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Best Plagiarism Checker for Research Papers and Thesis – Free and Paid

If you are writing scientific papers or academic thesis, one of the most critical aspect of your work is avoiding and reducing plagiarism from your papers. In this post we will break down the most useful plagiarism checker for research work and journals. 

The recommendations in this article have a data-base of thousands of papers from medical, engineering and other domains and AI capabilities to offer plagiarism reports.

Recommendation Plagiarism Detectors for Research

  • Turnitin (Only registered students and researchers can use it. Not available for public)
  • Plagiarism Checker X ( Available in 7 languages including German; Used by top Universities and companies )
  • Grammarly ( Grammar checker and Plagiarism detection tool; Now available on Mac and Windows )
  • ProWritingAid ( Plagiarism and Grammar error correction; Loved by Millions of Authors, Writers and academicians )
  • MOSS (for technical papers to detect similarity in code)

Hunting plagiarism in research papers is more daunting than a personal website or a blog.

Where you can have a fair excuse and the luxury of <blockquote> , which help other search engines to know that you have copied online, you don't have such an option while working on your thesis. Here we are writing about the best software tools to prevent plagiarism in research work.

Plagiarism is unacknowledged copying or an attempt to misattribute original authorship, whether of ideas, text or results.

source: https://www.nature.com/authors/policies/plagiarism.html

There can be multiple ways to plagiarise your hard-worked content. We have already talked a lot about accidental plagiarism and ways to protect it in our previous articles.

You can also test your knowledge by taking a simple plagiarism quiz which will help you to understand and avoid plagiarism in a better manner.

Other is, as you know, intentionally. No matter, how are you messing up with the act, it will be equally offensive.

Steps to Avoid Plagiarism in Research Work

  • The best way to stay original is: staying original. Don't get me wrong. All I want to say is, think with your own imagination. Paraphrasing is actually detectable if it is not done properly. Also, if you are doing it, you should not forget to add an in-text citation properly.
  • Another important thing is to keep track of your work from the very beginning of your work. You can use cloud services like Evernote and Pocket to keep track of URLs, PDFs, Blogs, Websites, and Other Works.
  • Unorganized papers often lead to plagiarism. You should be very careful while copying word-by-word. You can use "Quotes" to highlight the part which is copied with a source.
  • Never trust Free services. Writing about the thousandth time, Do not use free tools. They will only lead you to false results and the risk of getting plagiarized with your own work. Paying someone to check your work on Turnitin will only lend you to hazard.
  • If Your paper is an assignment, always do everything as instructed by the professor.

Best Plagiarism Checker Tools for Research and Journals

Without any doubt, Turnitin is a good tool to detect a similarity between the strings, whether it is a research work or an assignment. It has a huge database of research work and it is capable to find similarity in your content with the previous works.

A common myth about Turnitin is that it is a perfect tool. It is Not! Also, it is not a deciding tool   that you have actually plagiarized. Instead, it shows results to your professors for possible similarity among previously submitted work. That depends on the setting teachers are using. Only the examiner and you (human) can judge whether you have plagiarized or not.

Plagiarism Checker X

Plagiarism Checker X is the best alternative to Turnitin for many reasons. It provides some of the coolest features for students and professors. Some of them are bulk uploading, side-by-side comparison, automatic citation and multiple language support. It is the only tool on the planet which provides offline check after two consecutive checks.

You can play with the free version to test the waters before going for a premium one which is also available for less than $40 for a lifetime. It is being used by several universities and top companies as their standard tool.

PlagiarismcheckerX supports All Windows Platforms and you will be required to download .exe file to work with this plagiarism checker for academics.

Grammarly is one of the biggest companies working closely in education and industry. Hundreds of companies, schools, and universities are using Grammarly for proofreading, plagiarism checking, and learning English Grammar. They have a great database and constantly learning algorithms that are becoming better with time.

Not to forget, Grammarly is a safe tool (forget rumors) and they don't sell your data to anybody. With the provided browser extension, Android support, and native applications, it gives much power to you as an academician.

It supports macOS, Android, iOS, Windows, Google docs, and have a web application.

Plagiarisma.net

After a considerable amount of research, I came to the only Free tool which is safe to be used for research work. It uses Google Scholar search results to detect similarities in your content. Plagiarisma.net is able to detect more than 10 billion (as they claim) search engine results and it can be used from their website as well via their Windows application. But take this advice with a grain of salt.

Note that Plagiarisma only supports Windows operating systems.

ProWritingAid

Loved by some of the best selling writers, ProWritingAid is a decent grammar editor and contextual writing editor. In the premium version of the software, which is available on Apple devices, Windows, Google Doc, and Scrivener, has an integrated plagiarism checker.

ProWritingAid comes with fair pricing and great features, it can be on your radar if you are looking for a plagiarism checker for avoiding accidental pitfalls.

MOSS - Plagiarism checker for Code

(Measure of Software Similarity) or popularly known as MOSS is a tool that is very specific to the task of finding copied content for programmers. It is the (perhaps) best possible plagiarism checker ever created to detect plagiarism in software codes and programs. It was created in the Stanford labs in 1994. Since its inception, it is being used in several classrooms and research works to detect similarity in codes.

Bottom Line

The best way to protect your research is to keep it confidential. The above tools are tested and provide at most security to your data. Plagiarism can ruin your career and is unbearably frustrating. I hope the above tools will help you to write better assignments and get better grades.

Best wishes.

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How we'll help you improve your paper

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All-in-One grammar and plagiarism checker

The only thing harder than writing a paper is editing it. Nobody’s perfect, and grammatical errors are all too easy to make. But a grammar checker could help! That’s where Citation Machine Plus comes in: a one-stop shop that pairs a top-notch plagiarism checker with a complete grammar check. It’s the perfect companion for any student. Whether you’re an expert writer who just needs a second look or could use a full-fledged crash course on brushing up your writing, we’ve got it covered.

We offer smart technology you can access day or night, for all your last-minute deadlines. Citation Machine Plus’s built-in tools can help ensure you didn’t accidentally use someone else’s words without referencing them. If it does find an issue, you can use its citing tools to quickly create a citation for it.

To power up your paper even more, our tools offer an easy spelling check and the best grammar checker we’ve ever built. Our powerful software will run a quick grammar check and spell check to catch big and little mistakes on your paper.

We think Citation Machine Plus is the best grammar checker for a fast grammar analysis and spell check to catch things you may have missed! Whether it’s an issue with subject-verb agreement, a fragmented sentence, a dangling modifier, incorrect usage of an interjection or adverb , or just a grievously misused comma, our software hunts down and points out those easy-to-correct mistakes. Plus, our program includes a reliable spell checker to help catch and correct any typos.

The only question is: What are you waiting for?

Try Citation Machine Plus and get a free grammar check for your paper, scan your paper for text that may need a citation, and rest easier knowing your paper’s had an extra review before your teacher sees it.

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Plagiarism matters more than you think

You might define plagiarism as copying someone else’s work , whether by copying another student’s paper or taking passages directly from research sources and passing them off as your own work. But did you know that it’s not just about literal copying, but about making sure you credit your sources.

Think about it: would you want someone to take your hard work without crediting you? Of course not! So it’s important to make sure that you don’t accidentally use the work and research of someone else without giving them the credit they deserve and that formatting requires. A plagiarism check provides you with peace of mind that you haven’t forgotten to cite sources.

plagiarism checker for research paper

A paper check for peace of mind

Plagiarizing the works of another writer is a big deal in school and in life. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s the sort of mistake that no one wants to make because it’s a pretty serious issue. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to avoid if you have the right tools at your disposal! The first step to avoiding it is knowing what it is.

One plagiarism definition — probably the most commonly discussed one — is to directly steal somebody else’s words and pretend they are yours, or, alternately, to use someone else’s words and not give them credit. These actions are deliberate attempts to deceive, and they do happen in real life. More often, however, issues arise from not from intentional misconduct, but from innocent or careless mistakes that simply give an impression of copying because sources haven’t been credited as they should.

Most teachers ask you to cite the works of others so you learn to be an ethical researcher who does not plagiarize . In many cases, teachers will use a plagiarism tool to make sure students are following guidelines. However, with so many assignments, chores, friends, and other parts of life going on, it can be difficult to keep track of everything.

That’s why getting a plagiarism check — like the one from Citation Machine — can save you from forgetting to cite sources. It’s simple to use, catching missed citations and other errors. Finding and correcting these problems before you turn in your paper can make the difference between a stellar grade and a failing one.

Still not sure about it? Try our essay checker with Citation Machine Plus for free. Simply copy and paste or upload a paper into our tool and immediately get a grammar check!

Snag an intelligent paper check

Personalized writing suggestions at your fingertips? Yes, the dream is real, and it’s right here at your fingertips, thanks to the easy-to-use Citation Machine Plus paper checker. But that’s far from the only thing it can help you with.

Why wear out your own tired eyes after you’ve already researched, written, and proofread that long essay or term paper? Even the most attentive student might miss a minor detail or in-text citation when reviewing their own paper. Instead, use our software to check your paper and catch missed citations or accidentally copied passages of text before you turn it in. With Citation Machine Plus, a smart plagiarism check is only a few clicks away, allowing you to catch missed citations or accidentally copied text.

So why not try it out? It’s free to scan a paper and can help catch those pesky errors hiding in your text, even if it’s as simple as a quick fix of a  pronoun or a missing preposition . And with an affordable subscription plan, you can upgrade and unlock all of our powerful writing and citing tools.

How a plagiarism check helps you

We often think of citing sources to avoid plagiarizing as something that helps other people, because it’s focused on correctly crediting the work done by others and not passing it off as your own or accidentally implying that it’s your own by failing to cite sources. But using a plagiarism checker to do this actually benefits you, the student, too!

When you submit your paper to be double-checked and to make sure that you haven’t plagiarized in any way, you’re also protecting yourself. How does that work? It’s all based on the way these tools function in the first place. Most of them are built around algorithms that compare uploaded papers to a vast database of existing work. This may include research databases of published works (think papers in academic journals, books, newspapers, and other print and digital sources), as well as information found online on websites.

So when you submit to a free plagiarism checker — or a subscription-based one — you’re comparing your own writing to other writings online. Your essay is checked using algorithms. How does this help you? In short, it protects you from accidentally getting a reputation as a plagiarist. Once you’ve uploaded a paper, the checker will scan your writing to make sure that your writing is wholly your own, saving you plenty of headaches and ensuring that your original ideas are shining through clearly with support from sources, rather than borrowing too heavily from other research.

If that’s not reason enough to use a checker, then remember this: if you’re in any sort of formal writing class, whether in high school or in college, your teacher is very likely to have access to a checker through their department. “Check paper for plagiarism” is at the top of the to-do list when teachers sit down to grade papers — in fact, many have a rubric that has a section for academic honesty and proper citations.

Since your teachers are already using this kind of software, wouldn’t it be great if you could too? The great news is you can! A Citation Machine Plus subscription gives you access to a set of tools built specifically for students, allowing you to check your paper on your own, before even submitting your work for grading. The more you check on your own, the more you learn, which can help you avoid making mistakes in the future.

But that’s not all.

So, what is plagiarism?

Let’s start with the basics. You might be surprised about what really counts in the overall plagiarism definition. For instance, have you ever heard of incremental plagiarism? Also called “patchwork,”  this happens when you take bits and pieces from multiple sources, without citing, and pass it off as your own work. This is common with specific turns of phrase or ideas, but it’s also what can happen if you aren’t careful with citing all sources. A paper-checking service can help catch these issues before they get to your teacher’s desk.

When we talk about plagiarism, we’re talking about a wide variety of issues. It can mean deliberately copying from another source, whether it’s a book, an academic paper, or the work of a classmate or previous student. Using services that do work on behalf of a student, then put the student’s name on it, also falls into this category. As described above, deliberate incremental plagiarism — usually plagiarizing multiple sources and combining them to avoid detection — is also a major problem.

The above examples are probably the first answers that come to mind in response to the question “what is plagiarism?”, but there’s actually a lot more to it than that. Most of us wouldn’t intentionally plagiarize, but there are plenty of instances where you might do so without even realizing that you’ve done something wrong!

For instance, forgetting to cite a quoted source might result in the quoted passage tripping the algorithms when your teacher runs it through a paper checker. Or perhaps you’ve synthesized the information from your research, but you’ve inadvertently reused some particularly distinctive language from one of the original sources, making it appear like intentionally copied text even though it’s really not. Citation Machine Plus tools can help you avoid these accidents by proofreading your paper to catch any instances that could count against you and helping you fix the issues.

Here’s a detailed article if you’d like to learn more about avoiding plagiarism .

Why we cite

What do teachers want to see in your papers? When it comes to writing style, teachers will pretty much always understand that every student will have a different voice, but they’ll still be looking for certain elements that every paper should have — like citations. Essentially, the idea is to make sure that an essay has original ideas and arguments and cites sources where it uses existing information .

Remember the Golden Rule? Do unto others as they would do unto you? Most of us would not want others to take credit for our ideas, so we don’t intentionally steal someone else’s words. But with so much information in the world, it can easily occur by accident.

Unfortunately, it happens both intentionally and unintentionally enough that teachers often take student work and run it through a scan to make sure the content is original. That’s right, even teachers sometimes use online tools from a subscription-based or free plagiarism checker. It’s even a required step for many writing classes at any level, so make sure that your paper is prepared for these kinds of checks.

That being said, no teacher really wants to flag any student’s paper, and no student wants to be flagged. That’s one reason citations are so important and a vital part of ethical research and writing. When you cite your sources correctly, you’re giving credit to the originators of the ideas or quotes, which means that there’s no plagiarizing going on — just good old-fashioned research .

When you first start learning to cite your sources, you probably learned just one overall style guide. In college and in the real world, though, the style guide you’ll need to use will depend on what field you’re in. For instance, academia often sticks with Chicago citation style , while the arts and humanities tend to prefer MLA, and APA is favored by the social and behavioral sciences.

So you need MLA format help? We got you covered! How about APA format instead? No problem! We’re all over that, too! In fact, we have many more citation styles . Our classic citation tools are available for all your formatting needs.

Here’s the best part: using our tools could help you expand your knowledge for the future! Our citation formatting tools can help you become more familiar with the most popular style guides — which will make your life easier when you go to write more essays in the future! Curious about these benefits and how it works? Here’s a great place to

Citation Machine Plus: More than a plagiarism tool

Citation Machine Plus is much, much more than just a way to check plagiarism — you can scan for grammar errors, too!

Unsure if you could benefit from a Citation Machine Plus subscription? Submit your paper for a grammar and spell check with up to 5 suggestion cards for free. A simple copy and paste or paper upload, a few clicks, and it’ll start reviewing your paper. Is an adjective used incorrectly? Is a determiner in the wrong spot?

That’s where the all-in-one Citation Machine grammar checker and spell checker comes in! With this simple but powerful software, writing can be scanned for grammar mistakes. Some of the most common errors are actually some of the simplest to fix. Even better: as you learn, you’ll make fewer and fewer of them.

The tool will highlight any errors, plus more! In fact, the tool can sometimes even tell you why your mistakes are mistakes and help you correct them. That’s why we think our grammar check is the perfect helper for your papers: it doesn’t just help to catch your errors, it also helps you learn from them so that you can improve your writing over time.

Hypothetical situation (or is it?): You have just finished writing a paper for class. Maybe you spent hours writing it, maybe you only spent an hour on it. Either way, wouldn’t you feel better turning in your paper if it was proofread and reviewed?

Everybody wants an A+. The only way to get there is through practice, hard work, and learning. Citation Machine Plus writing tools can help you develop your skills by identifying potential errors in your paper. That way you can improve your paper and learn what grammatical points to focus on in the future.

Help with formatting

As it’s more than just an essay checker, the Citation Machine Plus suite of tools has a few more tricks up its sleeve! As the name implies, these tools are built for equipping you with simple, easy-to-use citation tools to help you build a bibliography for your paper.

Citation Machine Plus: Your go-to writing source

So now’s the time to stop stressing over writing errors, accidentally plagiarizing others, and citation concerns. Let Citation Machine Plus help you write well! It’s the writing companion that can help to take your academic writing to the next level, and it will give you tools you need to become a better  writer both in and out of academic contexts.

Turning in essays for class can be stressful enough on its own, but that stress can just get compounded with worries about grammar and citations. There’s no need to stress when Citation Machine Plus is at your disposal! Its tools are easy to use, all-in-one platform that helps take the worry out of writing a paper when it comes to grammar and citations. Check for everything you need, all in one place, and learn more about how to make your writing truly shine.

Whether you need a quick check of your conjunction , noun , or verb usage, a complete grammar check, a thorough plagiarism tool, or reliable help citing sources, invest in a subscription to what we believe to be one of the most user-friendly citation tools online—Citation Machine Plus!

Easy citation creation

Let’s be honest, citations are a hassle. But the great thing about a paid or free online plagiarism checker is that you can pull double duty: when you check for plagiarism, you’re also checking to see if you’ve left out any citations! We wanted students and authors to have a one-stop shop when it comes to citing; a citation creation tool at your beck and call.

And now you do!

In addition to our paper checking tools, we have citation tools! Citing sources not only makes your work more professional, it is generally required for any formal papers or research projects. Any time you use the words or direct concepts of others, it’s vital to give credit where it’s due, and a proper citation is the means to do that. Remember: when we ask “what is plagiarism?” the answer includes improperly cited sources along with intentional copying! Teachers can often use a paper-checking service through their schools, so we’ve developed similar tools for students to use.

Our classic citation tools make it easy to create a correctly-formatted citation for APA format or MLA format citation styles. ** We have taken the hassle out of citing your sources, and — trust us — you will notice the difference.

** The APA and MLA are not associated with Citation Machine, but our citation services follow their styles.

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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!

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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.

Plagiarism Checker for Students

Quetext's plagiarism checker is a must-have free tool for every student. Identify plagiarism before it's too late, get resources to improve your writing, and add citations quickly, all for free. You do the writing, and we'll help with the rest.

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Avoid “accidental plagiarism”.

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.

Cite sources directly in your paper

For the copy you want to keep, 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.

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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:

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How you can avoid plagiarizing

ILLUSTRATION

Know the different types of plagiarism

There are several types of plagiarism, and it’s essential to understand the differences to avoid making these mistakes and prevent plagiarism in the classroom.

  • Direct plagiarism: Using someone else’s exact words and using them as your own with no credit to the source. Eliminating portions of the text still qualifies as direct plagiarism.
  • Patchwork plagiarism: Creating new text by combining exact phrases or sentences from multiple sources without acknowledging the original authors or sources.
  • Self-plagiarism: Attempting to reuse or recycle your previous work and claiming it as a new piece of work without mentioning the source of original publication.
  • Source-based plagiarism: Producing false sources within your writing or omitting one or more references from citations.

Cite your sources

Students often think of citations as a simple means of acknowledging another author's work. While this is their main purpose, there are other benefits as well.

Source citations also show readers where to go to learn more. By providing context around the citation in student papers, such as the source medium and when it was published, readers can locate the information more easily. Giving too little source information or improperly formatting it can result in unintentional plagiarism. These mistakes also make it difficult for readers to locate the original source and verify information.

Quetext's citation generator makes it easy for students to accurately cite their sources without slowing down their writing process. Once a user inputs the text, the software identifies the passages that require a citation and subsequently generates it in the style required — APA, MLA, or Chicago.

Always use a plagiarism checker

The best way to avoid severe plagiarism consequences is to use a plagiarism checker. Often, plagiarism is unintentional and results from poor paraphrasing of material found online. Using a plagiarism checker, the student can avoid accusations of any kind of plagiarism and benefit from a close review of the original material.

Quetext's plagiarism checker provides a speedy, easy process for students to receive accurate results, identifying areas of concern and providing on-page solutions.

Plagiarism Checker for Students FAQ

What are the consequences if a student is caught plagiarizing.

The consequences of plagiarism vary according to the student’s academic institution and grade level. For example, a middle school student who plagiarizes within an essay may receive a stern warning and additional instruction related to the process of citing sources or summarizing one’s thoughts.

However, students in higher education institutions guilty of plagiarism in academic papers face much steeper repercussions, including, but not limited, to failing grades and disciplinary or legal action. Factors such as the assignment itself, the instructor, and whether or not it is your first offense impact the outcome.

Depending on the severity of the situation, plagiarism can also impact a student’s reputation or future career opportunities.

How does a plagiarism checker help students?

A plagiarism checker helps students be proactive in finding instances of plagiarism before an assignment is completed and turned in with no way to correct the errors.

In addition, by identifying the potential conflicts early, students can conduct further research to find alternative sources to understand the material better and revise or rewrite the offending passages.

Plagiarism checkers also help students learn innovative writing techniques, improve their writing skills through better research and experience in summarizing ideas, and preserve academic integrity.

Do teachers use plagiarism checkers?

Many teachers use plagiarism checkers to ensure a student’s submission is 100% original work. With the rise of easy-to-use tools like Quetext, checking for authenticity and text matches is a quick and affordable process to scan millions of online data sources.

Using plagiarism checkers also allows teachers to educate their students on the importance of citing sources and the ethical responsibilities of research and opinion writing.

Plagiarism has always been a source of concern for teachers, but until now, options for manual detection have limited their opportunities to identify the problem efficiently. However, the evolution of technology in this area has made the tools more accessible than ever.

How do teachers check a paper for plagiarism?

Teachers are skilled at detecting plagiarism, especially those who have been teaching for a significant period or who teach in the areas of English or Literature. Some teachers use a simple technique of entering a sentence into a search engine to find instances of duplicate text on web pages.

However, this manner of plagiarism detection is manually intensive and dependent upon unreliable algorithms. Some may use their writer’s intuition by identifying anomalies in sentence structure, inconsistencies in vocabulary or grammar, or a combination of all of these.

Others use more sophisticated and robust plagiarism detection software, like Quetext. Quetext can scour millions of sites using DeepSearch™ technology to identify plagiarism in seconds. These tools also enable instructors to work with students to improve their writing and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Can students get in trouble for accidental plagiarism?

Yes, students can be penalized for plagiarism, even if it was an accident. Unfortunately, instructors have no way of knowing the intent behind plagiarism. Depending on the type of plagiarism, instructors may allow leeway for students to learn from their mistakes and correct the work without the threat of severe consequences.

However, repeat offenders are less likely to receive this flexibility and may face steeper penalties. Additionally, instructors of college-level courses with clear plagiarism guidelines and policies may be less inclined to let students off the hook and instead enforce severe consequences.

Is there a free plagiarism checker for students?

Yes! Quetext offers both a free and a paid subscription for students to seamlessly verify their writing. Quetext goes beyond traditional plagiarism checkers to provide students with advanced technology that puts content through three layers of evaluation in just a matter of seconds. This level of insight enables students to understand the degree to which the text has been plagiarized and decide whether to rewrite the text or use the citation assistant to cite sources.

Quetext also offers a detailed report students can use to document their editing efforts and present as proof of a plagiarism-free, 100% original content document.

Quetext's plagiarism tool also offers flexible pricing for its Pro features which facilitates the citation of online sources, attributions, and real-time feedback for writing improvement.

How can a student check for plagiarism?

Anyone can enter the text from a research paper into a search engine and find potential matches that identify instances of plagiarized content or duplicate content. However, this method is largely ineffective and does not identify every area of concern.

Students can use Quetext's free online plagiarism checker by creating an account, copying and pasting the text in question into the plagiarism checker, and receiving a comprehensive analysis with color-coded feedback, a plagiarism percentage score, and options for editing the text.

Quetext is one of the best plagiarism checkers available with high-quality insights and accurate results.

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Free Online Plagiarism Checker

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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!).

Rewriting Service

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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!

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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 CaPapersOwl

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

Can i check my essay for plagiarism free online, can i use papersowl plagiarism checker as a student for free, can i check my research paper for plagiarism for free, will the papersowl plagiarism report be the same as at my university, what are the consequences of plagiarism, why wait place an order right now.

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Plagiarism Checker

Check-Plagiarism offers a reliable plagiarism checker that is widely used to detect plagiarism. Our plagiarism detector offers deep plagiarism detection for writers as well as students in schools, colleges and universities. To use this tool, enter your content below and click on the button.  

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Features of Check-Plagiarism

Our tool helps to check plagiarism in your essays, assignments, and blogs. There are many helpful features we have developed in our tool. Here are some of the main ones:

Fast & Accurate

Our plagiarism checker scans your text against billions of web pages & online resources. You can check up to 1,000 words at once. (For premium users, the word limit is increased to 20,000).  Upgrade to pro in just $7

100% Safe & Secure

All files and documents checked with our free plagiarism checker are 100% safe & secure. Your data is completely secure on our servers. No user/search engine/crawler can access your data in any capacity.  

Multiple files support

You can check copied content in up to five documents at once (supported formats: doc, docx, txt, and pdf). Scanning multiple papers will not decrease the speed of the tool. You can also compare documents for plagiarism between them.

Easy-to-Use UI

Our plagiarism checker has a very easy-to-use interface. It provides a simple process to check for content similarities. You can generate a detailed report with percentages.   

Enhanced Reporting with the percentage

Our plagiarism detector scans your text with online resources and provides a complete report with percentages. It helps you to check which sentences of your content are unique and which are plagiarized.

Sentence based checking

Our tool scans every single sentence and compares it with all online resources to detect plagiarism. It uses advanced AI algorithms to detect paraphrased plagiarism.  

  Relevant Tools

  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Article Rewriter
  • Word Count & Character Count
  • Citation Generator
  • Plagiarism Comparison Search
  • Grammar Checker
  • Text Summarizer

Why Check-Plagiairsm?

Online plagiarism checker users.

Our online plagiarism checker is widely used and loved by thousands of students, teachers, and content writers. We provide super-fast plagiarism detection solutions for colleges, universities, and all other educational institutes.

Students use it to check their papers, assignments and thesis for plagiarism.  It is important for students to check their papers for plagiarism because plagiarism is considered a form of academic dishonesty . This means that if a student submits a paper that includes plagiarized material, they could face serious consequences , such as failing the assignment or the entire course, or even being expelled from school .

Teachers use our plagiarism checker tool to ensure that their students are submitting original work. Our tool can help teachers quickly identify plagiarism in student work, so they can take appropriate action. 

By using our tool teachers can

Ensure academic integrity: By checking for plagiarism, teachers can ensure that their students are submitting original work and not cheating.

Promote original thinking: teachers can encourage their students to think critically and independently to develop their own ideas

Prevent grade inflation: If plagiarized work is undetected it can lead to grade inflation that can damage the integrity of the institution. It is also important to maintain the reputation of the institution. Check-Plagiarism also provides matched sources, so it helps to cite sources in your document. Use our citation generator  to create APA, MLA, and Chicago formats.

Writers use this plagiarism detector:

To ensure originality : Plagiarism checker helps writers to ensure that their work is original and not copied from other sources.

To identify and correct mistakes : Writers can identify and correct any unintentional mistakes, such as failing to properly cite a source.

To improve credibility : Authors can establish their credibility as trustworthy sources of information by making sure their work is original and properly cited.

Webmasters use this tool to make sure their content is plagiarism-free because

Plagiarized content can damage the reputation and credibility of a website.

It's also important because  Google has clear policies on plagiarized content and penalizes websites that contain copied content.

It can lead to legal problems, If the original content is protected by copyright. 

Educational institutes (colleges and universities) can integrate our tool using Plagiarism APIs .

Law firms use this tool to protect the documents of their clients. 

Check more details about how to avoid plagiarism . 

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How to use this Plagiarism Checker free?

To check plagiarism of your content by using our plagiarism detector online, follow the below instructions:

Type or paste your text into the input box.

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Exclude the URL (if any) from the “Show Advanced” option. This URL will be ignored while checking for plagiarism, any text copied from the excluded URL will be marked as unique content.

Click on the Check Plagiarism button. We have added recaptcha security to avoid robots. 

All done? No extra steps are needed. Our free online plagiarism checker will scan the given content against millions of online resources and generates an accurate plagiarism report with percentage. With Deep-Search technology, free plagiarism checker can also detect instances of plagiarism accurately.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

  what is considered plagiarism.

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According to Oxford: “Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgment”.

It involves:

1. Copying and pasting someone else's text

2. Paraphrasing someone else's work without proper attribution

3. Using someone else's ideas without giving them credit

4. Using someone else's images, videos, or other media without permission

5. Submitting someone else's work, such as a paper or project, as your own

  Is it plagiarism if you copy and paste but cite the source?

Presenting someone’s idea as your own is considered plagiarism if not properly cited. While if you copy and paste but cite the source with proper formatting then it's not plagiarism.

  Is the usage of plagiarism-checking tools Illegal?

Educational institutions highly recommend plagiarism-checking tools to prevent copying of others’ work. Even research work is not considered authoritative without a plagiarism report. So using plagiarism-checking tools is legal and necessary.

  What are the consequences of plagiarism?

Plagiarism involves serious consequences as its a crime.

Its Academic consequences range to:

  • Failing the assignment
  • Failing the course
  • Institute Suspension
  • Expulsion from institution

Its Legal consequences cost you:

  • Intellectual Damages
  • Criminal Charges
  • Loss of your employment

Its Personal consequences can affect you with:

  • Loss of credibility
  • Damage of Reputation
  • Damage to professional relationships
  • Slowing down your career, especially in Education

We Cover Multiple Platforms

Our plagiarism-checking process supports one of the most popular platforms, WordPress. You can check for plagiarism/duplication of your content directly from your WordPress admin panel. Just download our plagiarism checker plugin and start using it. Check Plagiarism also support educational institutions through our APIs. Universities, colleges, and other educational institutes & Organisations can integrate our APIs to detect plagiarized content on their own end. Our plagiarism tool works accurately on other platforms as well.   

A WordPress plugin is available to check plagiarism directly from the admin panel.

Configure your plagiarism software with our APIs, to check directly from your server.

How it Works

Content is first parsed into sentences and then every sentence is checked for plagiarism. If any duplication is found against that sentence, it will be marked in red and if that text is unique, it will be shown in green.

Comparing your content

All results are displayed in real-time. You can compare your content with any of the matched URLs with just one click. You can also use this plagiarism tool directly on the plagiarism comparison tool page.  

Happy Customers

Our plagiarism checker is loved by 400,000+ customers worldwide. We have positive feedback from customers of all categories. Look at those reviews below.

Our Customers Feedback

We have 70,000+ happy clients including Masters, Students, Teachers and publishers around the world. A Positive previous record is enough for new users to understand that we have the most accurate plagiarism detector.

Nadia Moeen

This free online plagiarism detector is amazing; it checked my content in seconds with very accurate results. According to me it's the best plagiarism detection software.

Justin

I am a student and I use this tool regularly to check plagiarism for my papers. Best plagiarism checker for students.

Moosa Ali

I used their APIs to configure my college website so that students can check plagiarism free for their papers directly from the college website.

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  • A Research Guide

Essay Plagiarism Checker

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How Can Online Plagiarism Checker Help

A brief manual for plagiarism scanner.

  • The checker’s interface has two boxes. Insert the title of your essay into the first one and text itself in the second one. Note that it’s also possible to just drop the needed file by dragging or uploading it.
  • Click “Check for plagiarism” button below.
  • In about 20 seconds, your results appear. You’ll get your text marked with two colors, red and white. Parts that are marked with red have been copied, while those presented in white are original.
  • The checker determines the exact percentage of not unique content. Below the checked text, you’ll see “uniqueness of text” column with results. This figure shows how original your writing is, which is the main function of our online originality checker. Based on your results, it automatically provides some relevant recommendations. For instance, if your paper contains more than 10% of plagiarism, it’ll recommend you to rewrite it. Otherwise, the checker approves your paper for grading. If the calculated percentage is presented in green, everything is okay, but if it’s red, you’ve failed and there is plagiarized content. Mind though that you are the one who makes a final decision. But why risk delivering copied paper?
  • Further below, we’ve included an option – “I need 100% original text.” Students who check for plagiarism and their content has been marked as copied but who really don’t want to implement changes on their own, use it and improve their writing without any efforts. Upon placing an order, they’ll get a competent writer who ensures absolute originality.

Advantages of Our Plagiarism Detector

  • Free scanner that requires no registration. Our users scan their papers without spending time on registration. They check essays as many times for free as they need with no limitations.
  • Tool with an appropriate character limit. Unlike other online checkers that have very strict character limitations, our checker enables users to scan longer text as well. Check plagiarism free of any paper up to 20000 symbols. This is enough for most essays.
  • Thorough and up-to-date check. We constantly test and update the abilities of our software, making sure that the results it provides are accurate. So, users receive a genuine similarity percentage. Our checker catches all instances of bad paraphrasing, copied word combinations, as well as unintentional cases.
  • Speedy checker. Our free plagiarism checker for students works quickly, saving time for other more entertaining activities. We value your privacy and our checker reflects this attitude.

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Plagiarism Detector

Identify potential plagiarism across nearly every language, detect AI-generated content, and confirm authenticity and ownership with the Copyleaks Plagiarism Detector.

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Ensure originality with award-winning plagiarism detection.

The Copyleaks Plagiarism Checker uses advanced AI to detect plagiarism in over 100 languages, the slightest variations within the text, paraphrasing, and AI-generated content.

Combined with the award-winning AI Content Detector , Codeleaks Source Code Detector , and the all-new Grammar Checker API , it’s the only full-spectrum suite dedicated to creating truly original, error-free content.

Detect Plagiarism In All Its Forms

Ensure your content is original and free of any and all plagiarism, including multiple forms of paraphrasing, image-based text plagiarism, manipulated or hidden characters, and more.

A Unique Reporting Experience, How You Want It

Control what data you want to see on your plagiarism scan report. Do you want to search for cross-language plagiarism? Exclude certain sources? It’s up to you. Plus, once your report is generated, you can download and share it.

An Unparalleled Search For Your Most In-Depth Results

Know that you’re getting the most in-depth results with every scan from an unparalleled search volume, including: 


  • 16,000+ open-access journals
  • 60 trillion websites
  • 1M+ internal documents
  • 20+ code data repositories

Ready to get started with the Copyleaks Plagiarism Detector?

Key features, ai-generated content detection.

Over 99% accuracy, full model coverage including ChatGPT and Gemini, detection in over 30 languages, and the ability to detect paraphrased AI-generated content.

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Source code plagiarism detection.

The only platform to identify AI-generated code, code plagiarism, modified code, and licensing alerts to avoid potential infringement.

Scheduled Recurring Scans

Scheduled recurring scans add an extra layer of protection and automatically protect your content from potential plagiarism or unlawful duplication.

Over 100 Languages Supported

Detect potential plagiarism in over 100 human languages, including German, Russian, Spanish, English, and more.

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All Copyleaks products come with military-grade security along with GDPR compliance and both SOC 2 and SOC 3 certification . For full security details, click here .

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Bring the power of the Copyleaks Plagiarism Detector to your native platform with seamless, fully white-labeled API integration .

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Plagiarism in Research — The Complete Guide [eBook]

Deeptanshu D

Table of Contents

Plagiarism in research

Plagiarism can be described as the not-so-subtle art of stealing an already existing work, violating the principles of academic integrity and fairness. Well, there's no denying that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants, and when it comes to constructing a research prose, we often need to look at the world through their lens. However, in this process, many students and researchers, knowingly or otherwise, resort to plagiarism.

In many instances, plagiarism is intentional, whether through direct copying or paraphrasing. Unfortunately, there are also times when it happens unintentionally. Regardless of the intent, plagiarism goes against the ethos of the scientific world and is considered a severe moral and disciplinary offense.

The good news is that you can avoid plagiarism and even work around it. So, if you're keen on publishing unplagiarized papers and maintaining academic integrity, you've come to the right place.

With this comprehensive ebook on plagiarism, we intend to help you understand what constitutes plagiarism in research, why it happens, plagiarism concepts and types, how you can prevent it, and much more.

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as representing a part of or the entirety of someone else's work as your own. Whether published or unpublished, this could be ideas, text verbatim, infographics, etc. It is no different in the academic writing, either. However, it is not considered plagiarism if most of your work is original and the referred part is diligently cited.

The degree of plagiarism can vary from discipline to discipline. Like in mathematics or engineering, there are times when you have to copy and paste entire equations or proofs, which can take a significant chunk of your paper. Again, that is not constituted plagiarism, provided there's an analysis or rebuttal to it.

That said, there are some objective parameters defining plagiarism. Get to know them, and your life as a researcher will be much smoother.

Common types of plagiarism

Types of plagiarism

Plagiarism often creeps into academic works in various forms, from complete plagiarism to accidental plagiarism.

The types of plagiarism varies depending on the two critical aspects — the writer's intention and the degree to which the prose is plagiarized. These aspects help institutions and publishers define plagiarism types more accurately.

Common forms of Plagiarism

The agreed-upon forms of plagiarism that occur in research writing include:

1. Global or Complete Plagiarism

Global or Complete plagiarism is inarguably the most severe form of plagiarism  — It is as good as stealing. It happens when an author blatantly copies somebody else's work in its entirety and passes it on as their own.

Since complete plagiarism is always committed deliberately and disguises the ownership of the work, it is directly recognized under copyright violation and can lead to intellectual property abuse and legal battles. That, along with irredeemable repercussions like a damaged reputation, getting expelled, or losing your job.

2. Verbatim or Direct Plagiarism

Verbatim or direct plagiarism happens when you copy a part of someone else's work, word-to-word, without providing adequate credits or attributions. The ideas, structure, and diction in your work would match the original author's work. Even if you were to change a few words or the position of sentences here and there, the final result remains the same.

The best way to avoid this is to minimize copy-pasting entire paragraphs and use it only when the situation calls for it. And when you do so, use quotation marks and in-text citations, crediting the original source.

3. Source-based Plagiarism

Source-based plagiarism results from an author trying to mislead or disguise the natural source of their work. Say you write a paper, giving enough citations, but when the editor or peer reviewers try to cross-check your references, they find a dead end or incorrect information. Another instance is when you use both primary and secondary data to support your argument but only cite the former with no reference for the latter.

In both cases, the information provided is either irrelevant or misleading. You may have cited it, but it does not support the text completely.

Similarly, another type of plagiarism is called data manipulation and counterfeiting . Data Manipulation is creating your own data and results. In contrast, data counterfeiting is skipping or adultering the key findings to suit your expected outcomes.

Using misinformed sources in a research study constitutes grave violations and offenses. Particularly in the medical field, it can lead to legal issues such as wrong data presentation. Its interpretation can lead to false clinical trials, which can have grave consequences.

4. Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism is one of the more common types of plagiarism. It refers to when an author copies ideas, thoughts, and inferences, rephrases sentences, and then claims ownership.

Compared to verbatim, paraphrasing plagiarism involves changing words, sentences, semantics or translating texts. The general idea or the topic of the thesis, however, remains the same and as clever as it may seem, it is straightforward to detect.

More often authors commit paraphrasing by reading a few sources and writing them in their own words without due citation. This can lead the reader to believe that the idea was the author's own when it wasn’t.

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5. Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism

One of the more mischievous ways to abstain from writing original work is mosaic plagiarism. Patchwork or mosaic plagiarism occurs when an author stitches together a research paper by lending pieces from multiple sources and weaving them as their creation. Sure, the author can add a few new words and phrases, but the meat of the paper is stolen.

It’s common for authors to refer to various sources during the research. But to patch them together and form a new paper from them is wrong.

Mosaic plagiarism can be difficult to detect, so authors, too confident in themselves, often resort to it. However, these days, there are plenty of online tools like Turnitin, Enago, and EasyBib that identify patchwork and correctly point to the sources from which you have borrowed.

6. Ghostwriting

Outside of the academic world, ghostwriting is entirely acceptable. Leaders do it, politicians do it, and artists do it. In academia, however, ghostwriting is a breach of conduct that tarnishes the integrity of a student or a researcher.

Ghostwriting is the act of using an unacknowledged person’s assistance to complete a paper. This happens in two ways — when an author has their paper’s foundation laid out but pays someone else to write, edit, and proofread. The other is when they pay someone to write the whole article from scratch.

In either case, it’s utterly unacceptable since the whole point of a paper is to exhibit an author's original thoughts presented by them. Ghostwriting, thus, raises a serious question about the academic capabilities of an author.

7. Self-plagiarism

This may surprise many, but rehashing previous works, even if they are your own, is also considered plagiarism. The biggest reason why self-plagiarism is a fallacy is because you’re trying to claim credit for something that you have already received credit for.

Authors often borrow their past data or experiment results, use them in their current work, and present them as brand new. Some may even plagiarize old published works' ideas, cues, or phrases.

The degree to which self-plagiarism is still under debate depends on the volume of work that has been copied. Additionally, many academic and non-academic journals have devised a fixed ratio on what percentage of self-plagiarism is acceptable. Unless you have made a proper declaration through citations and quotation marks about old data usage, it will fall under the scope of self-plagiarism.

8. Accidental Plagiarism

Apart from the intentional forms of plagiarism, there’s also accidental plagiarism. As the name suggests, it happens inadvertently. Unwitting paraphrasing, missing in-text or end-of-text citations, or not using quotation blocks falls under the same criteria.

While writing your academic papers, you have to stay cautious to avoid accidental plagiarism. The best way to do this is by going through your article thoroughly. Proofread as if your life depended on it, and check whether you’ve given citations where required.

Why is it important to avoid research plagiarism?

Why we should avoid plagiarism

As a scholar, you must be aware that the sole purpose of any article or academic writing is to present an original idea to its readers. When the prose is plagiarized, it removes any credibility from the author, discredits the source, and leaves the reader misinformed which goes against the ethos of academic institutions.

Here are the few reasons why you should avoid research plagiarism:

Critical analysis is important

While writing research papers, an author must dive deep into finding various sources, like scholarly articles, especially peer-reviewed ones. You are expected to examine the sources keenly to understand the gaps in the chosen topic and formulate your research questions.

Crafting critical questions related to the field of study is essential as it displays your understanding and the analysis you employed to decipher the problems in the chosen topic. When you do this, your chances of being published improve, and it’s also good for your long-term career growth.

Streamlined scholarly communication

An extended form of scholarly communication is established when you respond and craft your academic work based on what others have previously done in a particular domain. By appropriately using others' work, i.e., through citations, you acknowledge the tasks done before you and how they helped shape your work. Moreover, citations expand the doorway for readers to learn more about a topic from the beginning to the current state. Plagiarism prevents this.

Credibility in originality

Originality is invaluable in the research community. From your thesis topic and fresh methodology to new data, conclusion, and tone of writing, the more original your paper is, the more people are intrigued by it. And as long as your paper is backed by credible sources, it further solidifies your academic integrity. Plagiarism can hinder these.

How does plagiarism happen?

Even though plagiarism is a cardinal sin and plagiarized academic writing is consistently rejected, it still happens. So the question is, what makes people resort to plagiarism?

Some of the reasons why authors choose the plagiarism include:

  • Lack of knowledge about plagiarism
  • Accidentally copying a work
  • Forgetting to cite a source
  • Desire to excel among peers
  • A false belief that no one will catch them
  • No interest in academic work and just taking that as an assignment
  • Using shortcuts in the form of self-plagiarism
  • Fear of failing

Whatever the reason an author may have, plagiarism can never be justified. It is seen as an unfair advantage and disrespect to those who have put in the blood, sweat, and tears into doing their due diligence. Additionally, remember that readers, universities, or publishers are only interested in your genuine ideas, and your evaluation, as an author, is done based on that.

Related Article: Citation Machine Alternatives — Top citation tools 2023

Consequences of plagiarism

We have reiterated enough that plagiarism is objectionable and has consequences. But what exactly are the consequences? Well, that depends on who the author is and the type of plagiarism.

For minor offenses like accidental plagiarism or missing citations, a slap on the wrist in the form of feedback from the editor or peers is the norm. For major cases, let’s take a look:

For students

  • Poor grades

Even if you are a first-timer, your professor may choose to fail you, which can have a detrimental effect on your scores.

  • Failing a course

It is not rare for professors to fail Ph.D. and graduate students when caught plagiarizing. Not only does this hurt your academics, but it also extends the duration of your study by a year.

  • Disciplinary action

Every university or academic institution has strict policies and regulations regarding plagiarism. If caught, an author may have to face the academic review committee to decide their future. The results seen in general cases range from poor grades, failure for a year, or being banished from any academic or research-related work.

  • Expulsion from the university

A university may resort to expulsion only in the worst of cases, like copyright violation or Intellectual Property theft.

  • Tarnished academic reputation

This just might be the most consequential of all scenarios. It takes a lifetime to build a great impression but a few seconds to tarnish it. Many academics lose their peers' trust and find it hard to recover.  Moreover, background checks for future jobs or fellowships become a nightmare.

For universities

A university is built on reputation. Letting plagiarism slide is the quickest way to tarnish its reputation. This leads to lesser interest from top talent and publishers and trouble finding grant money.

Prospective students turning away from a university means losing out on tuition money. This further drives experienced faculty away. And the cycle continues.

For researchers

  • Legal battles

Since it falls under copyright infringement, researchers may face legal battles if their academic work is believed to be plagiarized. There is no shortage of case studies, like those of Doris Kearns Goodwin or Mark Chabedi, where authors, without permission, used another person's work and claimed it to be their own. In all these instances, they faced legal issues that led to fines, barred from writing and research, and sometimes, imprisonment even.

  • Professional reputation

Publishers and journals will not engage authors with a past of plagiarism to produce content under their brand name. Also, if the author is a professor or a fellow, it can lead to contract termination.

How to avoid plagiarism in research?

Things to watch out for to avoid plagiarism

The simplest way to avoid plagiarism would be to put in the work. Do original research, collect new data, and derive new conclusions. If you use references, keep track of each and every single one and cite them in your paper.

To ensure that your academic writing or research paper is unique and free from any type of plagiarism, incorporate the following tips:

  • Pay adequate attention to your references

Writing a paper requires extraordinary research. So, it’s understandable when researchers sometimes lose track of their references. This often leads to accidental plagiarism.

So, instead of falling into this trap, maintain lists or take notes of your reference while doing your research. This will help you when you’re writing your citations.

  • Find credible sources

Always refer to credible sources, whether a paper, a conference proceeding or an infographic.  These will present unbiased evidence and accurate experimentation results with facts backing the evidence presented by your paper.

  • Proper use of paraphrasing, quotations, and citations

It’s borderline impossible to avoid using direct references in your paper, especially if you’re providing a critical analysis or a rebuttal to an already existing article. So, to avoid getting prosecuted, use quotation marks when using a text verbatim.

In case you’re paraphrasing, use citations so that everyone knows that it’s not your idea. Credit the original author and a secondary source, if any. Publishers usually have guidelines about how to cite. There are many different styles like APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. Be on top of what your publisher demands.

Usually, it is observed that readers or the audience have a greater inclination towards paraphrasing than the quotes, especially if it is bulky sections. The reason is obvious: paraphrasing displays your understanding of the original work's meaning and interpretation, uniquely suiting the current state of affairs.

  • Review and recheck your work multiple times

Before submitting the final, you must subject your work to scrutiny. Multiple times at that. The more you do it, the less your chances of falling under accidental plagiarism.  To ensure that your final work does not constitute any types of plagiarism, ensure that:

  • There are no misplaced or missed citations
  • The paraphrased text does not closely resemble the original text
  • You don’t have any wrongful references
  • You’re not missing quotation marks or failing to provide the author's credentials after quotation marks
  • You use a plagiarism checker

More on how to avoid plagiarism .

On top of these, read your university or your publisher’s policies. All of them have their sets of rules about what’s acceptable and what’s not. They also define the punishment for any offense, factoring in its degree.

  • Use Online Tools

After receiving your article, most universities, publishers, and other institutions will run it through plagiarism checkers to detect all types of plagiarism. These plagiarism checkers function based on drawing similarities between your article and previously published works present in their database. If found similar, your paper is deemed plagiarized.

You can always save yourself from embarrassment by staying a step ahead. Use a plagiarism checker before you submit your paper. Using plagiarism checker tools, you can quickly identify if you have committed plagiarism. Then, no one except you will know about it, and you will have a chance to correct yourself.

Best Plagiarism Checkers in 2023

Plagiarism checkers are an incredibly convenient tool for improving academic writing. Therefore, here are some of the best plagiarism checkers for academic writing.

Turnitin's iThenticate

This is one of the best plagiarism checker for your academic paper and a good fit for academic writers, researchers, and scholars.

Turnitin’s iThenticare claims to cross-check your paper against 99 billion+ current and archived web pages, 1.8 billion student papers, and best-in-class scholarly content from top publishers in every major discipline and dozens of languages.

The iThenticate plagiarism checker is now available on SciSpace. ( Instructions on how to use it .)

Grammarly serves as a one-stop solution for better writing. Through Grammarly, you can make your paper have fewer grammatical errors, better clarity, and, yes, be plagiarism-free.

Grammarly's plagiarism checker compares your paper to billions of web pages and existing papers online. It points out all the sentences which need a citation, giving you the original source as well. On top of this, Grammarly also rates your document for an originality score.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is another AI writing assistant that offers a plethora of tools to better your document. One of its paid services include a ProWritingAid Plagiarism Checker that helps authors find out how much of their work is plagiarized.

Once you scan your document, the plagiarism checker gives you details like the percentage of non-original text, how much of that is quoted, and how much is not. It will also give you links so you can cite them as required.

EasyBib Plagiarism Checker

EasyBib Plagiarism Checker compares your writing sample with billions of available sources online to detect plagiarism at every level. You'll be notified which phrases are too similar to current research and literature, prompting a possible rewrite or additional citation.

Moreover, you'll get feedback on your paper's inconsistencies, such as changes in text, formatting, or style. These small details could suggest possible plagiarism within your assignment.

Plagiarism CheckerX

Working on the same principle of scanning and matching against various sources, the critical aspect of Plagiarism CheckerX is that you can download and use it whenever you wish. It is slightly faster than others and never stores your data, so you can stay assured of any data loss.

Compilatio Magister

Compilatio Magister is a plagiarism checker designed explicitly for teaching professionals. It lets you access turnkey educational resources, check for plagiarism against thousands of documents, and seek reliable and accurate analysis reports.

Quick Wrap Up

In the world of academia, the spectre of plagiarism lurks but fear not, for armed with awareness and right plagiarism checkers, you have the power to conquer this foe.

Even though plenty of students or researchers believe they can get away with it, it’s never the case. You owe it to yourself and everyone who has invested time and resources in you to publish original, plagiarism-free research work every time.

Throughout this eBook, we have explored the depths of plagiarism, unraveling its consequences and the importance of originality. Many universities have specific classes and workshops discussing plagiarism to create ample awareness of the subject. Thus, you should continue to be honourable in this regard and write papers from the heart.

Hey there! We encourage you to visit our SciSpace discover page to explore how our suite of products can make research workflows easier and allow you to spend more time advancing science.

With the best-in-class solution, you can manage everything from literature search and discovery to profile management, research writing, and much more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. how to paraphrase without plagiarizing.

  • Understand the original text completely.
  • Write the idea in your own words without looking at the original text.
  • Change the structure of sentences, not just individual words.
  • Use synonyms wisely and ensure the context remains the same.
  • Lastly, always cite the original source.

Even when paraphrasing, it's important to attribute ideas to the original author.

2. How to avoid plagiarism in research?

  • Understand what constitutes plagiarism.
  • Always give proper credit to the original authors when quoting or paraphrasing their work.
  • Use plagiarism checker tools to ensure your work is original.
  • Keep track of your sources throughout your research.
  • Quote and paraphrase accurately.

3. Examples of plagiarism?

  • Copying and pasting text directly from a source without quotation or citation.
  • Paraphrasing someone else's work without correct citation.
  • Presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own.
  • Recycling or self-plagiarism, where you mention your previous work without citing it.

4. How much plagiarism is allowed in a research paper?

In the academic world, the goal is always to strive for 0% plagiarism. However, sometimes, minor plagiarism can occur unintentionally, such as when common phrases are matched in plagiarism software. Most institutions and publishers will allow a small percentage, typically under 10%, for such instances. Remember, this doesn't mean you can deliberately plagiarize 10% of your work.

5. What are the four types of plagiarism?

  • Direct Plagiarism definition: This occurs when one directly copies someone else's work word-for-word without giving credit.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism definition: This happens when someone borrows phrases from a source without using quotation marks, or finds synonyms for the author's language while keeping the same general structure and meaning.
  • Accidental Plagiarism definition: This happens when a person neglects to cite their sources, or misquotes their sources, or unintentionally paraphrases a source by using similar words, groupings, or phrases without attribution.
  • Self-Plagiarism definition: This happens when someone recycles their own work from a previous paper or study and presents it as new content without citing the original.

6. How much copying is considered plagiarism?

Any amount of copying can be considered plagiarism if you're presenting someone else's work as your own without attribution. Even a single sentence copied without proper citation can be seen as plagiarism. The key is to always give credit where it's due.

7. How to check plagiarism in a research paper?

There are numerous online tools and software that you can use to check plagiarism in a research paper. Some popular ones include Grammarly, and Copyscape. These tools compare your paper with millions of other documents on the web and databases to identify any matches. You can also use SciSpace paraphraser to rephrase the content and keep it unique.

plagiarism checker for research paper

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plagiarism report

Prevent plagiarism, run a free plagiarism check.

  • Knowledge Base

What Is Plagiarism? | Definition & Examples

Plagiarism means using someone else’s work without giving them proper credit. In academic writing, plagiarizing involves using words, ideas, or information from a source without citing it correctly. In practice, this can mean a few different things.

Table of contents

Common questions about plagiarism, more tools and resources for avoiding plagiarism, frequently asked questions about plagiarism.

It’s easy to understand why you shouldn’t buy essays, but students often struggle with the details of quoting , paraphrasing , and citing sources . Below, we address some questions and misconceptions students often have about plagiarism.

I need to quote and paraphrase a lot. Won’t my paper be full of distracting citations?

It’s true that some papers do feature a lot of citations. There are ways to reduce clutter by citing more efficiently, such as:

  • Combining multiple citations into one set of parentheses (usually separated by semicolons )
  • Not repeating the full citation when you cite the same source multiple times in a row
  • Using “ ibid. ” to indicate a repeated citation (in certain styles)
  • Omitting citations for information that is common knowledge

Do I need to cite a certain number of sources? Can citing too much be a bad thing?

There’s no fixed number of sources you should cite. Your use of sources should be based on strengthening your argument, not meeting a quota. A high number of citations isn’t inherently a good or bad thing. Some types of academic text (e.g., a literature review ) are more likely to cite a lot of sources than others.

When you do think you’ve cited too much, it’s worth considering whether you need all the information you’ve included. All information should directly contribute to your argument, not just be tangentially related.

One thing you should avoid is quoting too much. If large portions of your text consist of someone else’s words, it distracts from your own arguments. It’s usually better to paraphrase unless you’re specifically analyzing the language of the source (e.g., in literary analysis ).

Is it better to just avoid using sources so I don’t risk accidental plagiarism?

No, using sources is an essential part of academic writing . Academic research is an ongoing conversation between researchers. Drawing on other sources, and positioning your own ideas in relation to them, is not optional.

But it’s understandable to be concerned about plagiarism. If you’re worried about the possibility of accidental plagiarism, make sure to:

  • Quote and paraphrase sources correctly
  • Manage and cite your sources using a citation generator
  • Use a plagiarism checker before submitting your work to detect any problems
  • Use generative AI tools responsibly (outputs may be detected by an AI detector )

Is paraphrasing a kind of plagiarism?

No, paraphrasing is just a way of incorporating information from a source into your text by putting it into your own words. As long as you cite the source correctly, paraphrasing is the best way to incorporate information in most cases.

However, paraphrasing can be considered plagiarism if you:

  • Don’t cite the source of the information, or cite it incorrectly
  • Phrase the information in a way that’s too close to the original (e.g., just swapping out a couple of words instead of reformulating the sentence)

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Scribbr offers a variety of tools and services designed to help you with citations and plagiarism checking, including the best plagiarism checker available.

Plagiarism Checker

Citation Generator Citation Checker Citation Editing

And you can check out the in-depth articles below to learn more about the different kinds of plagiarism, its consequences, and how to avoid it:

  • Types of plagiarism
  • Self-plagiarism
  • How to avoid plagiarism
  • Consequences of plagiarism
  • Academic integrity vs. academic dishonesty
  • Common knowledge
  • How plagiarism checkers work
  • Examples of plagiarism
  • Plagiarism resources for educators

The consequences of plagiarism vary depending on the type of plagiarism and the context in which it occurs. For example, submitting a whole paper by someone else will have the most severe consequences, while accidental citation errors are considered less serious.

If you’re a student, then you might fail the course, be suspended or expelled, or be obligated to attend a workshop on plagiarism. It depends on whether it’s your first offense or you’ve done it before.

As an academic or professional, plagiarizing seriously damages your reputation. You might also lose your research funding or your job, and you could even face legal consequences for copyright infringement.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source . This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style .

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Accidental plagiarism is one of the most common examples of plagiarism . Perhaps you forgot to cite a source, or paraphrased something a bit too closely. Maybe you can’t remember where you got an idea from, and aren’t totally sure if it’s original or not.

These all count as plagiarism, even though you didn’t do it on purpose. When in doubt, make sure you’re citing your sources . Also consider running your work through a plagiarism checker tool prior to submission, which work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts.

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker takes less than 10 minutes and can help you turn in your paper with confidence.

Plagiarism can be detected by your professor or readers if the tone, formatting, or style of your text is different in different parts of your paper, or if they’re familiar with the plagiarized source.

Many universities also use plagiarism detection software like Turnitin’s, which compares your text to a large database of other sources, flagging any similarities that come up.

It can be easier than you think to commit plagiarism by accident. Consider using a plagiarism checker prior to submitting your paper to ensure you haven’t missed any citations.

The accuracy depends on the plagiarism checker you use. Per our in-depth research , Scribbr is the most accurate plagiarism checker. Many free plagiarism checkers fail to detect all plagiarism or falsely flag text as plagiarism.

Plagiarism checkers work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts. Their accuracy is determined by two factors: the algorithm (which recognizes the plagiarism) and the size of the database (with which your document is compared).

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Digital Writing Assistants are tools that can quickly review your writing and provide timely and personalized feedback on how you can improve its readability and sentence structure. This service is a tool that can support your writing now and offer suggestions on how you can improve it in the future.

Grammarly for Education is a self-service digital writing assistant that is accessible through VDI or as an application downloaded to your device.

Key features and benefits

  • Comprehensive Writing Assistance: Grammarly provides in-depth writing suggestions, covering grammar, punctuation, style, and tone, to help you express yourself with clarity and confidence.
  • Academic Writing Support: Tailor Grammarly to your academic needs, whether you’re working on an essay, thesis, or research paper. Receive genre-specific suggestions to enhance the quality of your writing
  • Plagiarism Checker: Ensure the originality of your work with Grammarly’s plagiarism checker, helping you maintain academic integrity and avoid unintentional plagiarism. Seamless Integration: Access Grammarly across multiple platforms, including your favorite word processors and web browsers. Write with confidence, knowing that Grammarly is there to support you wherever you are.

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Note: If you are not a student and are interested in using Grammarly, please contact your Department Administrator for more information.

How to get started

Sign up for your Grammarly account: 

  • Visit: https://hsph.me/grammarly
  • If you have an existing account using your @hsph.harvard.edu email address, you will be prompted to join the Harvard T.H. Chan student Grammarly for Education when you login .

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  • If you have a Grammarly account using your personal email address and would like to move to an HSPH Grammarly account, first change your Grammarly account to use your @hsph email address by following the instructions here . Then sign in using your Harvard Key at https://hsph.me/grammarly

Install the Grammarly application:

  • Grammarly is installed on Student VDI and can be launched from the start menu.

Note: SPH IT can provide you with limited troubleshooting assistance and guidance on best practices for its effective use.  For more information on features or advanced topics, check out the Grammarly support portal .

What happens when I graduate? 

When you graduate, your student Grammarly account will automatically be converted to a free account. If you would like to continue to use Grammarly’s paid features, you can purchase a personal license.

Useful links

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accidental plagiarism in research

Plagiarism prevention: why you need a plagiarism check (even when you think you don’t).

Plagiarism prevention may not be top of mind for students and researchers who produce their original ideas and writing. In fact, some may dare to ask what’s the brouhaha about plagiarism checks anyway? So let’s explain this simply. Say you build a tower out of wooden blocks. Each block has …

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    A comprehensive guide to the best plagiarism checkers of 2023, based on in-depth research comparing the performance of 10 tools. Scribbr's free plagiarism checker is the best on the market, with a clear and comprehensive report, a happiness guarantee, and a Self-Plagiarism Checker. Compare the features, pros, cons, and prices of other checkers.

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    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.

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    A free online tool to check paper for plagiarism online. Paste or upload your text and get the uniqueness percentage, sources and suggestions to improve your paper. Save time, avoid penalties and deliver a 100% original paper with A Research Guide.

  19. Paperpal Adds Online Plagiarism Checker to its AI Academic Writing

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  22. Plagiarism in Research explained: The complete Guide

    These aspects help institutions and publishers define plagiarism types more accurately. The agreed-upon forms of plagiarism that occur in research writing include: 1. Global or Complete Plagiarism. Global or Complete plagiarism is inarguably the most severe form of plagiarism — It is as good as stealing.

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  24. What Is Plagiarism?

    The accuracy depends on the plagiarism checker you use. Per our in-depth research, Scribbr is the most accurate plagiarism checker. Many free plagiarism checkers fail to detect all plagiarism or falsely flag text as plagiarism. Plagiarism checkers work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts.

  25. Digital Writing Assistant

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  26. accidental plagiarism in research Archives

    Plagiarism prevention may not be top of mind for students and researchers who produce their original ideas and writing. In fact, some may dare to ask what's the brouhaha about plagiarism checks anyway? So let's explain this simply. Say you build a tower out of wooden blocks. Each block has …. Continue Reading. February 19, 2024.