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