Library Plagiarism/Paraphrasing Tutorial

What, if anything, is wrong with the following paraphrase? Original passage (cited in MLA style) from: Lebo, Harlan. The Godfather Legacy. New York: Fireside, 1997. "Superficially, The Godfather was a pulp novel about sex, violence, and crime in America's gangland underworld. But at its core were solid storytelling and vivid characters." Paraphrase: Mario Puzo's book, The Godfather, functioned on two levels. Its scenes of sex, violence, and crime appealed to the prurient interests of the American public (Lebo 5). On a deeper level, however, this story of the Mafia is a modern-day epic filled with dynamic characters.

B. A portion of the paraphrase is a direct quote and should be in quotations.

Under certain circumstances it is acceptable to buy or borrow a paper and turn it in as your own.

B. False

Which of the following statements is common knowledge?

C. Henry David Thoreau wrote the book "Walden, or Life in the Woods."

Which of the following media do you NOT need to cite?

D. A photo you took with your digital camera

Which of the following are possible penalties for plagiarism at San Jose State University?

D. All of the above

When is it acceptable to use multimedia, such as charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or audio files in your paper or class presentation?

D. You cite the original source

Which of the following best describes acceptable paraphrasing?

A. Synthesizing the original passage and writing it in your own words

In my opinion, immigration should be encouraged because it enriches our nation by bringing in diverse ideas and unique approaches to solving societal problems.

A. This statement does not need to be cited

An important reason to quote other scholars and paraphrase their ideas is:

A. To lend outside support to your ideas or viewpoint

It may be considered academic dishonesty to turn the same paper into two different courses.

A. True

Plagiarism is often accidental. Well-organized notes reduce the possibility of making mistakes.

A. True

What, if anything, is wrong with the following paraphrase? Original Passage (cited in APA format) from: Morahan-Martin, J. M. (2004). How internet users find, evaluate, and use online health information: A cross-cultural review. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(5), 497-510. "Cross-culturally, most health seekers are looking for health information on specific health conditions because they or someone they know was diagnosed with a medical condition. Teens and young adults are likely to be seeking information about issues related to sexuality, mental illness, problems with drugs and alcohol, or about a specific disorder." Paraphrase: Across cultures, most people are looking for medical information about a particular medical condition because they or a friend have gotten a diagnosis. Adolescents usually look for articles about sexual intimacy, mental disorders, issues with substance abuse, or a particular health problem (Morahan-Martin, 2004, p. 499).

C. Follows the original passage too closely