"Don't Do This!" - Quiz on Academic Integrity

Introduction

So that you don't cheat yourself out of the best possible education at USC, you need to learn what constitutes academic dishonesty. Take the following quiz to test your present knowledge.

Question 1:

You realize that another student is looking at your test paper. You don't know the second student, but you don't make any effort to cover your paper. We know the other student is cheating but are you guilty of academic dishonesty?Answer

Question 2:

The final exam in your class is a take-home test. The professor's instructions state that you may only consult the following resources: library books, class notes, texts, and the professor or TA. You and your roommate discussed one of the questions, but you wrote your own answer. Is this a problem? Answer

Question 3:

You spent hours writing an excellent research paper for your English class in the fall. You have to do a research paper on any topic for your sociology class this semester. Is it wise to turn in the same paper? Answer

Question 4:

You have been ill and have gotten behind in your classes. You want to ask your professor for an "incomplete" in his class, but you're not sure whether he'll be convinced. You didn't see a doctor while you were ill, but you have a doctor's excuse fro m a previous illness which you could alter with little difficulty. After all, you were sick, weren't you? Answer

Question 5:

You are enrolled in a large lecture class. Due to the size of the class, the professor has two teaching assistants who grade the tests. As the professor hands back the results of the first test, she encourages all students to check their papers caref ully, with the instruction to resubmit any test which may have been graded unfairly. Looking over your paper, you noticed that you inadvertently left out one sentence which changed the meaning of your answer. Since you knew the material at the time of t he test, you pencil in the omitted sentence and resubmit the paper for grading. Is this a problem? Answer

Question 6:

You have been working on a major class project when you find solution related material on a university computer network. The solution if for the problem as assigned in the course during a previous semester, but it would form a good basis for solving the problem you are working. Is it wise to copy the solution and use it? Answer

Question 7:

It is late at night and your paper is due at 9:00 a.m. the next day. You used a lot of material from a couple of books, but you didn't quote anything and, therefore, you didn't include any footnotes. Is this plagiarism or just sloppy work? Answer

Question 8:

You have had a tough semester and are having trouble focusing on a term paper you must write. You have acquired "research material", a paper from the World Wide Web on your topic, that will get you started with information and organization. With all the other pressures, it seems tempting to make a few minor changes and turn the paper in. Should you? Answer

Question 9:

You came to USC to major in Esoterica because the university has one of the best departments in the nation. However, the introductory course has been a bit tedious and you haven't kept up with the reading like you should have. It is now the first mi dterm, and because you are unprepared you are thinking of taking a few crib-notes in the back of your bluebook. After all, don't you just need to have the class on your record so that you can get on to the important stuff? Answer