
  • How you did, as well as the feedback, will appear below each question.

Question 1

Why is it important to reference the sources you use?
So your reader can locate all of your sources
To give context and evidence to your arguments
To demonstrate your understanding of a topic
All of the above

Question 2

Which of the following should you NOT do when paraphrasing?
Restate information and ideas accurately
Use your own language and style
Change just one or two words in a sentence
Reference the source

Question 3

How would you judge the level of detail in the citation and reference for this fictional excerpt?
With an increasing population creating additional demand for transport combined with concerns about fossil fuel emissions causing climate change, alternatives are required to the car [3].
References
[3] George Monbiot, The Guardian
Hint: The Guardian is a newspaper published in the UK.
Too little detail
About right
Too much detail

Question 4

How would you judge the level of detail in the citation and reference for this fictional excerpt?
The electrochemical properties of the solution have previously been identified as being suitable for energy storage (Jones, 1987).
References
[3] Jones, R. (1987). Adventures in electrolysis. *Journal of battery technology*, 5(1), pp. 169-172.
Too little detail
About right
Too much detail

Question 5

How would you judge the level of detail in the citation and reference for this fictional excerpt?
The eye colour of rabbits is determined by three genes, the RYR1, RYR2 and RTR3 genes [5]. E RYR1 gene contributes 50% of the phenotype [6], therefore the other two playing a lesser role [7].
References
5. Good, K. (2017) Genetics of rabbits and their young. Results section. *Journal of animal development*. 6(10), pp88.
6. Good, K. (2017) Genetics of rabbits and their young. Discussion section. *Journal of animal development*. 6(10), pp89.
7. Good, K. (2017) Genetics of rabbits and their young. Conclusion section. *Journal of animal development*. 6(10), pp90.
Too little detail
About right
Too much detail

Question 6

How would you judge the level of detail in the citation and reference for this fictional excerpt?
The material properties of the sample are available from published sources [1].
References
[1] The internet.
Too little detail
About right
Too much detail
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