With the incredible (and rapidly growing) volume of information available online, plagiarism is a real issue for teachers to deal with. Students can save tremendous amounts of time by copying content for assignments. If they get away with it, they miss out on developing skills in research, critical thinking, and writing.
Thankfully, as an instructor, you have tools available to catch many forms of plagiarism. With some quick checks, you can identify text that is wholly or partially copied.
Some plagiarism checkers allow you to scan a PDF or Word document, while others require you to cut and paste the contents into a webpage. Some search just easily available content, while others explore journals and even remember scans they’ve done before. Almost all deliver a report that not only shows which part of the assignment is plagiarised but also reveals the source from where it was taken.
Best Plagiarism Checking Tools for Educators
Free plagiarism checkers often come with limitations that can be frustrating, like word count restrictions or incomplete checks. That’s why most teachers turn to paid services.
The good news is that many institutions provide access to these tools, so you might not need to pay for them yourself. Here are some of the best options available.
1. Turnitin
Turnitin is the most used plagiarism detection tool by educational institutions. Submissions are checked against a database of internet pages, academic journals, and student papers. Turnitin’s AI-detection capabilities and integration with major Learning Management Systems (LMS) make it efficient at maintaining academic integrity.
Pros: Database covering billions of web pages, academic journals, and student papers. Excellent AI-detection capabilities. Integrates with major Learning Management Systems (LMS).
Cons: Expensive compared to other tools. May require institutional access for full functionality.
2. Grammarly
Grammarly is popular for its dual functionality of grammar checking and plagiarism detection. It scans billions of web pages and academic databases, offering a user-friendly interface available as a browser extension, desktop app, or Microsoft add-in. Grammarly’s accessibility and additional writing enhancement features make it a favorite among educators and students alike.
Pros: Dual functionality with grammar checking and plagiarism detection. Accessible as a browser extension, desktop app, or Microsoft add-in. User-friendly interface with additional writing enhancement features.
Cons: Free version has limited plagiarism detection capabilities. Can be expensive for full access.
3. SafeAssign
SafeAssign, integrated within the Blackboard, is widely used by institutions on this platform. It checks student submissions against an extensive database of academic content, including institutional resources and previously submitted assignments. Integration with Blackboard makes it a convenient choice for those already using this LMS.
Pros: Integration with Blackboard LMS. Covers institutional resources and previously submitted assignments.
Cons: Not available as a standalone product. Limited to institutions using Blackboard.
4. UniCheck
UniCheck is a premium plagiarism checker designed for educational institutions, offering detailed plagiarism reports and supporting multiple document formats. It provides thorough checks and features an intuitive interface, making it a reliable option for universities and schools.
Pros: Detailed reports, intuitive interface, and support for multiple document formats.
Cons: Can be costly compared to other tools, especially for smaller institutions.
5. Copyscape
Copyscape is primarily used by professional writers and web publishers to ensure content originality. It checks against a wide range of web sources, making it valuable for educators concerned with internet-based plagiarism. However, it is less focused on academic papers than other tools on this list.
Pros: Extensive web coverage, ideal for checking online content.
Cons: Less effective for academic papers. Focused more on web content than educational use.
6. Plagium
Plagium offers unique features, including scanning social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for duplicate content. It operates on a pay-per-use model, making it an affordable choice for occasional users. Despite its niche focus, it lacks some of the features of tools like Turnitin and Grammarly.
Pros: Scans social media, affordable pay-per-use model.
Cons: Limited database, fewer features compared to more established tools.
7. Quetext
Quetext is gaining popularity for its simplicity and thorough analysis. It offers a generous free tier, with the ability to check multiple documents per month. Quetext also provides suggested citations for plagiarized content, which can be useful for both teachers and students.
Pros: User-friendly, free tier available, provides suggested citations.
Cons: Free tier has limits, fewer advanced features than other tools.
8. iThenticate
iThenticate is a tool often used by academic publishers and researchers. While not as common in classroom settings, it’s highly regarded for its ability to check against scholarly publications, including journals and conference papers. This tool is particularly useful for graduate-level work and academic publications.
Pros: Extensive scholarly database, ideal for academic publications.
Cons: Not commonly used in classroom settings, more suited for publishers and researchers.
Which AI Checker Do Teachers Use?
If you’re a teacher concerned about students using AI-generated content, Turnitin is your best bet. Turnitin is widely used in educational settings, and it has recently added AI-detection capabilities to its plagiarism-checking tools. It’s popular because it integrates with many educational platforms and provides detailed reports that help you spot potential issues.
Another good option is Grammarly. While it’s mostly known for checking grammar and plagiarism, Grammarly has also started to include AI content detection. This makes it a handy tool for catching AI-generated text in student assignments.
Is There Any Actually Free Plagiarism Checkers?
Yes, there are some plagiarism checkers that are genuinely free to use. However, most of these free tools come with limitations, such as restricted word counts or fewer features compared to paid versions.
- Quetext – Quetext offers a free version that allows you to check up to 500 words per search. It provides basic plagiarism detection and highlights copied text, though it has limitations in the number of checks you can perform monthly without upgrading.
- DupliChecker – DupliChecker is another option that offers free plagiarism checks with a 1,000-word limit per search. Registered users can perform up to 50 searches per day, while unregistered users are limited to one free search daily.
- Plagium – Plagium offers a free tier for checking up to 1,000 characters, which can be useful for quick checks. It’s especially handy for checking social media content, but it lacks some of the advanced features of paid tools.
- SmallSEOTools – This tool is widely used for its basic plagiarism checking capabilities. It allows you to check up to 1,000 words per search and is completely free, although the results might not be as good as those from paid services.
These free tools can be useful for quick checks or for those who only need to perform plagiarism detection occasionally. However, for more extensive needs, upgrading to a paid service might be necessary to access more features and larger word limits.
Tips on How to Detect Plagiarism
If you’re trying to catch students who might be plagiarizing, here are a few practical tips.
- Use plagiarism checkers. Tools like Turnitin or Grammarly are popular for catching copied content. They compare student work against online sources and flag any matches.
- Watch for style changes. If the writing suddenly seems more advanced or formal than usual, that can be a red flag.
- Look out for odd formatting. Sometimes when students copy and paste, the formatting changes. Different fonts or spacing can be a giveaway.
- Check for missing citations. If you come across specific facts, data, or unique opinions that aren’t referenced, it’s worth investigating further.
- Search suspicious phrases. A quick Google search of a phrase in quotes can reveal if it’s been lifted from another source.
These tips can help spot plagiarism without relying entirely on software.