Question

Credit Where Credit Is Due
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.


Credit Where Credit Is Due


Doing the right thing often requires more effort than doing the wrong thing. It is easier to stroll by someone who has dropped a bag of groceries on the sidewalk than to stop and help that person. This is also true with
citing the work of others. Although it might be easier to ignore
citations in the short term, using them has substantial benefits the long run.


First, citing sources is simply the right thing to do. This is because one is giving credit where credit is due. When we use others’ words, images, or ideas found online or in print, we need to show that we are borrowing something from these creators. Otherwise, we are dishonestly taking the work of others and trying to pass it off as our own. After all, when someone asks our permission to use an item we own, we often give permission. On the other hand , if a person simply takes something of ours without asking, we understand how that act is profoundly different from sharing. It is a kind of theft.


This idea is generally understood when it comes to writing. Each time we use something from another writer, we need to properly
cite the ideas we take. By giving credit in this way, we are acknowledging
our debt by the most efficient means possible. (We cannot feasibly
ask permission from most of the writers whose ideas we cite.) Another benefit of citing sources is that it helps writers avoid plagiarism. This is the act of presenting someone else’s work as one’s own.


However, when it comes to ideas and creative forms, people are often less clear about the need to cite sources. Some experts claim that using an idea or part of an artwork without permission is not morally equivalent to
stealing physical property. Disagreement over this matter is at the heart
of debates over intellectual property, which is defined as ideas, words, or images that are the product of creative or thoughtful work.


According to intellectual property expert Sheldon Richman, “Two or more people cannot use the same pair of socks at the same time and in the same
respect ,but they can use ideas with the same content. If I articulate
an idea in front of other people, each now has his own copy. Yet I retain
mine. However the others use their copies, it is hard to see how they have
committed an injustice.” One problem with this viewpoint is that it does not make a clear distinction between “an idea” and the “copies” of that idea that others are using. This is where citations come in . They make it clear where an idea originated from, and that a writer using or copying that idea is giving proper credit for it.

Citations are also useful because they allow for the fact-checking of sources. For example, imagine if a student wrote a research paper that included statistics and failed to cite the sources of those statistics. In turn, no one could adequately check and verify the accuracy of the statistics. If a writer does not reveal the sources of statistics, one might wonder if the writer is trying to hide information or mislead readers in some way. On the other hand, using citations correctly can introduce teachers and other students to valuable sources of information. Therefore, citations can
enhance learning opportunities for everyone in a class.


At the same time, the use of citations has the potential to create reciprocal working relationships and uphold key social norms. Creators who give credit toothers might also receive credit for their own public work. In a broader sense, citing sources upholds the key norms of honesty and respect—for others’ property and for one’s own. As historian Chris Gehrz states, “Citation is an act of courtesy and an expression of gratitude.” Successful writers routinely refer to the words and ideas of authors they admire. By acknowledging these other writers, they are revealing how they have learned from artists who inspired them. Students do something similar when they cite sources: they show how they have benefited from the work of other writers and thinkers. This practice can help promote civility
, respect, gratitude, and humility in the classroom and in our society.


Today, the internet gives billions of people access to a vast array
of information and artistic work. Unfortunately, though, the internet also makes it easier than ever for people to use ideas or artwork without giving credit or compensation. A society in which people commonly use artists’ work without paying for it is bound to leave these creators vulnerable
. As expert James V. Delong argues, “In the entertainment field,
individual artists have always had a hard time making a buck, but the
trend , as intellectual property rights become less reliable, is toward
ever-greater industrial concentration.” According to Delong, intellectual property rights are being eroded in part because individual artists find it
virtually impossible to control the use—or theft—of their creations by potentially huge numbers of internet users.


Citing sources and giving proper credit is more important now than ever before. Each of us has crucial choices to make in how we use information and art. Even if it is not easy, doing the right thing can benefit ourselves as well as others in our society and around the world.

Question 22 (1 point)
Which detail from paragraphs 2 and 3 best supports the key idea
that neglecting to cite sources is wrong?

Question 22 options:

Citing sources is the proper thing to do because it
credits others for their ideas.


It is dishonest to take the work of others and try to
pass it off as our own.


Citing sources is a common practice when using something from another writer


It is difficult to ask permission from most writers whose ideas we use

Question 23 (1 point)
How does the author’s use of language in
paragraph 7 contribute to the tone in the selection?

Question 23 options:

The words "might also receive credit for their own public work" contribute to atone of self‑interest.


The words "upholds the key norms of honesty and respect" contribute to a moralistic tone


The words "revealing how they have learned from artists who inspired them" contribute to a tone of openness.


The words "Students do something similar" contribute to
an instructional tone

Question 24 (1 point)
Which of these best states the author’s claim about
citing sources?

Question 24 options:

People have a moral obligation to cite sources


People produce better writing when they cite sources


There is much debate about how people should cite sources.


It is challenging for most people to properly cite sources

Question 25 (1 point)
Who is the author most likely addressing in the selection?

Question 25 options:

Someone planning on writing a research paper


Someone considering a career as a historian


Someone trying to fact-check a book


Someone wanting to debate about intellectual property

Question 26 (1 point)
What is the most likely reason the author includes the statement in
paragraph 2 that taking something without asking is “a kind of theft”?

Question 26 options:

To outline the legal consequences that can result from plagiarism


To highlight the problems that can arise from debating about intellectual property


To call attention to how personally people take it when others copy their ideas


To emphasize how important acknowledging
others is when their ideas are borrowed

Question 27 (1 point)
How does the author counter the claim made in the selection?

Question 27 options:

By declaring that readers need citations in order to make sure facts are true


By pointing out that using someone's artwork is similar to taking property


By mentioning that there is much debate about what
constitutes intellectual property


By suggesting that using intellectual property requires
citation in all cases

Answer 1

Here are the best answers to each of the questions based on the provided selection:

**Question 22:**
Which detail from paragraphs 2 and 3 best supports the key idea that neglecting to cite sources is wrong?
**Answer:** It is dishonest to take the work of others and try to pass it off as our own.

**Question 23:**
How does the author’s use of language in paragraph 7 contribute to the tone in the selection?
**Answer:** The words "upholds the key norms of honesty and respect" contribute to a moralistic tone.

**Question 24:**
Which of these best states the author’s claim about citing sources?
**Answer:** People have a moral obligation to cite sources.

**Question 25:**
Who is the author most likely addressing in the selection?
**Answer:** Someone planning on writing a research paper.

**Question 26:**
What is the most likely reason the author includes the statement in paragraph 2 that taking something without asking is “a kind of theft”?
**Answer:** To emphasize how important acknowledging others is when their ideas are borrowed.

**Question 27:**
How does the author counter the claim made in the selection?
**Answer:** By pointing out that using someone's artwork is similar to taking property.