how to check if an essay has been plagiarized

Plagiarism Checker by Quetext

Free plagiarism checker: how it works, enter text into plagiarism detection tool.

We make it simple. Just copy and paste all content from your document into our plagiarism checker and hit the ‘Check Plagiarism’ button to get started.

Evaluate text for plagiarism

Our plagiarism detection tool uses DeepSearch™ Technology to identify any content throughout your document that might be plagiarized. We identify plagiarized content by running the text through three steps:

• 1.) Contextual Analysis
• 2.) Fuzzy Matching
• 3.) Conditional Scoring

Accurate plagiarism results

After evaluating the text against billions of internet sources, you will be provided with a plagiarism score showing the percentage of text that is an exact or near-match to existing text online.

Resolve plagiarism risk and use citations

Our ColorGrade™ feedback feature highlights exact matches vs. near-exact or “fuzzy” matches with corresponding colors. From there, you can resolve plagiarism issues by deleting or altering the at-risk copy. Or, you can use our handy “Cite Source” feature to generate citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats and insert the citations directly into your document.

Plagiarism Checker Benefits

Whether producing original content or verifying that of others, there’s a lot to gain from using a plagiarism checker. Accurate, automatic detection of duplicate content facilitates the copy-checking process for teachers, students, content writers, and more. Results showing the exact percentage of plagiarized content allows users to see exactly how much text has been copied and where they need to re-word.

For Teachers

Before homework can be graded for quality, it must first be confirmed as original. Our easy-to-use tool arms teachers with a simple, effective way to verify and grade students’ work. Educators at all levels can benefit from ensuring academic integrity through a comprehensive plagiarism check. From K-12, all the way through higher education, teachers are faced with the task of verifying the originality of the work of dozens, if not hundreds, of students each year. Automating this process frees teachers up to focus on the quality of work, rather than be bogged down by its originality.

For Students

While the prevalence of academic plagiarism is on the rise, much of it is arguably unintentional. A simple, yet accurate and comprehensive, plagiarism checker offers students peace of mind when submitting written content for grading. It is much easier to do a quick check for potential plagiarism before submission rather than convince a teacher after the fact that your academic integrity is not in question. And Quetext even takes checking for plagiarism a step further, helping students identify and cite the source itself with our built-in citation generator.

For Copywriters

Plagiarism risk is not restricted to academia. Anyone tasked with writing for an individual or business has an ethical and legal responsibility to produce original content. On top of that, content writers are often tasked with producing content on topics outside of their wheelhouse, leaving them reliant on the work of others for their research. Our plagiarism checker gives content writers a quick and easy method to prevent copyright infringement. Checking even lengthy pieces of writing takes only a few minutes, keeping companies’ public content in check and writers’ integrity intact.

Types of Plagiarism

It’s important to understand that plagiarism expands far beyond just copying someone else’s work word-for-word. There are several different types of plagiarism that should be avoided.

Self-Plagiarism

Many believe that, as long as they produced the work at some point in the past, they can include it in future pieces. However, even if you were the original author, that original work must be cited in order to not be flagged as plagiarism. Treat your past self as a totally separate author; be sure to include all relevant citations and quotations, the same as you would for any other source.

Patchwork Plagiarism

Patchwork plagiarism is the act of piecing together a "patchwork" of existing content to form something new. Assembling unoriginal content in this manner often involves some paraphrasing, with only slight changes. This type of plagiarism can be tricky and can certainly occur unintentionally, especially in academia. Since academic writing is largely based on the research of others, a well-meaning student can inadvertently end up plagiarizing.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism is synonymous with patchwork plagiarism. It describes the process of loosely rearranging or restating another's work without issuing proper credit. It can occur accidentally or intentionally. For authors, mosaic plagiarism endangers their academic integrity or reputation as a writer. For those checking content originality, such as teachers, mosaic plagiarism can easily appear to be original content, which can make mosaic plagiarism especially difficult to detect manually.

Accidental Plagiarism

Plagiarism doesn’t have to be intentional to still be considered plagiarism — even in early academia, where students are just learning how to properly cite others’ work. While there may be no ill intent from the student, most schools have policies explicitly treating accidental plagiarism the same as intentional plagiarism. Students are expected to know how to properly issue credit to other authors. Similarly, content writers risk damage to their reputation if they produce plagiarized content, regardless of intent.

Plagiarism Checker FAQ

What is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is representing someone else’s work as your own. In educational contexts, there are differing definitions of plagiarism depending on the institution. Plagiarism is considered a violation of academic integrity and a breach of journalistic ethics.

What percentage of a paper can be plagiarized (or copied) and still be considered unique?

Generally speaking, similar or exact copies of another source should be kept under 15% for the total text of the article/paper/essay. As a best practice, citations should be used whenever using another source word-for-word.

What’s the difference between deliberate and accidental plagiarism?

Deliberate plagiarism is purposely copying works from books, articles, webpages, or someone else’s paper and representing it as your original work. Alternatively, accidental plagiarism occurs in a few different ways:

• Incorrectly citing another person’s works
• Failing to paraphrase another person’s works - even when citing it correctly
• Reusing your own previous papers and inadvertently representing it as a new idea

What are the consequences of plagiarism?

The consequences for plagiarizing another person’s works vary. But broadly speaking, the types of consequences can be grouped by person and profession.

Plagiarism consequences for students

Maintaining academic integrity is a top priority for every educational institution. As already mentioned, ignorance of how to properly cite sources is not an excuse for plagiarism. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are submitting work that has not been plagiarized.

Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including an automatic failed grade, removal from a class, or expulsion from a school or university. Students who are allowed to continue at their institution following an act of plagiarism may encounter mistrust and additional scrutiny from teachers and instructors.

Plagiarism consequences for copywriters

Copywriters stake their reputation (and by extension, that of their client or company) on their writing. All copywriters must produce completely original content for their clients.

The consequences for plagiarism here are clear: Copywriters who plagiarize the content of others will quickly find it difficult to obtain paying assignments. Similar to academic situations, it is the copywriter’s own responsibility to ensure that their content is 100% original.

Plagiarism consequences for journalists

Journalists are held to exceptionally high standards of integrity in their writing. A journalist who produces plagiarized content jeopardizes the trust of their readers and publishers. Plagiarism can instantly reduce a journalist’s career by a large margin. The ethical and legal standards issued to journalists are clear: Produce original, well-cited content or find another field.

Fast and Reliable Results with Quetext

Free Online Plagiarism Checker

Possible plagiarism detected!

If you submit this paper, your institution may take disciplinary measures against you. The content requires editing and modification of parts. We know how to make it unique.

This is weighted average of all matches in your text. For example, if half of your paper is 100% plagiarized, your score would be 50%

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How to avoid plagiarism?

Proper citation style.

Avoid plagiarism by always listing the source and formatting it correctly when you are note-taking. Take care of the proper formatting and citation style when using content from outside sources.

Write on your own

Avoid borrowing and overusing large pieces of the content from outside sources, especially from Wikipedia. Write your own thoughts and use sources only to support your opinion (remember to cite it though!).

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Plagiarism Checker Review

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Online Plagiarism Checker For Students

Writing an academic paper can be challenging when you’re not sure if it’s original enough to pass a plagiarism check. Of course, students take information from various sites before writing their own text. Sometimes, it just so happens that certain parts are very similar to your resources, making your professor think that you’ve just copied work from somewhere. That’s why it’s crucial for any modern college or university student to ensure that their work has 100% original content to maintain academic integrity.

Luckily, a free plagiarism checker online can solve this issue quickly and easily. Many professional writing services use a plagiarism checker for research paper. However, students sometimes forget that they should too. But with so many options that pop up when you ask Google to “check my paper for plagiarism”, how do you choose the right one for detection? We’ve got the solution in the form of PapersOwl’s free plagiarism checker tool! Our simple tool makes it convenient to check any writing task without having to spend a dime. It works quickly and highly accurately, ensuring that you get the top grade you deserve. So, if you want to check plagiarism online before turning your task in, head over to our website and get started!

Accurate Check for Plagiarism with Percentage

Many students wishing to produce original content aren’t quite sure how to get an exact percentage of plagiarised text in their work. This percentage is important since many universities have a certain limit of non-unique words you can have in your essay for it to be considered okay. If your plagiarism search doesn’t give you the exact percentage, you can’t be sure if your assignment will go through or not.

When using a free plagiarism tool, it’s essential to have this data provided to you. Only when you have it can you decide which parts to change and which ones to chuck out to achieve your desired results. Plagiarized content is a big issue in modern educational institutions, so getting reliable and trustworthy results is vital. This is the most essential requirement when you check plagiarism.

PapersOwl’s plagiarism detection tool gives you all the information you need to fix plagiarized content. Whether you’ve fallen victim to accidental plagiarism or have tried to make your life easier by copying some text from different sources, you’ll get an accurate percentage with our plagiarism checker online. If you’re wondering how to check paper for plagiarism, it’s nothing complicated at all! Simply visit our site, paste your whole essay into the relevant text box or upload the text file, click on Check For Plagiarism, and you’ll get accurate plagiarism results in a matter of seconds. You’ll see the problematic parts with plagiarism detected highlighted, with links to where similar content exists. Our service with plagiarism detector will also give you the option to check my paper for plagiarism and then to hire a professional writer to fix your task quickly if you’re busy with other things!

The Fastest Plagiarism Checker Online

Gaining insight into duplicate content only works if you get your results quickly. There are so many free plagiarism software online that promise to do the job for you. However, a lot of them are clunky, slow, and inaccurate. How can you produce original work without similarity detection you can trust?

PapersOwl stands out in this regard because it will detect plagiarism in seconds. This is a plagiarism scanner that’s able to perform a Swift Check to give you a uniqueness check right there and then. It also conducts a Deep Search, going through millions of sources on the internet to check for plagiarism. A document of about 1500 words takes only about 10 seconds to get processed! You get a clear plagiarism score of how much text is plagiarized and how much is original. All the sources that your essay matches are listed based on how much similarity there is in your academic writing. And on top of that, you get a handy Make It Unique button that’ll take you to an order page where you can ask our expert writers to rewrite your work and make it 100% unique.

All of this is done almost instantly, allowing students to continue working on their assignments without missing a beat. Not every plagiarism detection software works this quickly, making ours the best one you’ll ever use.

Plagiarism Checker Helps Boost Your Grade

A lot of students make the mistake of considering their papers automatically free from plagiarism. After all, they’ve written it themselves, so how could it be problematic? What they don’t realize is that it’s very easy to borrow some information mistakenly. Turning such a paper in can cause multiple problems, as your professor might think you haven’t done the work at all.

That is why you should always use a plagiarism scanner to test for plagiarized content in your college papers. Our online plagiarism checker for students is designed for this exact purpose. A simple, free plagiarism check could help you check plagiarism, fix any mistakes you see, and submit high-quality text that no one will question.

Our plagiarism detector has a lot going for it. It makes plagiarism detection easier than ever before. Unlike copying and pasting each passage individually into Google, simply upload the whole file into our plagiarism checker free for students, and you don’t have to do anything else. All the matches are highlighted so you know what to change.

The plagiarism test will give you a uniqueness percentage too. This will help you figure out where you stand and how much time you need to adjust anything if required. So, using our copyright checker online free to check your writing is essential. This way, you’ll submit the task only when you’re sure it meets the level of uniqueness required by your school. As a result, your grades will drastically improve when you check for plagiarism.

Benefits of Free Plagiarism Checker for Students

Our professional online plagiarism checker work offers too many benefits to ignore. With our plagiarism detector, you can enjoy highly accurate results as a comprehensive report. The plagiarism checker for students is designed to help you achieve 100% uniqueness without hassle. Here are the key advantages you can enjoy when you check plagiarism free with our plagiarism detection tool:

It’s completely free! We know you are on a tight budget and should be able to check your paper for plagiarism without worrying about payments, so we’ve made the best similarity checker free for all!

Our software detects plagiarism swiftly. It’ll show you detailed results in as little as 10 seconds so you can continue working immediately.

The report from our plagiarism tool gives you access to all the links from where it has detected similarities in your work. You can head to the relevant sites and see which information you must rewrite to improve your results.

Our best free plagiarism checker doesn’t require any skills and presents its services in a simple-to-use interface that anyone can use.

The plagiarism test allows you to get professional help with your work if you’re short on time. Simply ask one of our writers to rewrite the problematic parts of your text and enjoy top grades.

With PapersOwl plagiarism detector, there’s no need to search the internet for an accurate tool. We have many satisfied students worldwide who can vouch for our plagiarism-checking services. Give our online plagiarism checker free tries as often as you want and see how easy it is to produce original essays without spending a penny!

Free Tools for Writing

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How Does Plagiarism Checker Work?

• If you already have a completed text, all you need is just to copy-paste the whole thing in the special box of the chosen plagiarism tool or website, choose suitable settings (if any), then press “check for plagiarism”. It is quite simple and takes just a few moments.
• Once you have pressed “check for plagiarism”, the system will analyze your text and compare it with different sources to find similarities. As a rule, the duration depends on the text’s length. A standard free online plagiarism checker with percentage can give you the result within five minutes or less.
• When the system finishes the work you will be transmitted to the reporting page – it contains the comprehensive report on your work, a percentage of its uniqueness, and a list of sources on which similarities were detected. Often, such tools also highlight the overlaps that were found.

As you can see, it is simple. However, for the best and reliable result you have to be careful. There are tons of programs and online tools that can be used but keep in mind that many of them work differently and not all are good for you. To be confident in the truthfulness of the received result, you need to select the best plagiarism checker because only a professional and high-quality software can detect all similarities and give you a reasoned assessment.

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Advantages Of Plagiarism Checker By PapersOwl

Why choose us? Our service offers a professional online plagiarism checker with report that will provide you with a comprehensive report to make you confident in the 100% uniqueness of your paper. Our free plagiarism checker for students guarantees the best check and here are the key advantages of using our tool that prove this:

You don’t need to pay anything to check your paper for plagiarism because we know the value of original and unique works.

One of the main benefits of our antiplagiat checker online is that it works so fast that you will not even have enough time to make yourself a cup of coffee while it analyzes your text, and it is safe!

We use the latest and the best algorithms and software in order to provide you with an advanced check and help you receive the high-quality papers.

It is simple in use and won’t take much time!

Many students have already confirmed that our free tool is a great and convenient feature that helped them detect and fix errors that could lead to a failure. With us, you will no longer need to look for a different scanner!

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Plagiarism Checker FAQ

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Personalized Writing Help When You Need it

Unintentional plagiarism, grammar mistakes, and uncited sources  can turn what you thought was a good paper into a poor one. When you’re writing a paper the last thing you want is for your message to get lost due to incorrect punctuation or confusing sentence structure. You know that the great ideas in your head would make for a standout paper, if only you could get them written clearly on the page. If this struggle sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Great ideas may be an essential part of high-quality writing, but they’re not the only component. Excellent papers and essays clearly express strong ideas with good grammar, proper punctuation, spot-on spelling, and thorough, careful citations. While this may sound like a lot, your teachers and professors are grading you on your skills as both a writer and a researcher, which means your assignments will require an ethical and attentive approach. Luckily, there is no shortage of available tools to help you along your way.

You could use a plagiarism checker free, though, these tools often lack grammatical support. Given the high stakes and rigorous requirements, the aid of a plagiarism checker without the needed support of a grammar checker could mean the difference between an “A” paper and a “C” or even “D” paper.

Thankfully, the EasyBib Plus plagiarism tool provides all-in-one support to cover all your bases. Our premium essay checker is convenient, easy to use, and includes access to a grammar and spell checker, plus a plagiarism checker. With a single scan, you’ll receive personalized feedback to help identify potentially missing citations and help improve your sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and more.

Not sure if that noun is spelled correctly, or if the preposition at the end of your sentence is grammatically correct? The EasyBib Plus plagiarism tool is your one-stop shop to help check plagiarism, get grammatical suggestions, correct spelling and punctuation errors, and help create polished papers you can be proud to turn in. And, we haven’t told you the best part yet: you can try our tool free and scan your work for grammar suggestions right now!

Access all the tools today!

A Grammar Check for Peace of Mind

You know that grammar plays a significant role in your assignments. Not only does it factor into your overall grade, but without clear and precise language, your ideas can lose their impact or might even be misunderstood entirely. Still, with so many different parts of speech and rules to learn and apply, it’s not uncommon to get them mixed up and find yourself questioning your knowledge now and again:

Can you use an adverb to modify a noun? (No. You need an adjective for that.)

Well, can you use it to modify a pronoun ? (Still no.)

What do they modify, then? (Almost everything else. Fun, right?)

Ugh. (That was an interjection .)

Does this have to be so difficult? (Nope!)

Scanning your paper with the EasyBib Plus writing tool delivers more than the basic punctuation and spell check functions that come standard in word processing programs. You’ll receive immediate, targeted feedback that can help improve the sentence structure and style of your writing. Not only can this help ensure that you don’t lose points off your grade for grammatical errors such as mismatched verb tense, but it can also help to clarify your meaning and strengthen your arguments by eliminating confusing punctuation and run-on sentences that confuse readers.

Reviewing your work to correct errors and refine the flow of your writing is a critical part of the revision process for novices and novelists alike. Even the most conscientious of wordsmiths might make mistakes, such as using a conjunctive adverb in place of a coordinating conjunction or pairing a plural determiner with an uncountable word. They likely appreciate a subscription-based or free grammar check as much as a beginning writer. That’s why the EasyBib Plus writing tool is designed for all writers, from students who are still learning the fundamentals to published professionals who get paid by the word.

The EasyBib Plus writing tool provides quick, targeted feedback that you can use to help improve your writing immediately. Also, our free resource library is available 24/7, just like the rest of our tools, to help you brush up on the areas that challenge you the most (Conjunctive what? Uncountable who?) That means you can continue to sharpen your skills and improve your writing over time, which will help make finishing your next project easier.

Ready to give your paper a boost? Sign up for EasyBib Plus or scan a paper right now for a free spell check—it’s easy!Just upload or copy and paste your paper to the online grammar check tool and, in a matter of seconds, you’ll be able to receive up to 5 feedback cards so you can begin polishing your draft.

To learn more about proofreading tools, you can find more info here. Or, for more tips on grammar, punctuation, and style, check out this useful reference .

Why is Grammar So Important, Anyway?

Why is grammar important? As long as others know what you mean, does it really matter if you use proper grammar? These are age-old questions, but the answers remain unchanged. Grammar is important for many reasons:

Communication:  Communication is about more than merely listening and talking. We communicate in myriad ways: with our voices, our mannerisms, our facial expressions, our actions, and frequently, our written words. Written communication is just as important as all the other ways we broadcast our thoughts and feelings. Unlike our other communication methods, though, written communication leaves a record. While most of us relax our style when talking to or texting friends, the fact remains that more formal venues require a more formal tone. Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation are a necessary element of professional and academic writing, so running your work through a spelling and grammar check before you submit it is an absolute must.

Clarity:  Expressing your thoughts, ideas, and opinions is an uphill battle when you communicate them with less-than-stellar punctuation, spelling, and grammar. A missing or misplaced comma, for example, can entirely change your meaning:

• Call me Ishmael = My name is Ishmael.
• Call me, Ishmael = I want Ishmael to call me.

Spelling errors can result in similarly muddled meaning:

• Her shoes perfectly complemented her dress. = Her shoes and dress go well together.
• Her shoes perfectly complimented her dress. = Her shoes can both speak and engage in flattery.

Grammar deficiencies such as a dangling modifier yield similarly confusing results:

• I saw the girl’s purple backpack in the library. = The purple backpack belonging to the girl is in the library; I saw it.
• I saw the purple girl’s backpack in the library. = You know the girl who mysteriously turned purple? I saw her backpack in the library. This week has not been easy on her.

Credibility: Establishing your credibility is critical whether you’re writing for school or business. Proving that you can reliably communicate using proper grammar is essential to establishing and maintaining the trust of your teachers, professors, readers, customers, and colleagues.

To learn even more about the importance of English grammar in writing, check here .

What Happens After I Upload My Paper?

Once you upload a paper, the EasyBib Plus grammar checker scans your text and highlights grammar issues within your document so you can see it in context. For users running a grammar check and spell check using the grammar check free tool, up to the first 5 issues are shown. For subscription subscribers, all of the areas that require your review will be highlighted once the scan is complete.

No matter which version of the tool you’re using, your feedback will include detailed explanations so you can understand why the text was flagged. Other highlighted areas will include examples of how the issues can be fixed. Some will include a detailed explanation as to why the issue was flagged. This personalized feedback allows you to make an educated decision about whether to edit your text or dismiss the suggestion, so you’re always in control of your final draft.

Subscription users also have the plagiarism checker at their disposal when scanning their papers for style and grammar suggestions. Just as with our other writing tools, when you use the tool to check plagiarism, changes are never made without your review, so you are always in the driver’s seat. You can review each highlighted area as well as the sources of matching text and will always be given a choice to either accept or ignore both citation and grammar suggestions.

Whether you are a student or a professional, the EasyBib Plus tools are powerful allies that can help you improve your paper, establish credibility as a writer, and maintain an ethical writing process.

Try our checker free for 3 days to see what you think*. Trust us; you’ll wonder how you got along so far without it!

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Check for Unintentional Plagiarism

Persistent use of the best grammar checker and spell checker you can find will help to shape up the style and substance of your composition. However, to ensure the integrity of your work and root out unintentional instances of academic dishonesty, you’ll also need to incorporate a subscription-based or free plagiarism checker for students.

The ability to scan your paper and check plagiarism and grammar before submitting your work is an invaluable tool for students. It’s so valuable, in fact, that students are not the only ones who consistently use this type of software.

Many teachers and professors use a service to ensure that student papers are original and include properly formatted and sourced citations for all reference materials. For some, this may be a consistent element of their grading process, while others may utilize one only when they feel there is a reason to do so.

What Exactly Does a Plagiarism Checker Do?

If you’ve used an online plagiarism checker before, you may be familiar with the process that these tools employ. For those who have never used one, it can be helpful to understand how these tools work and what you should expect as a result of using one.

The most basic free tools will scan your paper and provide you with a percentage that indicates how much of your work is original. This feature can be useful to a point, as some instructors and institutions set a percentage for the amount of similar text that is considered acceptable. This policy does not mean that they are lenient about academic dishonesty but, instead, that they recognize that similar or even matching word choice is not always an indicator of copying.

However, some schools do not tolerate any form of incremental plagiarism, period. In these institutions, “check paper for plagiarism” is likely a standard action when grading all papers.

With a free plagiarism checker, the percentage of word-for-word plagiarism in your text may be the only feedback you receive. Moreover, some of these providers may wade in unethical waters, and offer essay writing services in conjunction with their checking services. This is why many students and teachers prefer subscription-based checkers that focus on integrity, such as the EasyBib writing tools.

With our premium tools, you get more than just supporting proof that your paper is original and in your own words. Your writing is scanned for potentially matching text and areas that needs your attention is highlighted. We’ll provide you with the source of the matching text so you can review it and decide how to proceed. If you agree that a citation is needed, our citation tools and resources will provide you with the information you need to help format and insert the new sources in your text as well as your works cited page.

How Does the EasyBib Plus Online Plagiarism Checker Work?

The EasyBib Plus writing tool provides an all-in-one spell check, grammar review, and plagiarism checker that not only helps you with the paper you’re writing now but enables you to gain new knowledge and improve your writing for the future, too.

Our essay checker searches online for phrases, sentences, or passages that are similar to those in your paper. If it returns matching text, this may indicate that you have passages that are missing citations.

Just as with many checkers, our tool will tell you how many instances of matching text it finds in your paper. Our plagiarism tool is designed to do more than most free tools, however.

When a portion of your paper is flagged for review, we provide you with the source that it matches. As with our online spell check tool, you have the power to review each area and choose how to proceed. If you decide to cite the flagged text, you can review the suggested source and access our citation tools to help create a proper citation and start building a bibliography for your paper. Or, you may determine that no citation is needed, in which case it’s simple to dismiss the suggestion and continue to the next section.

If you’re unsure about how to proceed, our library of resources can help you learn more and make an educated decision. In this way, you gain more than just the ability to correct your work; over time, you can learn how to avoid plagiarism altogether.

Reasons Your Teacher May Run Your Paper Through a Plagiarism Detector

As stated previously, your teachers and professors grade papers with a fixed process that includes “check paper for plagiarism” as a standard, across-the-board action. Others may check for plagiarism only when they feel there is cause to do so. There are a few red flags that may stand out to them while reviewing a paper that would lead to their running a plagiarism check, including:

Style/Voice:  Most teachers are familiar with the style and voice that you use in your writing. While most will hope that the feedback they provide when grading your work will help you to improve problem areas over time, a paper or essay that has a dramatically different style or voice than the work you’ve previously submitted can be a red flag.

Inconsistency:  Changes in the font, font size, formality, formatting, and more may indicate that portions of a paper have been copied and pasted. If these inconsistent passages are not presented as quotations or don’t include citations, this may further indicate to your teacher that there’s plagiarism in the paper.

Old References:  Part of a well-researched paper is verifying the legitimacy and relevance of your sources. While some older references may be acceptable depending on the topic, if all of your sources are outdated, it may lead your teacher to believe that you’ve recycled your own work or someone else’s.

Looking for a checker to try? With EasyBib Plus you get unlimited checks to give you peace of mind when turning in your papers!

What is Plagiarism?

If you’re looking for a free online plagiarism checker , you’re already aware that it’s not something you want to be found in your papers. However, you may still be wondering: what does plagiarism mean? It’s a reasonable question and one that merits exploring. After all, some of the actions and circumstances that fall within the plagiarism definition come as a surprise to those who only learn that they’ve committed them after it’s too late.

So what is plagiarism? To define plagiarism in the most basic sense, you might say that it is taking someone else’s ideas and words and passing them off as your own.

If your goal is avoiding plagiarism entirely, you’ll need to go beyond the basics to thoroughly define plagiarism, recognize it, and keep clear of it. Some examples of plagiarism that students find surprising include forgotten citations, poor paraphrasing, and re-submitting your own work in whole or in part for more than one assignment. This useful article provides more help in recognizing and understanding the different forms that academic dishonesty can take.

Of course, using your own words and ideas does not count as plagiarism, nor does using common knowledge . Basically, common knowledge is information that is well known by the average person. Examples of common knowledge:

• there are 12 months in a year
• the freezing point of Celsius is zero degrees
• Socrates was a Greek philosopher

So should you only include your original thoughts and common knowledge in your papers? Of course not! Research-based assignments are meant to demonstrate your skills as a researcher, after all, as well as your ability to build upon the work of others to formulate new ideas. To avoid accidentally committing an act that falls within the plagiarism definition when you’re using another person’s words or ideas, though, you need to give them proper credit. This means you’ll need to clearly identify direct quotations or properly paraphrase them when including them in your paper.

Regardless of your approach, you’ll also need to cite your sources according to the style your professor specifies. Generally, you will use MLA format for the arts and humanities and APA format for the sciences, but it’s always best to check with your instructor when you’re unsure.

If you know what style to use but still aren’t sure how to create your citations, don’t fret! Our library of resources includes free guides to help you learn about various styles so you can properly structure and place them. And our premium tools not only help you check grammar, spelling, and originality in your papers, but subscribers also enjoy access to our citation creation tools!

What are the Different Types of Plagiarism?

In addition to the question “what is plagiarism,” you may also be wondering, “why do students plagiarize?” While some students do intentionally plagiarize because they believe they can pass off someone else’s work as their own to avoid spending time on their assignments, many others do so accidentally. They may not understand how broad the plagiarism definition is or they haven’t learned how to research and cite their sources properly. That is why it is vital to recognize plagiarism in all of its forms if you wish to ensure the integrity of your work.

Examples of plagiarism & How to prevent it

Direct plagiarism:

Intentionally copying another person’s work without including a citation that gives credit to the source. When most students are asked to identify potential plagiarism examples and behaviors, this direct and deliberate act is what they think of first.

• Prevention: If you use an idea or quote from another source, cite it in the text. Make it clear that it was not your own words. 

Incremental plagiarism:

Copying parts of another person’s work, such as phrases, sentences, or paragraphs without crediting the source. When deciding which tools to use to check a paper for plagiarism , instructors often seek out those that will identify incremental forms as well as instances of direct copying and similar phrasing.

• Prevention : Decide to either directly quote the phrases or sentences you want to use, or write a good paraphrase. In both cases, be sure to add a citation. Using a plagiarism checker could also help you identify problematic passages.

Self-plagiarism:

Academic self-plagiarism occurs when a student submits the same paper or parts of a paper for more than one assignment. When your instructors are grading your papers, they’re assessing your research and writing skills in the present. When you submit work that you completed in the past, they are both unable to evaluate your current skills and unaware that you haven’t completed the assignment.

• Prevention: Write a new paper for each assignment you’re assigned. If you feel strongly that your past work could enhance your new paper, speak to your instructor and ask for permission first.

Misleading citations:

Including a citation for a quote or idea that misrepresents the source material. This can occur if a student does not understand the reference they are citing; if a student includes a citation for a disreputable source; or the source material simply does not align with the idea or argument that the student has attributed to it.

• Prevention: Carefully review your assignment to understand it. As you research, take the time to evaluate each source notes . Remember, it’s better to have quality citations over an abundance of citations.

Invented sources:

If a reference in a student’s bibliography is found not to exist, it is considered an invented source. This may occur if a student couldn’t find a reputable source to back their argument, or if they needed to include additional references to meet the requirements of the assignment and chose to take an unethical shortcut rather than completing the required amount of research. No matter the reason, this behavior ultimately hurts them in the long run. Not only will they fail to gain the experience they need to conduct research in the future properly, but they’ll also experience significant consequences if they’re caught.

• Prevention: Set aside time to do proper research so you can find enough sources. Start creating a list of sources as you’re researching and take good notes. This will help you keep track of your sources so none are forgotten. If you do end up forgetting where a quote came from, a paper checker could help you pinpoint the original source. 

Patchwriting/Spinning:

Patchwriting is often confused with paraphrasing, but there’s a significant difference. When you paraphrase, you demonstrate that you understand the topic well enough to restate it in your own words. When you patchwrite or spin, it is more akin to a word-swapping game; there’s no need to understand the subject, merely to have access to a thesaurus so you can substitute enough synonyms to mask the source material. This can be intentional, but it may also be a result of having a poor understanding of how to paraphrase.

• Prevention: Using your own words, write down the key points of the phrase or idea, and put them together in a sentence. Be sure to include a citation as well. 

A good way to test if you’re patchwriting or paraphrasing is to remove your sources from view. If you can write about what you’ve read without looking at the source material, you likely understand it well enough to paraphrase it. If you have to review the source material with each new sentence or consult a thesaurus while writing about it (except when you’re adding direct quotations), you may be spinning your sources instead of paraphrasing them.

Academic Integrity Policies and Statements

If you’re still uncertain about what counts as plagiarism, look for your school’s/ organization’s policies on academic integrity and plagiarism. The policies of academic institutions usually cover what is considered plagiarism, the consequences of committing it, and how to avoid it. One great example is Purdue University’s Academic Integrity statement .

What are the Consequences of Plagiarism?

No matter the setting, plagiarism is not taken lightly, and the consequences can be significant. For a good reason, too! Whether in an academic or professional setting, the plagiarism consequences reflect the seriousness of the act, which is ultimately a form of theft that hurts everyone involved.

Just as with the theft of a tangible object, there can be legal punishments for plagiarism. It is, after all, a form of copyright infringement in many instances. A quick search for plagiarism articles will reveal that professional instances of intellectual theft have resulted in civil lawsuits and can even be criminally prosecuted under rare circumstances. In addition to the possible legal consequences, professionals may lose their jobs or have to start over in a new field after their acts of fraud are uncovered.

As a student, you’re likely to wonder what happens if you plagiarize in college or high school. While there will almost always be consequences for this behavior, there is no one-size-fits-all plagiarism sentence. Depending on the circumstances, academic dishonesty could result in outcomes such as:

• You might get a zero for the assignment in which the infringement occurred.
• You may receive a failing grade for the class. If it is a required course, this could leave you without enough credits to move on to the next level until you can repeat it and, in some instances, postpone graduation.
• You may be expelled from your school or university.

The academic dishonesty may be noted on your transcript, which can lead to you not getting into your preferred college, graduate school, or Ph.D. program in the future.

Nobody wants to be known as a fraud or to have a reputation for dishonesty follow them through their career. And, given the consequences that can extend beyond just their reputation, it’s no wonder that professional and academic writers who wish to avoid them take the time to understand the complete definition of plagiarism and run their work through a plagiarism checker before sending it out into the world.

Even the vigilant can fall prey to inferior tools, unfortunately. Before selecting a plagiarism checker, you should understand how they work and what they can (and cannot) detect.

How We Check for Plagiarism

When exploring how to check for plagiarism, most students and professionals conclude that including a checking tool in their revision process is not only helpful but necessary. When you consider the Herculean task of checking each line of your paper against the text of each of your resources, the benefits of a checker are clear. Moreover, this manual approach would only alert you to matching text in the sources you’re aware of, after all, and leaves the sources you haven’t reviewed untouched.

But, hang on. Why would sources you haven’t reviewed factor into your review? The answer to this lies in the plagiarism definition you learned above. What is plagiarism? It’s presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, intentionally or otherwise. It is not uncommon to uncover an idea while you’re researching a topic and later misremember it as your own. This might even occur years after you originally came across it.

You might wonder: how can plagiarism be avoided if you have to account for the source of every thought you include in your work? A few exceptions minimize the scope of this. Common knowledge about your topic does not need to be supported by a citation, nor does knowledge that you gained through your personal experience. Using a subscription-based or free plagiarism checker will help you locate any passages that may fall into these categories so you can review them and decide for yourself whether a citation is needed.

EasyBib Plus writing tools provide easy, convenient, and reliable support to help you find potentially missed citations and can help you improve your paper into a high-quality paper with integrity. Simply upload your paper, select the checker, then sit back and relax as the site scans your document. In mere moments, we’ll search the web for passages of similar text and highlight duplicate content for your review.

Regardless of the tools you use to help you revise and polish your work, it’s ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you’re writing and submitting ethical work. That’s why our tools go beyond the basics and require your participation. The tool never automatically makes changes to your paper, but only flags sections that may need your attention and provides you with the matching source so you can to make an educated decision.

If you find that a citation is needed, our citation tools can help you create properly formatted citations and develop a complete bibliography. And, if you review the passage and determine that the match is coincidental, you can dismiss the alert and move on to the next.

Seamless Citation Creation

Professional writers and students alike can find creating citations incredibly confusing. Nevertheless, they are an integral part of a well-written and researched paper and a requirement in almost all academic settings. But, have you ever wondered why they are so important? Citations really do have a purpose—other than driving us crazy— that make it necessary always to cite our sources.

We cite our sources for a few important reasons:

We need to give credit where credit is due. When you use a quote from someone else’s work, you need to give credit for using their words and ideas. Research is often based on the works and ideas of others. However, to include the words and ideas of another without giving them proper credit is to plagiarize, even if the act was unintentional.

In addition, showing that you’ve done proper research by including in text & parenthetical citations and a comprehensive list of sources to back up your arguments gives your work a layer of credibility that can help you earn the trust of your reader or teacher.

Readers can find the sources you used.  When you’re writing high school or undergraduate papers, your only readers may be your instructors and peers. However, including citations at every level of writing helps to ensure that anyone who reads your work can access your sources to check their accuracy, learn more about your topic, and further their own research.

Sources can take your research and learning to the next level, too. When you are conducting research on a topic, checking the works cited or annotated bibliographies prepared by your sources can lead you down new avenues in your research to further develop your ideas and help you write your papers.

Correctly utilizing citations gives strength to your thoughts and opinions. Understanding the value of citations does not, unfortunately, make them any easier to create. We know how confusing it can be, but don’t throw in the towel on learning how to cite websites in MLA , create your APA citation website references, or format your works cited —this is where we come in!

While a free online plagiarism detector may tell you how much of your work is unoriginal and may even identify the passages that meet their plagiarize definition, a premium EasyBib Plus plagiarism checker account also gives you access to our powerful citation resources and generator so you can:

Scan your papers with the plagiarism tool to check for plagiarism-free work before you submit.

Review flagged passages to determine if they meet the plagiarism definition and create unlimited citations in APA format and MLA format for anything fitting the plagiarism meaning. Need more styles ? Check out our regular citation generator for thousands of choices and free resources to help you learn how to create an APA parenthetical citation , APA book citation , APA works cited , and so much more!

Build a full bibliography for your paper right along with your parenthetical or in-text citations, which can save you hours of work along the way compared to manually creating and formatting them.

How Else Do We Help You Improve Your Paper?

The EasyBib Plus plagiarism detector helps you check your content or paper for text that may be missing a citation—which may fall within the definition of plagiarism—to help ensure you don’t accidentally plagiarize. It also includes grammar check and spelling check tools to help identify errors and suggest grammatical tweaks that could help to elevate the level of your writing.

Running a plagiarism check couldn’t be easier! Just upload your paper to the online proofreader, and in a few moments we’ll have your writing and citing suggestions. And, there’s no need to worry about your paper after it’s been scanned.

Run a Grammar and Spell Check for Free!

There’s no denying that your schoolwork can be challenging at times, and your assignments can lead to some late nights even when you’ve started them early. The last thing you want is to submit assignments that don’t reflect your best effort, but it can occasionally be quite the juggling act to get everything done on time.

Why not let our plagiarism checker free up space on your calendar by helping you revise your papers quickly and efficiently? The EasyBib Plus paper checker is your one-stop shop to check for plagiarism, create citations, spot spelling mistakes, and receive feedback on your grammar and style.

When you proofread and do a manual spelling check on work that you’ve written, you’re more likely to overlook mistakes. This is even more likely if you’re pressed for time or trying to complete several different assignments at once. There are tricks to help minimize this, such as reading your work aloud to identify poor grammar or reading each sentence backward to find spelling errors. When time is of the essence, though, these solutions aren’t the most convenient or useful options. That’s why many students seek the assistance of online tools that will run a grammar and plagiarism check on their work.

Are you asking yourself, “ How do I check my grammar online ?” We’ve got the perfect checker for you! Our advanced tools help you find and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Our targeted feedback and free writing and citing resources help you learn as you go to improve your writing over time.

The best part? You can use our grammar and writing tools any time of the day, any day of the year for! Looking to try it? Just upload or copy and paste your text into our online proofreader for a free grammar check with up to 5 suggestions, or sign up for EasyBib Plus today! EasyBib Plus gives you use of the plagiarism checker and unlimited access to suggestions that can help improve your spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, writing style, and grammar.

Published February 3, 2019. Updated April 9, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Melissa DeVrieze Meyer . Michele is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib. You can find her here on Twitter. Melissa is a professional writer and editor based in New Jersey. She writes for academic brands and independent publishers about writing, grammar, and literature, and creates study and curriculum materials for ESL learners. You can find her on Twitter .

Visit our EasyBib Twitter feed to discover more citing tips, fun grammar facts, and the latest product updates.

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How to Check an Essay for Plagiarism

Last Updated: October 10, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by César de León, M.Ed. . César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. This article has been viewed 91,642 times.

Plagiarism is the act of copying someone's work or ideas and claiming them as your own. It can even be copying your own written ideas. Essay plagiarism can be as simple as copying a paragraph from another source without citation, but it can also be as severe as copying entire pages from another written source, such as an essay, book, post, or article. To check for plagiarism, you need to know the common mistakes of plagiarists, as well as ways to confirm your suspicions.

Looking for Warning Signs in the Style and Grammar

• For instance, does this person usually make typos, but all of a sudden provides a perfectly clean essay? Does this person usually have incoherent or poorly formed concepts, then suddenly presents well-formulated statements?
• Pull out the student’s portfolio of work from your class as a point of comparison. If you are suspicious, it maybe helpful to request copies of the student’s work from fellow teachers, too.

• You may also note that points of view shift or that the student abruptly ends thoughts by switching to another topic.
• Also, look for a weak start and end with an amazing middle, or some other mix of weak and strong areas. While this mixture can be a sign of a student struggling to shape an essay logically, it can also be a sign of plagiarism if a student has cut and pasted from various sources.

• However, inconsistent spelling can also be the work of a poor writer.

• For example, if you are teaching intro composition and the student is doing graduate-level work, you might want to check their essay more closely.

• For instance, you may find that when discussing a book like Frankenstein, a particular phrase such as "represents the monster within each of us," shows up across many papers.

Checking for Other Signs of Plagiarism

• Also, check if the citation even exists. In some cases, students make up the citations altogether, or claim that a chapter essay in a book exists when it doesn't. Perhaps you have access to the book in question and can check. Check Google Books, or look online for article citations.

• Also check for old resources, which may indicate the paper is older.

Confirming Plagiarism

• If the text has been copied either verbatim or fairly closely, it's likely that the search engine will return some exact matches. Any online source that has the same text should appear on the first page of results.

• Turnitin is one widely used site for plagiarism checking. You can also try Plagiarisma or Copyleaks.

• If you're not 100 percent sure the student plagiarized, you can also use the meeting to determine if the student actually knows the material or not. [8] X Research source However, some introverted students may freeze up under these circumstances, whether they wrote the material or not, which makes it tricky sometimes to detect plagiarism.
• Usually, if the student actually wrote the paper, they will know what they are talking about and will be able to talk about it thoroughly with you. And generally, if they didn’t write it themselves, they will not be able to do this.

• For younger students, contact the student’s parents and follow up with any relevant administrators who need to be aware of the incident. Talking to older students directly is acceptable, and there will typically be repercussions at the school’s honor council.

Expert Q&A

• Show students how to avoid plagiarism. Don't just scare them off, as for some students, scare tactics can often result in defiance or a need to get one over on you. Give them the tools and pathways to write and research better. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• It will be harder to spot a person who pays someone to write an original essay or do an exam for them. Check to see whether your institution has checks in place to ensure that the right person turns up to sit exams and use your expectations of the student or class level to guide your own instincts about the work you're reading. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ César de León, M.Ed.. Educational Leadership Consultant. Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.
• ↑ https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/resources/teachers/detect-plagiarism/
• ↑ https://www.library.kent.edu/files/Library_Live_II_Ways_to_detect_Plagiarism.pdf
• ↑ https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/writing/detectaddressplagiarism.html

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The essay writing power remains in your hands. You choose which suggestions you want to accept and you can ignore those that you don’t think apply.

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Yes! ProWritingAid’s plagiarism checker will check your work against over a billion web-pages, published works, and academic papers, so you can be sure of its originality. Find out more about pricing for plagiarism checks here .

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How to Detect Plagiarism

Last Updated: March 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by César de León, M.Ed. . César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 79,095 times.

If you’re a teacher, you’ve likely encountered plagiarism more than once. This can be really frustrating, even if the student doesn’t do it on purpose. When you’re grading, utilize online tools to check any papers that seem like they might have “borrowed” from a source without citing it. You can also use specific software to check all papers and keep an eye out for red flags as you read. It’s also a good idea to be proactive and educate students so that you can prevent future offenses.

Things You Should Know

• Copy and paste the text into a free online plagiarism tool to easily detect plagiarism.
• Keep an eye out for abrupt changes in style or voice, odd formatting changes, and papers that veer off-topic.
• Plagiarism is sometimes an honest mistake. Make sure you clearly define what is and isn't considered plagiarism for your students.

Using Online Tools

• This is a simple and free way to check for plagiarism. [1] X Research source
• If you find that it is a case of plagiarism, make sure to save the link to the site where you found the original source.

• Dupli Checker

• Some of the most popular services are Turnitin.com and EVE (Essay Verification Engine).

Reading Critically to Catch Plagiarism

• Try requiring a specific font type and size. That might make it even easier to notice if someone changes the format.

• If you require APA formatting and the student uses Chicago, for example, that is a sign that they might have copied the sources from another paper or site.

• For example, maybe you asked a question specifically about Reagan’s economic policies. If the essay starts with an introduction on that topic but then ends up discussing issues completely unrelated to economics, the student might have used a generic essay on President Reagan to copy.

• For example, this passage has distinctly different styles within it: “I really liked watching the movie. Director Ava Duvernay deftly weaves emotion and facts in her portrayal of this watershed event. All of the acting was cool!” The middle sentence doesn’t have the same tone or style as the other sentences.

• You could say, “You made a really sophisticated argument when you compared Shakespeare to more modern playwrights. What led you down that path?” If the student can't articulate answers about their paper, that is a red flag.

Preventing Plagiarism and Dealing with Offenders

• You can say something like, “Anything that is not general knowledge or your own idea needs a citation. Direct quotes and statistics must always have a citation.”
• If your school has a policy on plagiarism, include it in your syllabus. If necessary, you can write your own.

• You can also include a link to the citation guide in the guidelines for the paper.

• If you teach the same class every year, make sure to change up the paper topics each term. This will help cut down on students using papers that previous students wrote.

• If you aren’t sure what the policy is, ask a co-worker or your supervisor to provide you with that information.
• Meet with the student first if you think it was an innocent mistake. Many students plagiarize without even realizing it. Consider talking to the student first to see if they understand what they did wrong.

Expert Q&A

• Trust your gut. If you think something is off, it probably is. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are worried that you accidentally plagiarized, you can check your work using the same tools as your teacher. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/9335819?hl=en
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/plagiarism-checker
• ↑ César de León, M.Ed.. Educational Leadership Consultant. Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.
• ↑ http://libguides.law.umich.edu/c.php?g=38132&p=242784
• ↑ https://www.library.kent.edu/files/Library_Live_II_Ways_to_detect_Plagiarism.pdf
• ↑ https://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/academic-misconduct-intro/plagiarism/detect-plagiarism/
• ↑ https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/resources/teachers/detect-plagiarism/
• ↑ https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/writing/preventplagiarism.html
• ↑ https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/preventing-plagiarism/

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Resources for Teachers: How to Detect Plagiarism

Plagiarism is unacceptable academic behavior. The best approach, of course, is to prevent plagiarism from occurring in the first place, but sometimes that is simply impossible. MIT’s Policies and Procedures spells out “Procedures for Dealing with Student Academic Dishonesty.” In those cases, it is important to be able to detect plagiarism.

Warning Signs

Unusual phrasings, noticeable unevenness of style (some very sophisticated sentences followed by some amateurish ones), concepts that seem too sophisticated for the level of the class, unclear or incorrect sources listed in the bibliography, a writing style or diction choice in a particular paper that seems inconsistent with that found in other samples of the student’s writing — these are some of the signals that you might be reading a plagiarized paper.

One technique to detect plagiarism is to enter an unusual phrase or sentence into a standard search engine (e.g., Google ) and see if a match is found. A second technique is holding a conference with the student writer and discussing the paper to determine the student’s familiarity with his/her own paper and its concepts.

Dwight Gardner’s “ Beg, Borrow, Or … ” from Salon.com reminds us that plagiarism occurs in the literary world as well.

Kim McMurty’s article “ e-cheating: Combating a 21st Century Challenge ” in The Journal (March 2002) offers some insights into this issue.

Detection Tools

The following sites offer tools and techniques for detecting plagiarism.

•  Plagiarism and Anti-Plagiarism (Source: Rutgers University)
•   Plagiarism.org (A service that requires payment but which gives a free trial)
•   SafeAssign
•  Glatt Plagiarism Services

Know the “Enemy”

Here are some Web sites that offer papers to students, either for free or for money. New sites appear weekly, so the following is a mere sampling. Seeing what these sites offer, however, can help us know what to look for and can help us develop strategies for making such plagiarism extremely difficult.

• Essay World
• FreeEssayNetwork
• Top 100 Essay Sites
• Adventures in Cheating

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How To Check For Plagiarism In Google Docs

Approximately 58% of college students admit to plagiarizing at some point, highlighting a significant issue in academia and beyond. In today’s information-rich world, maintaining originality is crucial to avoid severe consequences, such as academic penalties and damaged reputations.

This article guides you on how to check for plagiarism in Google Docs using the PlagiarismSearch add-on . This tool helps you ensure your work is original and plagiarism-free, providing detailed reports for necessary corrections. Ideal for students, educators, researchers, and professionals, PlagiarismSearch aids in producing high-quality, original content.

Importance of Plagiarism Checking

Academic integrity.

Plagiarism checks are essential for maintaining academic integrity. For students and educators, originality is the foundation of genuine learning and scholarship. When students submit work that is not their own, they miss out on the learning process and undermine the value of their education. Educational institutions emphasize the importance of original work and proper citation to foster an environment of honesty and intellectual growth.

Consequences of plagiarism in academic settings can be severe:

• Failing Grades : Students caught plagiarizing often receive failing grades on the assignments in question, which can significantly impact their overall academic performance.
• Disciplinary Actions : Many schools have strict academic policies that can lead to disciplinary actions, such as suspension or even expulsion, for repeated or severe cases of plagiarism.

By using tools like PlagiarismSearch, students can verify the originality of their work before submission, ensuring they meet academic standards and avoid these serious repercussions.

Professional Standards

In the professional world, originality in writing and content creation is equally important. Whether it’s crafting articles, research papers, marketing content, or other forms of professional writing, maintaining originality helps build credibility and trust. Plagiarism can severely damage a professional’s reputation and career.

Potential repercussions of plagiarism in professional contexts include:

• Reputational Damage : Once plagiarism is discovered, it can tarnish a professional’s reputation, making it difficult to regain trust and credibility.
• Legal Consequences : Plagiarism can lead to legal issues, especially if copyrighted material is used without permission. This can result in lawsuits and financial penalties.

Using plagiarism detection tools ensures that professionals produce original content, maintaining their integrity and avoiding potential legal and reputational issues.

Legal and Ethical Implications

Beyond academic and professional settings, plagiarism has significant legal and ethical implications. Intellectual property rights are designed to protect creators’ work. When someone uses another person’s work without proper attribution, it violates these rights and can lead to legal consequences.

Ethically, plagiarism is a form of dishonesty. It disrespects the original creator’s effort and creativity. In the digital age, where information is easily accessible, it’s even more important to uphold ethical standards by properly attributing sources and avoiding plagiarism.

By integrating plagiarism checks into the writing process, individuals can ensure they respect intellectual property rights and uphold ethical standards in their work.

Plagiarism checks are crucial across various contexts—academic, professional, and ethical. Tools like PlagiarismSearch help maintain integrity by ensuring the originality of content. Whether you are a student, educator, or professional, incorporating plagiarism detection into your workflow can help you produce high-quality, original work and avoid the serious consequences of plagiarism.

Overview of Plagiarism Detection Tools

Built-in google tools.

Google Docs’ Originality Reports help educational users check for plagiarism by comparing submissions against billions of web pages and books, integrated with Google Classroom.

Third-party Add-ons

Several third-party add-ons offer comprehensive plagiarism detection:

• PlagiarismSearch : Real-time detection, detailed reports, Google Docs integration.
• Unicheck : Color-coded reports, multiple file formats, educational platform integration.
• Turnitin : Comprehensive database, detailed reports, feedback tools.

Benefits of Using Third-party Tools

Using third-party plagiarism detection tools offers several advantages:

• Comprehensive Checks : These tools often have access to larger and more diverse databases, improving the accuracy of plagiarism detection.
• Additional Features : Many third-party tools offer extra features such as grammar checking, writing suggestions, and readability enhancements.
• Flexibility and Customization : Users can tailor the settings to fit their specific needs, whether for academic, professional, or personal use.
• Integration : These tools integrate smoothly with Google Docs and other platforms, providing a seamless user experience.

Whether you are a student, educator, or professional writer, using plagiarism detection tools is essential for maintaining originality and integrity in your work. Built-in tools like Originality Reports are great for educational users, while third-party add-ons like PlagiarismSearch, Grammarly, and Unicheck offer more comprehensive solutions. By leveraging these tools, you can ensure your content is unique and free from plagiarism, thereby upholding the highest standards of quality in your writing.

Detailed Guide: Using PlagiarismSearch in Google Docs

Installation.

• Go to Google Workspace Marketplace
• Open your browser and go to the Google Workspace Marketplace .
• Type “ PlagiarismSearch ” into the search bar and find the add-on.

• Install PlagiarismSearch
• Click on the PlagiarismSearch add-on and press “Install”.
• Follow the prompts to allow necessary permissions and complete the installation.

• Open PlagiarismSearch in Google Doc
• Open your Google Docs™ document.
• Go to the “Extensions” menu, find “PlagiarismSearch – Plagiarism Scan in Google Docs™”, and click “Open”.

• Sign in with your PlagiarismSearch account credentials
• If you don’t have an account, create one on the PlagiarismSearch website.

Running a Plagiarism Check

• Start Checking
• Once signed in, click the “Start Checking” button to initiate a plagiarism check on your document.

• Interpreting Results
• After the check is complete, review the plagiarism report. The report will show the similarity percentage and highlight sections that match other sources.

• You can also download the PDF Plagiarism Report .
• Additional Steps
• If needed, you can adjust settings in the PlagiarismSearch add-on to exclude specific sections like references or quotes. This helps refine your check to focus on the main content of your document.

Following these steps, you can easily install and use PlagiarismSearch in Google Docs to ensure your documents are plagiarism-free. The provided screenshots and downloadable PDF report make it straightforward to verify your work’s originality. This guide helps streamline the process, ensuring you maintain high standards of integrity in your writing.

Comparing PlagiarismSearch with Other Tools

When comparing PlagiarismSearch with other popular tools like Unicheck and Turnitin, it’s important to consider the unique features and capabilities each tool offers. Here’s a summary in a table format for clarity:

Unique Features of PlagiarismSearch

• Offers a generous free word limit for new users and daily free checks.
• Detailed PDF reports that are easy to download and share.
• Real-time detection with instant feedback on the originality of your document.

Ease of Use

PlagiarismSearch stands out for its generous free word limits, seamless integration with Google Docs, and user-friendly interface, making it a strong choice for those who need reliable plagiarism detection directly within their documents. Unicheck offers robust features and educational integration, making it ideal for academic settings. Turnitin provides comprehensive checks and detailed reports, with additional tools for feedback and grading, but is more complex and primarily targeted at institutions. Each tool has its strengths, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and workflow preferences.

Tips for Effective Plagiarism Checking

Regular checks.

One of the best practices to ensure the originality of your content is to perform regular plagiarism checks. By integrating this habit into your writing routine, you can catch any unintentional similarities early and make the necessary corrections before submission or publication. Regular checks help maintain the integrity of your work and ensure that you consistently produce unique content.

Why Regular Checks Are Important :

• Prevents Unintentional Plagiarism : Regular checks help catch any inadvertent copying of phrases or ideas.
• Maintains Credibility : Consistently producing original work enhances your credibility as a writer or researcher.
• Improves Writing Skills : Frequent checks can help you become more aware of your writing habits and improve your ability to paraphrase and cite sources correctly.

Proper Citation

Citing sources correctly is crucial to avoid plagiarism. Proper citation not only gives credit to the original authors but also allows your readers to verify the sources of your information. Here are some tips to ensure you cite your sources properly:

• Know the Citation Style : Different fields use different citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Make sure you are familiar with the style required for your work.
• Include All Necessary Information : A complete citation typically includes the author’s name, title of the work, publication date, and source (e.g., journal, website).
• Use Quotation Marks for Direct Quotes : When directly quoting someone else’s work, use quotation marks and include a citation.
• Paraphrase Effectively : If you are rephrasing someone else’s ideas, ensure that you significantly alter the original wording and still provide a citation.
• Keep Track of Sources : As you conduct your research, keep a detailed list of all the sources you consult. This will make it easier to cite them correctly in your work.

Using Multiple Tools

While one plagiarism detection tool can be effective, using multiple tools can provide a more comprehensive check. Different tools have access to different databases and use various algorithms, which means they might catch different instances of potential plagiarism. Here are some benefits of using multiple tools:

• Broader Coverage : Combining tools increases the range of sources your text is checked against, reducing the chances of missed matches.
• Higher Accuracy : Some tools may be better at detecting specific types of content, such as academic papers or web content. Using multiple tools ensures a thorough check.
• Varied Features : Different tools offer different features, such as grammar checks, citation assistance, and detailed reporting. Utilizing these can improve the overall quality of your work.

Recommended Tools :

• PlagiarismSearch : Great for real-time detection and free daily checks.
• Unicheck : Ideal for academic settings with customizable reports.
• Turnitin : Comprehensive database and feedback tools, though primarily for institutional use.

Maintaining the originality of your content is essential for academic and professional success. By performing regular plagiarism checks, citing sources correctly, and using multiple detection tools, you can ensure the integrity of your work. These practices help you avoid unintentional plagiarism, enhance your credibility, and produce high-quality, original content consistently.

Ensuring Originality in Your Writing

Recap of key points.

Throughout this article, we’ve delved into the significance of maintaining originality in your writing and how plagiarism detection tools can help achieve this. We’ve covered the following:

• Using PlagiarismSearch : A step-by-step guide on installing and using the PlagiarismSearch add-on in Google Docs.
• Tool Comparisons : A comparison of PlagiarismSearch with Unicheck and Turnitin, focusing on features, ease of use, and pricing.
• Effective Plagiarism Checking : Tips for regular checks, proper citation practices, and the benefit of using multiple tools for comprehensive results.

The Importance of Originality

Originality in writing is vital for several reasons. It reflects your creativity, ensures the credibility of your work, and respects intellectual property rights. Whether in academic settings or professional environments, producing original content is essential for building trust and maintaining integrity.

• Academic Integrity : Prevents academic dishonesty and upholds the value of educational achievements.
• Professional Credibility : Enhances your reputation and reliability as a professional writer or researcher.
• Legal and Ethical Responsibility : Avoids legal issues related to intellectual property infringement and demonstrates respect for others’ work.

Take Action: Start Using PlagiarismSearch

To ensure your documents are free from plagiarism and maintain the highest standards of originality, we encourage you to install and use the PlagiarismSearch add-on for Google Docs. Here’s how you can get started:

• Install the Add-On : Visit the Google Workspace Marketplace , search for PlagiarismSearch, and install it.
• Set Up Your Account : Open the add-on in Google Docs, sign in, and configure your settings.
• Run Plagiarism Checks : Regularly check your documents for plagiarism and download detailed reports to review your work.

By following these steps, you can integrate plagiarism checks into your regular writing routine, ensuring that your content remains original and credible. PlagiarismSearch offers an easy-to-use solution with generous free word limits and comprehensive reports, making it an ideal choice for maintaining the integrity of your writing.

Start today and make originality a cornerstone of your writing process.

Additional Resources

Links to tools.

Here are some useful links to the tools and resources mentioned in this article:

• PlagiarismSearch : PlagiarismSearch Website
• Unicheck : Unicheck on Google Workspace Marketplace
• Turnitin : Turnitin Website

These tools offer various features to help you ensure the originality of your writing and maintain academic and professional integrity.

Further Reading

For those interested in deepening their understanding of writing and citation best practices, here are some recommended articles and resources:

• “Best Practices to Avoid Plagiarism” : This article from Purdue OWL provides comprehensive guidelines on avoiding plagiarism through proper citation and paraphrasing techniques. Read the article
• “How to Avoid Plagiarism” : A detailed guide from the Harvard College Writing Program on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism. Read the guide
• “MLA, APA and Chicago Citation and Formatting Guides” : An overview of various citation styles and how to use them correctly, available from the EasyBib website. Learn more

By exploring these resources, you can enhance your knowledge of best practices in writing and citation, ensuring that your work remains original and well-respected in academic and professional circles.

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What Are the Consequences of College Essay Plagiarism?

Plagiarism has always been frowned upon by college admissions committees (and college honor policies!), but with the rise of AI writing softwares, the problem has taken on new proportions. It is  never  okay to pass off someone else’s writing as your own on college applications, but this extends to using AI to write parts or all of an essay , supplement, or portfolio. With these technologies still very new, and regulation still in its infancy, many students do not yet understand the gravity of using AI to write applications or do their assignments for them. We at  Ivy Coach  unequivocally denounce the practice, and we assure any skeptical applicants that risks of using AI far outweigh the supposed benefits. 

Why Students Should Not Turn to Plagiarism (Including AI) to Write Their Essays

Some students turn to plagiarism or AI for a quick and easy fix for their writing woes. While the downside of traditional plagiarism is obvious (one Google search and the plagiarized passages will be revealed), some see AI as an enticing alternative that is less detectable than wholesale copying. But using such softwares brings a whole new caliber of risks. For one thing, AI writing is repetitive, uninspired, and riddled with factual errors. The technology simply does not write with the same fluency as a talented, highly selective college-bound high schooler. Admissions committees read  a lot  of applications in a given cycle, and it’s highly likely that they already have ways to detect the fingerprints of various AI writing styles (which likely use AI themselves!).

All offers of admission are conditional . It’s in the not-so-fine print! Even if colleges don’t notice any plagiarism at first, they will not hesitate to rescind an offer of admission if the truth comes out. Even years after a student has enrolled, getting expelled will still be a possibility for those who plagiarized. For students who need extra help when writing their essays, they should turn to admissions experts for proofreading, editing, and feedback. These traditional methods of perfecting writing are available to all high schoolers and are encouraged by college admissions offices, leaving would-be plagiarizers with no excuse for their actions.

But none of that should even matter, because using AI is unethical. Colleges want to get to know  you , not some robot who does a poor job of parroting you. Even if AI reaches new technological heights, it will never be a substitute for the personal flair that comes through the most well-written essays. At best, these AI-facilitated writing samples will be received poorly for their cookie-cutter approach, but at worst, using AI on an application would be grounds for rejection. Highly selective colleges do not need  any  reason to reject an applicant, but that would surely be a good one!

Ivy Coach Calls on the Common App to Implement AI Detection Software

College admissions offices and the  Common App.  have either  declined to comment or released ambiguous messaging  when it comes to the use of AI-facilitated writing, leaving many high schoolers scrambling for answers. These organizations need to take a stand and clarify their positions before more high schoolers take part in a practice that they do not even realize could put them in hot water with prospective colleges. All emerging technologies go through a process in which their use is regulated, and AI should be no exception.

It’s high time that more regulation be put into place to halt the epidemic of plagiarized and AI-facilitated writing on college applications (and in colleges themselves!). Ivy Coach calls upon The Common App. to implement plagiarism detection software, which includes AI-detection, to screen all applications for foul play and alert prospective colleges. A spot at an elite institution should never be given to a student who has taken the easy way out when there are plenty of hard working, honest high schoolers who submit their own work. 

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GPT Essay Checker for Students

How to Interpret the Result of AI Detection

To use our GPT checker, you won’t need to do any preparation work!

Take the 3 steps:

• Copy and paste the text you want to be analyzed,
• Click the button,
• Follow the prompts to interpret the result.

Our AI detector doesn’t give a definitive answer. It’s only a free beta test that will be improved later. For now, it provides a preliminary conclusion and analyzes the provided text, implementing the color-coding system that you can see above the analysis.

It is you who decides whether the text is written by a human or AI:

• Your text was likely generated by an AI if it is mostly red with some orange words. This means that the word choice of the whole document is nowhere near unique or unpredictable.
• Your text looks unique and human-made if our GPT essay checker adds plenty of orange, green, and blue to the color palette.
• 🔮 The Tool’s Benefits

🤖 Will AI Replace Human Writers?

✅ ai in essay writing.

• 🕵 How do GPT checkers work?

🔗 References

🔮 gpt checker for essays: 5 key benefits.

People have yet to learn where AI and machine learning are taking us, but it has already caused many problems in the education system. This AI essay detector can resolve some of them, at least as of the moment.

There are 5 key benefits of the above GPT checker for essays and other academic writing projects.

Elon Musk, one of Chat GPT creators, said that it was “scary good” and that humanity is approaching the creation of “dangerously strong AI.”

In an interview , Bill Gates commented on the program: “It gives a glimpse of what is to come. I am impressed with this whole approach and the rate of innovation.” And these words give us goosebumps.

Over the first week of its functioning, the program exceeded 1 million users . Therefore, developers are interested in monetizing it, and launching a paid Beta-version won’t take long.

We prefer not to throw out compliments to the chatbot and instead let you check for yourself . It is a chat with AI. The best way to start is to ask a question. It is free so far (still under research), so you can ask as many questions as you please.

We should care about AI-generated content because, in a decade, it will be an everyday reality. Even more so, it is a hot-button issue now. For now, GPT 3 can’t replace human writers. However, AI essay detection has already become an issue for teachers.

You can try asking ChatGPT to write an essay for you. But we do not recommend pass it off as written by you. Not only because it's unethical (although it is). The fact is that ChatGPT has a number of drawbacks that you need to consider before using it.

Chat GPT in Essay Writing – the Shortcomings

• The tool doesn’t know anything about what happened after 2021. Novel history is not its strong side. Sometimes it needs to be corrected about earlier events. For instance, request information about Heathrow Terminal 1 . The program will tell you it is functioning, although it has been closed since 2015.
• The reliability of answers is questionable. AI takes information from the web which abounds in fake news, bias, and conspiracy theories.
• References also need to be checked. The links that the tool generates are sometimes incorrect, and sometimes even fake.
• Two AI generated essays on the same topic can be very similar. Although a plagiarism checker will likely consider the texts original, your teacher will easily see the same structure and arguments.
• Chat GPT essay detectors are being actively developed now. Traditional plagiarism checkers are not good at finding texts made by ChatGPT. But this does not mean that an AI-generated piece cannot be detected at all.

🕵 How Do GPT Checkers Work?

An AI-generated text is too predictable. Its creation is based on the word frequency in each particular case.

Thus, its strong side (being life-like) makes it easily discernible for ChatGPT detectors.

Once again, conventional anti-plagiarism essay checkers won’t work there merely because this writing features originality. Meanwhile, it will be too similar to hundreds of other texts covering the same topic.

Here’s an everyday example. Two people give birth to a baby. When kids become adults, they are very much like their parents. But can we tell this particular human is a child of the other two humans? No, if we cannot make a genetic test. This GPT essay checker is a paternity test for written content.

❓ GPT Essay Checker FAQ

Updated: Oct 25th, 2023

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This page contains a free online GPT checker for essays and other academic writing projects. Being based on the brand-new technology, this AI essay detector is much more effective than traditional plagiarism checkers. With this AI checker, you’ll easily find out if an academic writing piece was written by a human or a chatbot. We provide a comprehensive guide on how to interpret the results of analysis. It is up to you to draw your own conclusions.