Plagiarism Checker Myths: 7 Things Teachers Still Get Wrong
Plagiarism violates academic integrity, and teachers shouldn’t waste their efforts on checking copied assignments. We believe, all of us would agree on that.
We also suppose many would confirm that using a plagiarism detector significantly accelerates the working routines. The tool helps educators automatically filter out copied essays instead of manual comparison. However, even those who trust plagiarism detectors often don’t make the most of the instrument’s capabilities due to widespread misconceptions about their work. Let’s do a reality check and discover the truth behind the most popular myths about plagiarism detectors.
Myth 1: A plagiarism checker always gives 100% accurate results.
Modern plagiarism detectors are accurate. But no tool gives an ultimate verdict on whether the text is plagiarized or not. Let us explain.
A plagiarism detector will scan online sources to find the matching content that is allegedly copied by the student. An advanced plagiarism checker will even access some external databases and highlight attempts to hide cheating by paraphrasing and adding hidden symbols. However, any check result reveals alleged plagiarism, which can turn out to be poorly formatted citations or text included as per the task requirements. So, the final judgment can be made only by a human in charge.
Even the high similarity score does not automatically mean the work was copied. A plagiarism report helps the teacher reveal the parts that need further analysis. Provided the links to the sources where the similarities have been detected, an educator can compare the texts and decide whether the work is plagiarized.
Myth 2: A low similarity score means the work is original.
A plagiarism detector helps catch similarities that might mean the work was copied from other sources. However, the checkers’ score is not the only indicator of cheating.
The teacher always knows better. If the general style of the text seems “off” or if some paragraphs abruptly change tone of voice, it might mean that the text or a part of it was translated, AI-generated, composed by a ghostwriter, or paraphrased to an extent that a plagiarism checker can’t catch it. Most detectors recognize popular cheating attempts, like synonymization, adding of hidden symbols, changing the sentence structure, or paraphrasing the text without any added value. However, basic tools may not detect indirect matches, especially when it comes to ideas and concepts instead of exact wording. The solution? Always trust your guts and pay extra attention if the text seems suspicious. Even when the plagiarism score is low, run the paper through an AI detector, use an authorship verification tool, and check the list of sources for credibility.
Myth 3: Plagiarism detection is all about catching cheaters.
Plagiarism detection is associated with revealing the rules violation and punishing the guilty. While the tool indeed helps catch academic dishonesty, it’s only a part of the process.
Introducing plagiarism detection in class can help educate students on originality importance and working ethics. Since a high-quality detector reveals poor paraphrasing and improper citation, the teacher will see the blind spots in students’ skills and areas for improvement.
Moreover, modern advanced checkers offer an extended functionality, providing grammar check, AI detection, grading, or essay topic generation in the same toolkit. This way, educators have a comprehensive solution for the assignment evaluation, and students get an opportunity to self-check their work and educate themselves on better citing and paraphrasing.
Bloggers, copywriters, content managers, editors, and creators use plagiarism detectors to analyze the writing quality and ensure the text is original, polished, and ready for publishing.
Myth 4: All plagiarism checkers work the same way.
The big picture is the same for all checkers: they all scan the sources for similarities and find the matching parts between the submitted text and the database. However, the details vary significantly.
The main difference is in the available databases. Some plagiarism checkers scan only the free sources available online, whereas others have access to the paid databases of scientific publications and thematic resources, increasing the accuracy of detection. (Usually, this is the main difference between free and paid plagiarism detection software.) Moreover, some tools allow uploading your own repository, providing an opportunity to check work against other students’ papers, detecting copying from each other.
The way algorithms work also varies. The most basic checkers flag only direct similarities when the text has been copied without any changes. Meanwhile, more advanced tools are able to detect the trickiest cheating attempts, paraphrasing, and the addition of hidden symbols.
Then, security is a crucial issue to consider. Most free checkers do not guarantee data protection and can publish the submitted papers elsewhere or use them to train an AI model, violating the students’ privacy. Therefore, considering the security policies is essential when opting for a plagiarism detector for professional use: take time to study their approach to data protection.
Myth 5: Students only plagiarize on essays.
With millions of sources available online immediately, copying the information is easier than ever. Hence, cheating is no longer the prerogative of long-form writing. Plagiarism appears in presentations, discussion posts, lab reports, and even creative writing. Limiting checks to essays is missing the bigger picture.
Using a plagiarism detector that can be integrated into the LMS you use is a smart move to optimize the assignment checking routine, including all types of tasks. Some advanced tools, like the Integrito extension, can even check Quizzes and Discussions on Canvas.
Myth 6: Plagiarism is always intentional.
Discovering a plagiarized assignment often feels like disrespect towards an educator. Sometimes it’s even hard not to take it a little personally. However, malicious intention is not always the cause of plagiarism occurrence. As wild as it sounds, accidental plagiarism happens more often than it seems. How is it possible?
Sometimes, students genuinely do not understand the concept of plagiarism and the difference between rewriting and quality paraphrasing. Others don’t completely comprehend the concept of proper referencing, and their citation formatting skills need improvement. Sometimes, students sincerely mistake someone else’s ideas for common knowledge or even their own discovery. Or pure coincidences also happen, when a student repeats someone’s words without realizing it.
An honest mistake is still a mistake, and unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism. However, understanding its nature can help address the issue correctly and educate students on the ways to prevent accidental plagiarism in the future.
Myth 7: Free plagiarism checkers are just as reliable as paid ones.
Free checkers can be effective for occasional checks, but are rarely a good option for professional use.
Accuracy is the number one concern considering free checkers. Since free tools don’t charge users, they can’t provide access to paid databases for comparison, and are less likely to invest in algorithm development to keep up with the quickly developing technologies. Therefore, the results of the free checks would be less reliable than when using paid checkers.
Security is another point: free checkers often do not guarantee data protection, which means the information you submit can be used elsewhere. As a result, the papers sent for checking can be published on websites, or your students’ personal data can be compromised. Professional plagiarism checkers usually have transparent privacy policies and are recommended for use in educational institutions.
The ease of implementation and the features the checker includes are crucial for building an efficient workflow. A stand-alone free checker is suitable for a one-time scan. However, consistent working with a tool requires integrating it into the study environment and complementing it with other functions, like AI detection. These features are usually offered by professional paid checkers only.
To wrap it up, plagiarism checkers have developed into multi-purpose tools able to elevate teachers’ routines, improve students’ skills, and raise awareness on originality and writing ethics. However, plagiarism detectors are not a magic pill. Approach each text individually, trust your expertise, and remember that any tool is an assistant, not a human replacement.