Article updated 16 January, 2023
Bailey, J. (2012) TurnItIn Analyzes the Spectrum of Plagiarism, Plagiarism Today, May 10
Online Plagiarism Checker (2021) Guide to Prevention of Academic Plagiarism, July 2
Warner, A. (2023) 5 Free Online Plagiarism Checkers – Which Works in 2023, undated. This is an excellent comparison of five plagiarism checkers, useful not only for checking students’ work, but also one’s own ‘unconscious’ plagiarism – yes, we all do it! Thanks to Emma.romanotx for directing me to this.
Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) has an open access online game, Academic Integrity in Space, that addresses different topics related to academic integrity, including plagiarism, cheating and group work.
The Online Plagiarism Checker explain[s] how to avoid plagiarism in academic writing and what methods are implemented by college professors to detect it.
TurnItIn, the creator of anti-plagiarism software, produced in 2012 a useful if somewhat picky report on different types of plagiarism and what academics thought were the most problematic forms of plagiarism. Unfortunately, the TurnItIn post is no longer available, but Jonathan Bailey’s report on it is still online in 2023.
It is important to differentiate between different types of plagiarism and their relative importance, and there are some useful guides on how to deal with the issue in Jonathan Bailey’s article.
One of TurnItIn’s categories that amused me was ‘recycling’, i.e. re-using one’s own previous work without attribution – guilty, m’lud!
Now is my copy of part of the TurnItIn graphic plagiarism or breach of copyright (or fair dealing)?! I’m seeking guidance from my legal department.
Thanks to Stephen Downes for directing me to the TurnItIn resource (sorry about the plagiarism, Stephen).
Plagiarism is serious, though. Everyone’s work should be properly recognised, and claiming someone else’s ideas as your own is a form of theft.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
Let he without sin cast the first stone.
Should I have quoted that?
How is “Find/Replace” so low on the “problematic” scale??? There are some strange ratings here!
Is this part of the white paper linked above? What was the process used to produce it?
Hi, Pete
Yes, the graphic is from the white paper produced by TurnItIn, which also describes the method (mainly interviews with faculty).
Good list, remember back in college once hearing “if you quote one source it’s plagiarism, if you quote two it’s research”…