Detecting Plagiarism

Detecting Plagiarism

How Students Plagiarize

Databases with full-text articles

Expanded Academic ASAP, Lexis-Nexis, Project MUSE, ATLAS, CIAO, E*Subscribe, Ethnic NewsWatch, IDEAL, JSTOR, Journals@Ovid, MathSciNet, ScienceDirect

Paper mills

Evil House of Cheat (http://www.CheatHouse.com)

ACI Writing Assistance Center (http://www.aci-plus.com)

For a list of paper mill sites, go to http://www.coastal.edu/library/mills2.htm

Papers, conference proceedings, etc. posted on the Web

Other free articles online

What about...

Microsoft Word's "AutoSummarize" feature?
Translating foreign language online essays with free translator services on the web

Spotting Plagiarism

Fran Nowakowski (Killam Library at Dalhousie University) has created a wonderful site listing visual and contextual clues. Also contains information on educating students and assignment design.

http://www.library.dal.ca/how/detect.htm

How to track down the plagiarized source

Check the bibliography of the paper
Search unique keywords or phrases in Google or Hotbot
Visit paper mill sites
Utilize a plagiarism detection site (many charge fees)

PlagiServe [http://www.plagiserve.com/] It takes a couple minutes to register, but the service is free.
Turnitin [http://www.turnitin.com] A free trial is available.
Eve2 [http://www.canexus.com/eve/index.shtml] Free 15-day trial available.
IntegriGuard [http://www.integriguard.com/] Both free and fee-based services.
Glatt Plagiarism Services, Inc. [http://plagiarism.com/] Offers 3 different types of software.

FURTHER READING

For your students:

"Plagiarism: What it is and How to Avoid It." Contains information on acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing. Also helps students avoid plagiarism by defining key terms ("paraphrase," "quotation," and "common knowledge"). [Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University -- http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html]

"Avoiding Plagiarism." Uses clear, simple charts to inform students. Towards the end of the page, some exercises are included to test students' understanding. [Purdue University Online Writing Lab -- http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html]

For you:

"A Faculty Guide to Cyber-Plagiarism." Includes links on prevention, detection, and reporting. Also includes handouts for students. http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/plagiarism/
"Plagiarism and the Web." Numerous tips on teaching your students about plagiarism. [http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfbhl/wiu/plagiarism.htm]

Center for Academic Integrity [http://www.academicintegrity.org/]

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