How Does Plagiarism Software Work?
Plagiarism is the use of another person's words or ideas, also known as intellectual property, without properly crediting the original source. Plagiarism can happen both intentionally and unintentionally. The general guideline taught in most universities is that a string of three or more words lifted from any text must be cited to the appropriate source. Plagiarism software is a tool developed to aid in the detection of plagiarized content.
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History
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Plagiarism has existed as long as the written word. Scholars, teachers and editors have relied on their instincts and education to identify possibly plagiarized content. Antiplagiarism software has been used since the 1990s to scan software codes and research papers for duplicate content, and has alleviated some of the pressure professionals face in their search for intellectual-property thieves. Antiplagiarism software is a useful tool, but it is no substitute for a keen eye.
Importance
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Intellectual property is difficult to protect since words and ideas are often intangible products. Plagiarism has always existed, but the Internet has created a way for thieves to publish the words of others that is nearly impossible to detect or track. Parts and pieces from several authors can be quickly and easily combined in a hodgepodge of plagiarized material that is republished, or submitted to a teacher, as an original work. The vast amount of information available on the Internet allows the plagiarized content to hide from the original producer. Professors and teachers discovered that they were facing a seemingly impossible challenge. They could not possibly familiarize themselves with every word on the web, and students were increasingly submitting less-than-original work.
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Process
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Plagiarism software is a tool used to detect possible plagiarized content. The software scans a document and compares it to documents found on the Internet and in archives. If a similar combination of words is found, the section is highlighted. The person performing the scan must then review the highlighted sections to determine if content has indeed been plagiarized. Depending on the sensitivity of the software, sections of text will be highlighted that are coincidences of language or unintentionally similar material.
Popular Software
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Viper is a free program available online that claims to compare the submitted work to over 10 billion resources. It is marketed primarily to individuals to check their own work. Turnitin is popular software marketed to educational facilities. It offers the opportunity to purchase a campus license that is then available to all instructors and professors. Checkforplagiarism is another web-based software program that is available to both individuals and institutions.
Practical Applications
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Antiplagiarism software is currently used by software developers, high schools, colleges, editors and websites when the authorship of a submitted paper is in question. Some institutions mandate the use of this software, while others make it available when needed or specifically requested. The sudden rise in the article base available on the Internet, and the increase in the use of this software, has prompted some writers to scan their own work for possible flags before submitting their assignments to avoid unintentional plagiarism.
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References
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