Plagiarism Checkers - A Beginner's Guide

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With the wealth of information available online, it can be all too easy to include passages or ideas from other sources without proper attribution. This could get you accused of plagiarism with serious consequences in academic or professional settings. Plagiarism detection software compares your writing against existing content to uncover non-original text. Using these helpful tools properly takes some knowledge. Follow this beginner’s guide to get started using plagiarism checkers effectively.

Selecting Software

There are many plagiarism detectors out there, so research options to pick the best one for your needs. Consider accuracy, speed, ease of use, supported formats, reporting capabilities, and price. Some top services to explore are Grammarly, Copyscape, PlagiarismChecker.net, and Unicheck.

Uploading Content

Plagiarism checkers support uploading different file types. You can copy and paste text directly in some. For longer pieces, upload document files like .doc, .pdf, .rtf and more. Article spinning or paraphrasing tools should not be used as they still contain copied content. Upload your ...
... original writing only.

Configuring Settings

Most plagiarism tools allow you to configure settings like the type of content checked and plagiarism detection parameters. Academic paper settings are strict, as any non-original text must be cited. For general web writing, you may choose more lenient settings that allow a percentage of duplicated content.

Interpreting Reports

Scan results will clearly highlight any duplicated text found and provide an overall originality score. Review the matches and determine if any sections need citations added or if content should be paraphrased. A low score like less than 5% duplication is ideal for academic papers, while up to about 15% could be acceptable for general writing.

Fixing Plagiarized Areas

Now comes the important part - fixing any plagiarized content uncovered. For properly attributed quotes or facts, make sure citations are formatted correctly. For duplicated phrases or passages without citations, you’ll need to rewrite the text in your own words. Be careful not to simply change a few words. Read over the content and express the ideas using your own unique voice.

Rescanning

Once you’ve made revisions, run the paper through the plagiarism tool again to confirm all highlighted matches have been addressed. The report should show improved originality. Continue tweaking and rescanning until you achieve an acceptable score demonstrating that plagiarized content has been fixed.

Using plagiarism checkers takes some practice to get the desired results. But these invaluable tools give you confidence that your work is original before ever turning it in. Address any areas flagged for copying right away to become a better researcher and writer. With this beginner’s guide, you’re ready to start using plagiarism detection software properly.