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Detecting Plagiarism in College Writing

Research Notes by Melvin R. Andrade, Ed.D.

A Google search using terms such as "detecting plagiarism" and "plagiarism detection tools" will yield a very large number of university sites with detailed advice on preventing and detecting plagiarism. A review of these sites suggests that if a teacher wants to check if a student's paper has been plagiarized from the Web, there are several options.

1. Do-It-Yourself Web Search

Many teachers try a do-it-yourself search with Google by typing or pasting suspected passages into the search box. Teachers can also search online databases such as JSTOR and LexusNexus through a university library. This technique is often effective for identifying simple "copy-and-paste"  plagiarism. For further advice on how to detect plagiarism by using the Web, see
"How to use Google and EBSCO to detect plagiarism" at http://www.marywood.edu/library/detectplag.htm

2. Do-It-Yourself Database
 
The technique above, however, is not likely to identify an essay or report that  has been purchased from an online "paper mill" (report writing service) or borrowed from another student. To detect papers that are "recycled" among students, the teachers can set up their own database. If you have the time and technical skill,  Prof. Louis Bloomfield at the University of Virginia provides free database software as well as other advice and related
links: http://www.plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu

3. Online Plagiarism Detection Services

A university, department, or individual teacher can subscribe to an online service. There are several. The most common in the USA is called "Turn It In" and is available from Plagiarism.org. This online service "checks submitted papers by comparing them to what is on the Internet and to papers in Turnitin.com's files." The company offers a free trial, and you may request price estimates online: http://www.turnitin.com

4. Software Download

Software to detect plagiarism can be purchased and installed on your personal computer.  Below are two products available via CNET's Download.com

Eve 2.2
http://www.canexus.com/eve/index.shtml
Searches the Internet for signs of plagiarism in papers and  provides the teacher with a detailed report highlighting the plagiarized sections.

Plagiarism-Finder 1.2.2
 
http://www.m4-software.com/

"With Plagiarism-Finder, any Windows-based PC with Internet access can be  used to check files for exact-phrase matching on the Web. Upon completing the scan, Plagiarism-Finder highlights suspect passages and includes links  to matching Web pages. A detailed report gives the user a comprehensive source list and the percentage of text copied from each source, as well as the document's overall percentage of copied text . . . Scan times depend on the user's Internet connection and level of examination but typically last from two to 40 minutes."  Read a review at:
http://www.download.com/Plagiarism-Finder/3000-2051_4-10294099.html?tag=lst-1



5. Additional Online Services and Software

The following services and software are reviewed in Flowerdew and Li (2007):
CopyCatch   |  CatchItFirst   |  
SafeAssignment


Selected References

Center for Intellectual Property. (n.d.). Plagiarism. University of Maryland University College. Retrieved June 22, 2008 from http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/links_plagiarism.shtml

Flowerdew, John, & Li, Yongyan. (2007). Plagiarism and second language writing in an electronic age. In M. McGroarty and N. Markee (Eds.), Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 27, pp. 161-183. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Plagiarism (2006, June 7). Personal Website of
Sharon Stoerger. Retrieved June 22, 2008, from http://www.web-miner.com/plagiarism


Updated June 23, 2008. Personal home page of Melvin R. Andrade. Copyright©2007 to present. All rights reserved. The information above is provided for informational purposes only and does not necessarily imply an endorsement or recommendation.

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