uk essays plagiarism

Information about what plagiarism is, and how you can avoid it.

The University defines plagiarism as follows:

“Presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or without consent of the original author, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition, as is the use of material generated wholly or in part through use of artificial intelligence (save when use of AI for assessment has received prior authorisation e.g. as a reasonable adjustment for a student’s disability). Plagiarism can also include re-using your own work without citation. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence.”

The necessity to acknowledge others’ work or ideas applies not only to text, but also to other media, such as computer code, illustrations, graphs etc. It applies equally to published text and data drawn from books and journals, and to unpublished text and data, whether from lectures, theses or other students’ essays. You must also attribute text, data, or other resources downloaded from websites.

Please note that artificial intelligence (AI) can only be used within assessments where specific prior authorisation has been given, or when technology that uses AI has been agreed as reasonable adjustment for a student’s disability (such as voice recognition software for transcriptions, or spelling and grammar checkers).

The best way of avoiding plagiarism is to learn and employ the principles of good academic practice from the beginning of your university career. Avoiding plagiarism is not simply a matter of making sure your references are all correct, or changing enough words so the examiner will not notice your paraphrase; it is about deploying your academic skills to make your work as good as it can be.

Students will benefit from taking an  online course  which has been developed to provide a useful overview of the issues surrounding plagiarism and practical ways to avoid it.

Forms of plagiarism

Verbatim (word for word) quotation without clear acknowledgement Quotations must always be identified as such by the use of either quotation marks or indentation, and with full referencing of the sources cited. It must always be apparent to the reader which parts are your own independent work and where you have drawn on ideas and language from another source.

Cutting and pasting from the Internet without clear acknowledgement Information derived from the Internet must be adequately referenced and included in the bibliography. It is important to evaluate carefully all material found on the Internet, as it is less likely to have been through the same process of scholarly peer review as published sources.

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing the work of others by altering a few words and changing their order, or by closely following the structure of their argument, is plagiarism if you do not give due acknowledgement to the author whose work you are using.

A passing reference to the original author in your own text may not be enough; you must ensure that you do not create the misleading impression that the paraphrased wording or the sequence of ideas are entirely your own. It is better to write a brief summary of the author’s overall argument in your own words, indicating that you are doing so, than to paraphrase particular sections of his or her writing. This will ensure you have a genuine grasp of the argument and will avoid the difficulty of paraphrasing without plagiarising. You must also properly attribute all material you derive from lectures.

Collusion This can involve unauthorised collaboration between students, failure to attribute assistance received, or failure to follow precisely regulations on group work projects. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are entirely clear about the extent of collaboration permitted, and which parts of the work must be your own.

Inaccurate citation It is important to cite correctly, according to the conventions of your discipline. As well as listing your sources (i.e. in a bibliography), you must indicate, using a footnote or an in-text reference, where a quoted passage comes from. Additionally, you should not include anything in your references or bibliography that you have not actually consulted. If you cannot gain access to a primary source you must make it clear in your citation that your knowledge of the work has been derived from a secondary text (for example, Bradshaw, D. Title of Book, discussed in Wilson, E., Title of Book (London, 2004), p. 189).

Failure to acknowledge assistance You must clearly acknowledge all assistance which has contributed to the production of your work, such as advice from fellow students, laboratory technicians, and other external sources. This need not apply to the assistance provided by your tutor or supervisor, or to ordinary proofreading, but it is necessary to acknowledge other guidance which leads to substantive changes of content or approach.

Use of material written by professional agencies or other persons You should neither make use of professional agencies in the production of your work nor submit material which has been written for you even with the consent of the person who has written it. It is vital to your intellectual training and development that you should undertake the research process unaided. Under Statute XI on University Discipline, all members of the University are prohibited from providing material that could be submitted in an examination by students at this University or elsewhere.

Auto-plagiarism You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your current course or for another qualification of this, or any other, university, unless this is specifically provided for in the special regulations for your course. Where earlier work by you is citable, ie. it has already been published, you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted concurrently will also be considered to be auto-plagiarism.

Why does plagiarism matter?

Plagiarism is a breach of academic integrity. It is a principle of intellectual honesty that all members of the academic community should acknowledge their debt to the originators of the ideas, words, and data which form the basis for their own work. Passing off another’s work as your own is not only poor scholarship, but also means that you have failed to complete the learning process. Plagiarism is unethical and can have serious consequences for your future career; it also undermines the standards of your institution and of the degrees it issues.

Why should you avoid plagiarism?

There are many reasons to avoid plagiarism. You have come to university to learn to know and speak your own mind, not merely to reproduce the opinions of others - at least not without attribution. At first it may seem very difficult to develop your own views, and you will probably find yourself paraphrasing the writings of others as you attempt to understand and assimilate their arguments. However it is important that you learn to develop your own voice. You are not necessarily expected to become an original thinker, but you are expected to be an independent one - by learning to assess critically the work of others, weigh up differing arguments and draw your own conclusions. Students who plagiarise undermine the ethos of academic scholarship while avoiding an essential part of the learning process.

You should avoid plagiarism because you aspire to produce work of the highest quality. Once you have grasped the principles of source use and citation, you should find it relatively straightforward to steer clear of plagiarism. Moreover, you will reap the additional benefits of improvements to both the lucidity and quality of your writing. It is important to appreciate that mastery of the techniques of academic writing is not merely a practical skill, but one that lends both credibility and authority to your work, and demonstrates your commitment to the principle of intellectual honesty in scholarship.

What happens if you are thought to have plagiarised?

The University regards plagiarism in examinations as a serious matter. Cases will be investigated and penalties may range from deduction of marks to expulsion from the University, depending on the seriousness of the occurrence. Even if plagiarism is inadvertent, it can result in a penalty. The forms of plagiarism listed above are all potentially disciplinary offences in the context of formal assessment requirements.

The regulations regarding conduct in examinations apply equally to the ‘submission and assessment of a thesis, dissertation, essay, or other coursework not undertaken in formal examination conditions but which counts towards or constitutes the work for a degree or other academic award’. Additionally, this includes the transfer and confirmation of status exercises undertaken by graduate students. Cases of suspected plagiarism in assessed work are investigated under the disciplinary regulations concerning conduct in examinations. Intentional plagiarism in this context means that you understood that you were breaching the regulations and did so intending to gain advantage in the examination. Reckless, in this context, means that you understood or could be expected to have understood (even if you did not specifically consider it) that your work might breach the regulations, but you took no action to avoid doing so. Intentional or reckless plagiarism may incur severe penalties, including failure of your degree or expulsion from the university.

If plagiarism is suspected in a piece of work submitted for assessment in an examination, the matter will be referred to the Proctors. They will thoroughly investigate the claim and call the student concerned for interview. If at this point there is no evidence of a breach of the regulations, no further disciplinary action will be taken although there may still be an academic penalty. However, if it is concluded that a breach of the regulations may have occurred, the Proctors will refer the case to the Student Disciplinary Panel.

If you are suspected of plagiarism your College Secretary/Academic Administrator and subject tutor will support you through the process and arrange for a member of Congregation to accompany you to all hearings. They will be able to advise you what to expect during the investigation and how best to make your case. The OUSU Student Advice Service can also provide useful information and support. 

Does this mean that I shouldn’t use the work of other authors?

On the contrary, it is vital that you situate your writing within the intellectual debates of your discipline. Academic essays almost always involve the use and discussion of material written by others, and, with due acknowledgement and proper referencing, this is clearly distinguishable from plagiarism. The knowledge in your discipline has developed cumulatively as a result of years of research, innovation and debate. You need to give credit to the authors of the ideas and observations you cite. Not only does this accord recognition to their work, it also helps you to strengthen your argument by making clear the basis on which you make it. Moreover, good citation practice gives your reader the opportunity to follow up your references, or check the validity of your interpretation.

Does every statement in my essay have to be backed up with references?

You may feel that including the citation for every point you make will interrupt the flow of your essay and make it look very unoriginal. At least initially, this may sometimes be inevitable. However, by employing good citation practice from the start, you will learn to avoid errors such as close paraphrasing or inadequately referenced quotation. It is important to understand the reasons behind the need for transparency of source use.

All academic texts, even student essays, are multi-voiced, which means they are filled with references to other texts. Rather than attempting to synthesise these voices into one narrative account, you should make it clear whose interpretation or argument you are employing at any one time - whose ‘voice’ is speaking.

If you are substantially indebted to a particular argument in the formulation of your own, you should make this clear both in footnotes and in the body of your text according to the agreed conventions of the discipline, before going on to describe how your own views develop or diverge from this influence.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to give references for facts that are common knowledge in your discipline. If you are unsure as to whether something is considered to be common knowledge or not, it is safer to cite it anyway and seek clarification. You do need to document facts that are not generally known and ideas that are interpretations of facts. 

Does this only matter in exams?

Although plagiarism in weekly essays does not constitute a University disciplinary offence, it may well lead to College disciplinary measures. Persistent academic under-performance can even result in your being sent down from the University. Although tutorial essays traditionally do not require the full scholarly apparatus of footnotes and referencing, it is still necessary to acknowledge your sources and demonstrate the development of your argument, usually by an in-text reference. Many tutors will ask that you do employ a formal citation style early on, and you will find that this is good preparation for later project and dissertation work. In any case, your work will benefit considerably if you adopt good scholarly habits from the start, together with the techniques of critical thinking and writing described above.

As junior members of the academic community, students need to learn how to read academic literature and how to write in a style appropriate to their discipline. This does not mean that you must become masters of jargon and obfuscation; however the process is akin to learning a new language. It is necessary not only to learn new terminology, but the practical study skills and other techniques which will help you to learn effectively.

Developing these skills throughout your time at university will not only help you to produce better coursework, dissertations, projects and exam papers, but will lay the intellectual foundations for your future career. Even if you have no intention of becoming an academic, being able to analyse evidence, exercise critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively are skills that will serve you for life, and which any employer will value.

Borrowing essays from other students to adapt and submit as your own is plagiarism, and will develop none of these necessary skills, holding back your academic development. Students who lend essays for this purpose are doing their peers no favours.

Unintentional plagiarism

Not all cases of plagiarism arise from a deliberate intention to cheat. Sometimes students may omit to take down citation details when taking notes, or they may be genuinely ignorant of referencing conventions. However, these excuses offer no sure protection against a charge of plagiarism. Even in cases where the plagiarism is found to have been neither intentional nor reckless, there may still be an academic penalty for poor practice.

It is your responsibility to find out the prevailing referencing conventions in your discipline, to take adequate notes, and to avoid close paraphrasing. If you are offered induction sessions on plagiarism and study skills, you should attend. Together with the advice contained in your subject handbook, these will help you learn how to avoid common errors. If you are undertaking a project or dissertation you should ensure that you have information on plagiarism and collusion. If ever in doubt about referencing, paraphrasing or plagiarism, you have only to ask your tutor.

Examples of plagiarism

There are some helpful examples of plagiarism-by-paraphrase and you will also find extensive advice on the referencing and library skills pages.

The following examples demonstrate some of the common pitfalls to avoid. These examples use the referencing system prescribed by the History Faculty but should be of use to students of all disciplines.

Source text

From a class perspective this put them [highwaymen] in an ambivalent position. In aspiring to that proud, if temporary, status of ‘Gentleman of the Road’, they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society. Yet their boldness of act and deed, in putting them outside the law as rebellious fugitives, revivified the ‘animal spirits’ of capitalism and became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, a serious obstacle to the formation of a tractable, obedient labour force. Therefore, it was not enough to hang them – the values they espoused or represented had to be challenged.

(Linebaugh, P., The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1991), p. 213. [You should give the reference in full the first time you use it in a footnote; thereafter it is acceptable to use an abbreviated version, e.g. Linebaugh, The London Hanged, p. 213.]

Plagiarised

• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London, posing a serious threat to the formation of a biddable labour force. (This is a patchwork of phrases copied verbatim from the source, with just a few words changed here and there. There is no reference to the original author and no indication that these words are not the writer’s own.)
• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen exercised a powerful attraction for the working classes. Some historians believe that this hindered the development of a submissive workforce. (This is a mixture of verbatim copying and acceptable paraphrase. Although only one phrase has been copied from the source, this would still count as plagiarism. The idea expressed in the first sentence has not been attributed at all, and the reference to ‘some historians’ in the second is insufficient. The writer should use clear referencing to acknowledge all ideas taken from other people’s work.)
• Although they did not question the inegalitarian hierarchy of their society, highwaymen ‘became an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London [and] a serious obstacle to the formation of a tractable, obedient labour force’.1 (This contains a mixture of attributed and unattributed quotation, which suggests to the reader that the first line is original to this writer. All quoted material must be enclosed in quotation marks and adequately referenced.)
• Highwaymen’s bold deeds ‘revivified the “animal spirits” of capitalism’ and made them an essential part of the oppositional culture of working-class London.1 Peter Linebaugh argues that they posed a major obstacle to the formation of an obedient labour force. (Although the most striking phrase has been placed within quotation marks and correctly referenced, and the original author is referred to in the text, there has been a great deal of unacknowledged borrowing. This should have been put into the writer’s own words instead.)
• By aspiring to the title of ‘Gentleman of the Road’, highwaymen did not challenge the unfair taxonomy of their society. Yet their daring exploits made them into outlaws and inspired the antagonistic culture of labouring London, forming a grave impediment to the development of a submissive workforce. Ultimately, hanging them was insufficient – the ideals they personified had to be discredited.1 (This may seem acceptable on a superficial level, but by imitating exactly the structure of the original passage and using synonyms for almost every word, the writer has paraphrased too closely. The reference to the original author does not make it clear how extensive the borrowing has been. Instead, the writer should try to express the argument in his or her own words, rather than relying on a ‘translation’ of the original.)

Non-plagiarised

• Peter Linebaugh argues that although highwaymen posed no overt challenge to social orthodoxy – they aspired to be known as ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ – they were often seen as anti-hero role models by the unruly working classes. He concludes that they were executed not only for their criminal acts, but in order to stamp out the threat of insubordinacy.1 (This paraphrase of the passage is acceptable as the wording and structure demonstrate the reader’s interpretation of the passage and do not follow the original too closely. The source of the ideas under discussion has been properly attributed in both textual and footnote references.)
• Peter Linebaugh argues that highwaymen represented a powerful challenge to the mores of capitalist society and inspired the rebelliousness of London’s working class.1 (This is a brief summary of the argument with appropriate attribution.) 1 Linebaugh, P., The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1991), p. 213.

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How serious is essay plagiarism?

In an age of online referencing and essay mills, it’s easier than ever for students to plagiarise (wittingly or not). How big is the problem – and can it be prevented?

Jessica Johnson* was on the way to a funeral when she received an email from her university saying she’d committed a very serious offence: she’d plagiarised an essay.

“I was completely shocked because I hadn’t realised I’d done it,” she says. She thought students who plagiarised bought essays from dodgy websites, or stole work from their friends – things she’d never do. Instead, the then 18-year-old first year, studying international development, says she’d taken sloppy notes and failed to reference properly. She’d been given a brief online tutorial about plagiarism by the university and hadn’t fully realised what it was, or how easy it is to do by accident.

The following months were a “living hell”, Johnson says. After a series of hearings, where the seriousness of cheating was drilled into her, she was given the most lenient punishment the university could offer, which was to re-write the essay. Her university experience has since been “dominated by anxiety” about unwittingly doing it again, she says.

Reports suggest plagiarism is rife in universities. The internet has provided a “wealth of information that can be plagiarised”, says Wendy Sutherland-Smith, an expert in plagiarism from Deakin University. As a result, a Times investigation two years ago found almost 50,000 students were caught cheating in the previous three years, amounting to a so-called “plagiarism epidemic”. The government and universities are meanwhile desperately trying to crack down on essay-mill websites, which write essays for paying students.

But what can go unacknowledged is that a lot of students who plagiarise claim to do so “accidentally”, like Johnson did. Shame or embarrassment around being called out for cheating can be upsetting, if you had good intentions. “There is definitely a stigma around it,” says Johnson. “When I told people, their reaction made it feel worse, even though it was a genuine mistake.”

Simon Bullock, an expert on the subject from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), says much of the data on cheating doesn’t distinguish between those who have deliberately bought essays, and those who have merely referenced poorly. “You can’t really drill down into it to see how many are copying and pasting text, or who is buying essays,” he says.

Sutherland-Smith says she doesn’t believe that all students deliberately cheat. “Most students don’t do it to get an unfair advantage,” she says. Instead, it’s often due to being new to the university’s style of academic writing, she says. “Because, really, where else do you write in this bizarre kind of way, with citations? It’s quite a unique and rather strange thing to come to grips with.”

As more resources have been made available online, it has become easier to plagiarise – unwittingly or not. “There’s more option to cut and paste,” Sunderland-Smith says. “Correct attribution practices can also be more difficult to understand, particularly when seemingly free, widely available online information still requires referencing.”

Last month, QAA said that to tackle the problem universities should provide more support for struggling students. This should include more information about academic writing, says Bullock. “Some students are coming in without a strong set of research, writing and referencing skills.”

Sunderland-Smith says the internet is a “double-edged sword” for universities when it comes to plagiarism; it provides the opportunity, but also part of the solution. “Online tools, such as Turnitin and Urkund, and sophisticated searching strategies, allow teaching staff to find text matches,” she says.

Thomas Lancaster, an associate dean at Staffordshire University and one of the UK’s leading experts on essay cheating, points out students must take responsibility too. “Students arrive and they’re bringing bad habits with them,” he says. Lancaster suspects some students skip lectures and modules that give advice on referencing. “By its nature any kind of module on writing more academically isn’t going to be the most exciting on the syllabus,” he says. But this doesn’t mean universities should have to nag students, he says.

Paul Greatrix, a registrar at the University of Nottingham, adds that universities need to more thoroughly explain what plagiarism is in all its different forms. For instance, essay-mill sites work by trying to trick students into cheating unwittingly, he says. “It’s very easy to be duped into thinking you’re not plagiarising when in fact you are. These sites convince you it’s all above board and they’re just helping.”

Their advertising has also become more aggressive, Greatrix says. Students can be geo-targeted on Facebook based on where they study and their age. They can also be contacted in their native language and encouraged to refer friends. Laura Stephenson, a postgraduate student at Northumbria University, says emails offering to “help” write her dissertation were even sent to her university email address.

As universities crack down on plagiarism , some students feel anxious about it. “Some people panic,” says Stephenson. “They think that if they don’t reference perfectly, they might get kicked out.” She says she’d prefer universities to talk to students about it in a polite way, rather than scaring them.

Dominic Curry, a postgraduate student at Newcastle University, says the severity of plagiarism is really “drummed into” first-year students, in an “almost comedic” way. He says it’s good to talk about, but it “can be daunting”.

The Times labelled international students as the worst offenders. But Sutherland-Smith says students from vulnerable groups need extra support, rather than stigma. “Some students haven’t had much experience,” she says. For example, refugee students who have had their courses disrupted, or students who are studying in a foreign language.

What students need is a safe place to fail, the experts say. A practice assignment early on could be a good solution, says Lancaster. Sunderland-Smith adds that it takes patience. “These things don’t come overnight and it’s not something anybody gets right the first time,” she says.

For Johnson, more support would have helped. “In my first year I needed more guidance,” she says. But after the trouble she got in, she’s tightened up her note-taking and taken the time to reference properly. She hasn’t been called in for plagiarism again.

How to avoid plagiarism

Don’t get someone else to do you your work for you, no matter how much pressure you’re under. “Please don’t go to any of these places that say they’ll help and do it for you,” says Sunderland-Smith. “Or you’ll just end up in deep water.”

Educate yourself on good academic practice and on how to reference properly. If your university provides extra modules or lectures on this, make sure you attend. “If there isn’t that support, let the university know,” says Lancaster.

Take careful notes and reference as you go. “If you’re writing an essay and using loads of different resources, it can be easy to forget the reference,” says Stephenson. If you think that’s happened, rather than panic, email the lecturer. “I’ve done it in my time,” she says.

Ask for help when you need it. “Students are under an enormous amount of pressure from all directions,” says Greatrix. So go to your course tutor or the student union if you’re struggling.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

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Guidance on understanding plagiarism and how to improve your academic writing to ensure good academic practice.

• Newcastle University
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• Good Academic Practice

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism at Newcastle University is defined as:

the use of ideas or works from another source, presented as your own, without specific acknowledgement

This covers all types of work, for example: ideas, words, data, designs, images, music and computer code, and may also involve the use of electronic materials and the use of material generated through use of artificial intelligence.

The University takes plagiarism and academic misconduct seriously and has clear  academic misconduct procedures in place.

While plagiarism can be intentional, often it is unintentionally caused by poor academic writing, inaccurate notetaking or incorrect referencing.

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What does plagiarism look like?

While the definition of plagiarism may seem quite simple, it can take a number of different forms:

Direct (verbatim) copying

This form of plagiarism occurs when someone copies a section of work word for word without clear and full acknowledgement of the source . In some subjects, using direct quotes to illustrate an argument or analysis is standard practice. However, all direct quotations must be written in quotation marks and require an accurate reference . A reference is also needed if you directly copy or reuse an image, piece of music, data or computer code that was produced originally by someone else.

Paraphrasing

If you paraphrase the work of others without clear and full acknowledgement of the source, this is plagiarism . This may take the form of copying a section of another person’s work and changing one or two words or phrases without providing a reference to the original work, or patching together pieces of work by different authors to form a paragraph, without acknowledging any of the sources. Summarising the work of another is acceptable practice, but the source must be acknowledged.

Custom Essay Writing

Acquiring work produced by someone else and submitting it as your own demonstrates a lack of academic integrity and is a form of plagiarism . Whether copied from a friend, produced by a family member or paid for using a custom essay writing service, if the work you submit is not your own effort, it is plagiarism . Even if a piece of work is original, unless you created it, this would be an attempt to pass off the work of someone else as your own.

Working with other students to produce a piece of work that you submit for individual assessment (unless group work is clearly stipulated in the assessment criteria) is a form of plagiarism known as collusion . This can happen in take home exams or for assignment submissions. Collusion can include allowing another student to copy your assessed work or providing opportunity for them to do so. Some levels of proof reading may also be considered collusion.

Self (auto) plagiarism

This takes the form of submitting the same work for more than one assignment, whether for two modules at Newcastle, or re-using work you've submitted at another university as part of a different degree . Where you submit the whole or part of the same piece of work for different assessments, you are receiving credit for the same piece of intellectual work, a practice known as “double counting.” This is not the same as self-citation, where you reference yourself in a previously published or submitted piece of work in the process of creating something new . This is good academic practice, and is more commonly found in postgraduate work, where candidates may want to develop an idea or interest from their undergraduate or taught postgraduate dissertations, or later in their career where they may have amassed a body of work on a specific research field.

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How do you avoid plagiarism?

These are some key ways in which you can avoid plagiarism:

• Acknowledge all the sources of information you use in your work by providing accurate in-text citations and complete references. Explore the range of tools available to help you write and manage your references on our Referencing page.
• Follow the referencing style recommended by your School. Familiarise yourself with the rules of your referencing style so that you can spot mistakes or referencing omissions in your writing.
• Think about the best way to integrate what you have read into your writing. Look at our guides to paraphrasing and quoting below to find out how to effectively structure your writing in line with good academic practice.
• Take accurate notes when reading and researching. Keeping an accurate record of where you’ve found ideas and when you've copied direct quotations can help you avoid accidental plagiarism. Our Reading and Note-taking and Managing Information pages provide lots of advice on managing your research.
• Do not fabricate or falsify data. Honesty is a key part of academic integrity, and accuracy in your work demonstrates good academic practice.
• Never give or receive unauthorised help with academic work. If you’re asking someone to check your work, look at our advice for Working with a Proofreader to make sure the work remains your own.
• Only hand in work that you have done yourself. Work submitted should be created by you.
• Do not submit work that you have already submitted for another assignment, whether the work was submitted at Newcastle University or another institution. If appropriate, use self-citation to highlight previous work that is relevant to your current assessment.

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Plagiarism and academic integrity

Learning to communicate in your own voice is an important aspect of university work. Your tutors and lecturers want to know how well you understand the subject you’re studying, not just how much you have memorised or researched.

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's thoughts, words, images or diagrams as though they were your own. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and must be avoided, with particular care in coursework, essays, reports and projects.

Plagiarism is not as simple as copying the work of a fellow student, or from a book. Failure to properly reference work you are quoting can constitute plagiarism. Equally, if you re-use work you’ve previously written yourself and not acknowledged this, you are still committing plagiarism.

You’ll need to be aware of the university’s definitions of plagiarism to ensure that you don’t accidentally plagiarise someone else’s work. More information on plagiarism, and how to ensure you don’t plagiarise in your work, can be found on the Library’s Learning Support pages , while information on the College's Cheating Offences Policy and Procedures can be found  here . The Library also provides  copright guidance on the Learning Suppot pages. 

Plagiarism is cheating. This is the case even if you have done it accidentally, so this is a great reason to develop your skills in original writing and correct referencing.

Originality

When you carry out a piece of academic work you will be expected to research your subject thoroughly. It will be necessary for you to show an understanding of the contributions of other researchers, scientists, engineers or medical practitioners to your field of study. When incorporating aspects of this pre-existing work into your own projects, you need to ensure that you maintain originality.

You may be required to submit work through Turnitin, an online plagiarism detection service that enables institutions and staff to compare students' work with a vast database of electronic sources. Find out more on the ICT website . 

Remember - using other people's work and ideas is expected and encouraged, but make it clear to the reader where you have done so.

Things to avoid

Quotation without clear acknowledgement.

You must always identify quotations clearly and accurately. The reader must be able to tell which parts of the work are yours, and which are quotations. Ask your tutor for help with this if you are unsure how to correctly quote another piece of work. See  Referencing for more information.

Disorganised notes

When you're taking notes or preparing for an assignment, you might gather lots of material from different sources. Make sure you keep this clearly labelled with the correct references, so that you don't accidentally include this in your assignment without a reference. Find out more in the Effective note-taking section .

Copying from the Internet

If you are using something you have found online as a source of material for your work, it stills needs to be referenced properly. Remember as well that your lecturers have access to electronic plagiarism detection tool, which will highlight anything copied from an online source.

Some projects involve group work. Make sure you understand whether this is to be submitted with individual contributions or as a joint piece of work. If a project is a solo endeavour, unauthorised collaboration or failure to attribute any assistance will be considered plagiarism.

Inaccurate references

Your reference list should be complete, accurate and appropriately formatted. Learn the correct method of referencing and citing other people’s work. Make sure you are clear about where your research has come from, and reference anything you have consulted as part of your reference list or bibliography. See Referencing for more information.

Failure to acknowledge

If you have received any help from outside sources as part of your work, you must clearly acknowledge this. Outside assistance could come from other students, laboratory technicians, or a variety of other sources.

Getting someone else to do your work for you

As unlikely as it may seem, it has been known for students to employ professional agencies to write assignments for them. In the same way that you should not submit work that another student has written, you should not employ anyone to do your work for you.

Re-using your own work

While most plagiarism involves passing someone else’s work off as your own, it is also possible to auto-plagiarise. You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted for another purpose.

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What is Plagiarism?

• Copying another person's work or ideas. This includes copying from other students and from published or unpublished material such as books, internet sources, paper mills, computer code, designs or similar. 
• Submitting previously submitted or assessed work of your own without attribution. 
• Submitting work solicited from (or written by) others. 
• Failing to adequately reference your sources. 

The University defines  plagiarism  as; 

'Reproducing in any work submitted for assessment or review (for example, examination answers, essays, project reports, presentations, dissertations or theses) any material derived from work authored by another without clearly acknowledging the source. Presenting work copied directly from another student without their knowledge.'

Annex 10, 2.2.1, Credit Framework for Taught Courses of Study

In addition, students should not reproduce any material submitted previously in another assessment. This is referred to as self-plagiarism.

The University defines  duplication   of material (self-plagiarism) as; 

'Reproducing without acknowledgement in any submitted work any material used by that student in other work for assessment, either at this University or elsewhere.'

Annex 10, 2.2.2, Credit Framework for Taught Courses of Study   

Current students

Plagiarism is the inclusion of any idea or any language from someone else without giving due credit by citing and referencing that source in your work.

On this page

What is plagiarism, how to avoid plagiarism, what happens if you are suspected of plagiarism.

• How we detect plagiarism

Plagiarism is the inclusion of any idea or any language from someone else without giving due credit by citing and referencing that source in your work. This applies if the source is print or electronic, published or unpublished, or the work of any other person.  Examples of plagiarism include:

• Handing in another student's work as your own.
• Copying an essay or some text from a source without proper acknowledgement.
• Paraphrasing materials from a source text without appropriate referencing.
• Using someone else's ideas or arguments without acknowledging them.
• Using statistics, tables, figures, data, diagrams or images without acknowledgement or reference.
• Handing in material downloaded directly from the internet.
• Submitting, in whole or in part, work that has previously been submitted at Bristol or elsewhere.
• Buying or commissioning work, such as essays or software programs.

You should consult the relevant handbooks from your faculty/school and/or programme to ensure that you are working within the specific requirements of your subject.  To avoid plagiarism you should:

• Write your essay in your own words.
• Only include other people's ideas within your work when they support your argument or to illustrate a point and ensure you reference them.
• Try and think in terms of 'ideas' and not quotations or paraphrases; if something is not your idea then whose is it?
• Use direct quotations only when absolutely necessary, focus on ideas instead.
• If you use quotations, paraphrases, statistics, tables, figures, data, diagrams or images, make sure you reference them.
• Never cut and paste from the internet.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. If plagiarism is suspected in your work, you will be asked to attend an interview with senior members of the school where you will be given the chance to discuss the issues.

Any obviously plagiarised work is unacceptable and will be penalised according to University regulations.

If you are being investigated for plagiarism you can c ontact Bristol SU Academic Advice for free and impartial advice and support.

How we detect plagiarism: Turnitin UK

The University uses Turnitin UK to assist in systematically checking student assignments for plagiarism. The software highlights sections of text which have been found in other sources, including the World Wide Web, databases of reference material, and work submitted by other students. The assignment is reviewed by the academic department, which will make a decision as to whether the work has been correctly cited or whether there is evidence of plagiarism.

For more information on how Turnitin is used, see the following:  Turnitin UK - JISC Plagiarism Detection Service (PDF, 156kB) . You can find this guidance in the  Student rules and regulations .

Plagiarism test

Test your understanding of plagiarism.

Bristol SU Advice Service

For plagiarism and exam cheating advice from the Students' Union's Just Ask team.

Referencing your work

For guidance on how to reference in your work.

Scribbr Plagiarism Checker

Plagiarism checker software for students who value accuracy.

Extensive research shows that Scribbr's plagiarism checker, in partnership with Turnitin, detects plagiarism more accurately than other tools, making it the no. 1 choice for students.

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You can upload your previous assignments, referenced works, or a classmate’s paper or essay to catch (self-)plagiarism that is otherwise difficult to detect.

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Institutions interested in buying more than 50 plagiarism checks can request a discounted price. Please fill in the form below.

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You don't need a plagiarism checker, right?

You would never copy-and-paste someone else’s work, you’re great at paraphrasing, and you always keep a tidy list of your sources handy.

But what about accidental plagiarism ? It’s more common than you think! Maybe you paraphrased a little too closely, or forgot that last citation or set of quotation marks.

Even if you did it by accident, plagiarism is still a serious offense. You may fail your course, or be placed on academic probation. The risks just aren’t worth it.

Scribbr & academic integrity

Scribbr is committed to protecting academic integrity. Our plagiarism checker software, Citation Generator , proofreading services , and free Knowledge Base content are designed to help educate and guide students in avoiding unintentional plagiarism.

We make every effort to prevent our software from being used for fraudulent or manipulative purposes.

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No, the Self-Plagiarism Checker does not store your document in any public database.

In addition, you can delete all your personal information and documents from the Scribbr server as soon as you’ve received your plagiarism report.

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker , namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases .

The add-on AI detector is powered by Scribbr’s proprietary software.

Extensive testing proves that Scribbr’s plagiarism checker is one of the most accurate plagiarism checkers on the market in 2022.

The software detects everything from exact word matches to synonym swapping. It also has access to a full range of source types, including open- and restricted-access journal articles, theses and dissertations, websites, PDFs, and news articles.

At the moment we do not offer a monthly subscription for the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker. This means you won’t be charged on a recurring basis – you only pay for what you use. We believe this provides you with the flexibility to use our service as frequently or infrequently as you need, without being tied to a contract or recurring fee structure.

You can find an overview of the prices per document here:

Please note that we can’t give refunds if you bought the plagiarism check thinking it was a subscription service as communication around this policy is clear throughout the order process.

Your document will be compared to the world’s largest and fastest-growing content database , containing over:

• 99.3 billion current and historical webpages.
• 8 million publications from more than 1,700 publishers such as Springer, IEEE, Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, and Taylor & Francis.

Note: Scribbr does not have access to Turnitin’s global database with student papers. Only your university can add and compare submissions to this database.

Scribbr’s plagiarism checker offers complete support for 20 languages, including English, Spanish, German, Arabic, and Dutch.

The add-on AI Detector and AI Proofreader are only available in English.

The complete list of supported languages:

If your university uses Turnitin, the result will be very similar to what you see at Scribbr.

The only possible difference is that your university may compare your submission to a private database containing previously submitted student papers. Scribbr does not have access to these private databases (and neither do other plagiarism checkers).

To cater to this, we have the Self-Plagiarism Checker at Scribbr. Just upload any document you used and start the check. You can repeat this as often as you like with all your sources. With your Plagiarism Check order, you get a free pass to use the Self-Plagiarism Checker. Simply upload them to your similarity report and let us do the rest!

Your writing stays private. Your submissions to Scribbr are not published in any public database, so no other plagiarism checker (including those used by universities) will see them.

Higher Education Student Handbook

• Essay Writing

Defining Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is a serious academic offence. It arises where work submitted by a student is not their own, but has been taken from another source. The original material is then hidden from the marker, either by not referencing it properly, by paraphrasing it or by not mentioning it at all.

The most common forms of plagiarism are:

• Cut/copy and pasted material from the Web;

• Copying the work of another student (past or present), including essay material;

• Copying course material or lecture notes;

• Copying material out of a textbook or journal.

It is important to realise that plagiarism may occur in a number of other forms, as well as in conventional written work. Another student may be involved, or the plagiarism may arise from the misuse of sources outside University College Birmingham.

The key is proper attribution of source material. None of the activities listed above is, of itself, necessarily wrong.

Plagiarism is a serious matter for University College Birmingham. If not dealt with, it will ultimately devalue all UCB’s degrees to the detriment of both students and University College Birmingham. It also introduces a fundamental and inevitable distortion when the work of a student cohort is being assessed.

Student Responsibilities

A student at University College Birmingham is expected to submit work that demonstrates compliance with two important prerequisites:

• A level of independent thought, grounded in the teaching received

• The provision of clear referencing to all sources consulted, both within the main body of the work submitted and in any separate listing of sources.

It should be clear from a consideration of these two key requirements why plagiarism is unacceptable. By definition, a piece of work that has been plagiarised will never be able to meet either of the above criteria. Asking yourself prior to submission whether your work passes both tests is a useful method for determining whether there is likely to be a problem with plagiarism.

‘Accidental’ Plagiarism

University College Birmingham accepts that students, particularly in view of the severe penalties that may be applied in cases of serious plagiarism, will be anxious to avoid inadvertently submitting plagiarised work. It is, for example, possible to cite a source in the separate reference list and still commit plagiarism by then incorporating a significant amount of unattributed material taken directly or indirectly (through paraphrasing) from that source into the body of the assignment.

Above all, the student body is not a single grouping and University College Birmingham is aware of the need for a sympathetic approach to plagiarism, particularly in the first year of undergraduate studies and where there is no conscious attempt by the student to deceive. However, penalties may be applied at any time.

The onus is on individual students to ensure that the academic conventions applicable to study at University are understood and acted upon. University College Birmingham will ensure that you have clear guidance on what is expected of you in terms of the referencing of source material. If you are worried about committing plagiarism, always seek help and advice from your year manager, module lecturer, or course Assistant Dean. Members of staff are experienced in dealing with questions about proper referencing and will be happy to help.

The Way in Which University College Birmingham Deals with Plagiarism

This is a complex area. In broad terms, these are the various stages:

• If University College Birmingham is sure that any plagiarism that arises is not deliberate on your part and may be put down to an unfamiliarity with the referencing conventions required for University College Birmingham study, then it may simply provide guidance and a warning concerning your future work. Obviously, this position will not be taken with a student where it is reasonable to expect that they would know how to cite source material properly and would normally only apply to Level 4 study and to the early stages of a postgraduate course;

• If University College Birmingham believes that some form of sanction may be necessary, it will first ask you to attend an interview where you will be able to explain in detail the relevant circumstances.

• Following on from the interview, University College Birmingham will determine the level of plagiarism (if any) that it believes has arisen.

There are three general categories:

• Poor academic practice
• Moderate plagiarism
• Serious plagiarism

• If University College Birmingham considers that a warning is insufficient, it may do one of the following:

• Require you to resubmit the work, with the mark capped at the pass level
• Reduce the final mark for the work to an appropriate level, including the award of 0
• Reduce the final mark for the entire module involved to an appropriate level, including the award of 0
• Have the case referred, after scrutiny, to the Plagiarism Panel and the University Disciplinary Process. Depending upon the severity of the case and after hearing all the evidence, you may be suspended or required to withdraw from University College Birmingham. 

You should also consult the Code of Practice on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct. This provides detailed and definitive information on how University College Birmingham will deal with plagiarism.

Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

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Student Learning Development

• Turnitin and Online Exams
• How to avoid plagiarism
• What happens if you plagiarise?
• Using Turnitin
• Who can help you?
• Frequently asked questions

You should read this advice in conjunction with any resources from subject area.

The University definition of plagiarism is:

'The incorporation of material without formal and proper acknowledgement (even with no deliberate intent to cheat) can constitute plagiarism. Work may be considered to be plagiarised if it consists of: a direct quotation; a close paraphrase; an unacknowledged summary of a source; direct copying or transcription' ( Plagiarism Statement - see Section 32.3 )

The important principle behind University assessment is that your ideas and your ability to critically evaluate information are being examined, not those of anyone else. Any information or ideas which aren’t yours must be acknowledged.

It’s important you understand what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it, because the University doesn’t distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism. A mistake, poor academic practice, or submission of an early draft that you were intending to work on further will all be investigated in the same way; all would be considered plagiarism.

All of the following are against University rules: ‌

• submitting work containing quotes or ideas taken from someone else’s work, or similar wording to someone else’s work without referencing that other work. Even incomplete acknowledgement or poor referencing can constitute plagiarism
• submitting work written by someone else, but presenting this as your own work
• inappropriate collaboration with others (collusion)
• inappropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI)
• submitting work which has been copied from somewhere else – this also includes where text has been replicated by retyping and
• submitting the same piece of coursework, or a substantial part of the same coursework more than once for the purpose of coursework assessment. This is the case even if this was all your own work initially (this is called ‘auto-plagiarism’ or ‘self-plagiarism’) as it could be deriving double credit for a single effort
• submitting work purchased from essay writing services 

The University strongly discourages the use of proofreading and essay-writing companies by students.

These external organisations can trick you into accidentally plagiarising by crossing the boundary from proofreading into rewriting, and leading to you submitting work written by someone else.

You are encouraged to report commercial essay-writing service publicity on University premises to the Student Conduct Team: [email protected]

Be extra vigilant when asking for assistance from anyone other than a member of University staff.

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Plagiarism Checker by Quetext

Free plagiarism checker: how it works, enter text into plagiarism detection tool.

We make it simple. Just copy and paste all content from your document into our plagiarism checker and hit the ‘Check Plagiarism’ button to get started.

Evaluate text for plagiarism

Our plagiarism detection tool uses DeepSearch™ Technology to identify any content throughout your document that might be plagiarized. We identify plagiarized content by running the text through three steps:

• 1.) Contextual Analysis
• 2.) Fuzzy Matching
• 3.) Conditional Scoring

Accurate plagiarism results

After evaluating the text against billions of internet sources, you will be provided with a plagiarism score showing the percentage of text that is an exact or near-match to existing text online.

Resolve plagiarism risk and use citations

Our ColorGrade™ feedback feature highlights exact matches vs. near-exact or “fuzzy” matches with corresponding colors. From there, you can resolve plagiarism issues by deleting or altering the at-risk copy. Or, you can use our handy “Cite Source” feature to generate citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats and insert the citations directly into your document.

Plagiarism Checker Benefits

Whether producing original content or verifying that of others, there’s a lot to gain from using a plagiarism checker. Accurate, automatic detection of duplicate content facilitates the copy-checking process for teachers, students, content writers, and more. Results showing the exact percentage of plagiarized content allows users to see exactly how much text has been copied and where they need to re-word.

For Teachers

Before homework can be graded for quality, it must first be confirmed as original. Our easy-to-use tool arms teachers with a simple, effective way to verify and grade students’ work. Educators at all levels can benefit from ensuring academic integrity through a comprehensive plagiarism check. From K-12, all the way through higher education, teachers are faced with the task of verifying the originality of the work of dozens, if not hundreds, of students each year. Automating this process frees teachers up to focus on the quality of work, rather than be bogged down by its originality.

For Students

While the prevalence of academic plagiarism is on the rise, much of it is arguably unintentional. A simple, yet accurate and comprehensive, plagiarism checker offers students peace of mind when submitting written content for grading. It is much easier to do a quick check for potential plagiarism before submission rather than convince a teacher after the fact that your academic integrity is not in question. And Quetext even takes checking for plagiarism a step further, helping students identify and cite the source itself with our built-in citation generator.

For Copywriters

Plagiarism risk is not restricted to academia. Anyone tasked with writing for an individual or business has an ethical and legal responsibility to produce original content. On top of that, content writers are often tasked with producing content on topics outside of their wheelhouse, leaving them reliant on the work of others for their research. Our plagiarism checker gives content writers a quick and easy method to prevent copyright infringement. Checking even lengthy pieces of writing takes only a few minutes, keeping companies’ public content in check and writers’ integrity intact.

Types of Plagiarism

It’s important to understand that plagiarism expands far beyond just copying someone else’s work word-for-word. There are several different types of plagiarism that should be avoided.

Self-Plagiarism

Many believe that, as long as they produced the work at some point in the past, they can include it in future pieces. However, even if you were the original author, that original work must be cited in order to not be flagged as plagiarism. Treat your past self as a totally separate author; be sure to include all relevant citations and quotations, the same as you would for any other source.

Patchwork Plagiarism

Patchwork plagiarism is the act of piecing together a "patchwork" of existing content to form something new. Assembling unoriginal content in this manner often involves some paraphrasing, with only slight changes. This type of plagiarism can be tricky and can certainly occur unintentionally, especially in academia. Since academic writing is largely based on the research of others, a well-meaning student can inadvertently end up plagiarizing.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism is synonymous with patchwork plagiarism. It describes the process of loosely rearranging or restating another's work without issuing proper credit. It can occur accidentally or intentionally. For authors, mosaic plagiarism endangers their academic integrity or reputation as a writer. For those checking content originality, such as teachers, mosaic plagiarism can easily appear to be original content, which can make mosaic plagiarism especially difficult to detect manually.

Accidental Plagiarism

Plagiarism doesn’t have to be intentional to still be considered plagiarism — even in early academia, where students are just learning how to properly cite others’ work. While there may be no ill intent from the student, most schools have policies explicitly treating accidental plagiarism the same as intentional plagiarism. Students are expected to know how to properly issue credit to other authors. Similarly, content writers risk damage to their reputation if they produce plagiarized content, regardless of intent.

Plagiarism Checker FAQ

What is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is representing someone else’s work as your own. In educational contexts, there are differing definitions of plagiarism depending on the institution. Plagiarism is considered a violation of academic integrity and a breach of journalistic ethics.

What percentage of a paper can be plagiarized (or copied) and still be considered unique?

Generally speaking, similar or exact copies of another source should be kept under 15% for the total text of the article/paper/essay. As a best practice, citations should be used whenever using another source word-for-word.

What’s the difference between deliberate and accidental plagiarism?

Deliberate plagiarism is purposely copying works from books, articles, webpages, or someone else’s paper and representing it as your original work. Alternatively, accidental plagiarism occurs in a few different ways:

• Incorrectly citing another person’s works
• Failing to paraphrase another person’s works - even when citing it correctly
• Reusing your own previous papers and inadvertently representing it as a new idea

What are the consequences of plagiarism?

The consequences for plagiarizing another person’s works vary. But broadly speaking, the types of consequences can be grouped by person and profession.

Plagiarism consequences for students

Maintaining academic integrity is a top priority for every educational institution. As already mentioned, ignorance of how to properly cite sources is not an excuse for plagiarism. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are submitting work that has not been plagiarized.

Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including an automatic failed grade, removal from a class, or expulsion from a school or university. Students who are allowed to continue at their institution following an act of plagiarism may encounter mistrust and additional scrutiny from teachers and instructors.

Plagiarism consequences for copywriters

Copywriters stake their reputation (and by extension, that of their client or company) on their writing. All copywriters must produce completely original content for their clients.

The consequences for plagiarism here are clear: Copywriters who plagiarize the content of others will quickly find it difficult to obtain paying assignments. Similar to academic situations, it is the copywriter’s own responsibility to ensure that their content is 100% original.

Plagiarism consequences for journalists

Journalists are held to exceptionally high standards of integrity in their writing. A journalist who produces plagiarized content jeopardizes the trust of their readers and publishers. Plagiarism can instantly reduce a journalist’s career by a large margin. The ethical and legal standards issued to journalists are clear: Produce original, well-cited content or find another field.

Free Online Plagiarism Checker

Possible plagiarism detected!

If you submit this paper, your institution may take disciplinary measures against you. The content requires editing and modification of parts. We know how to make it unique.

This is weighted average of all matches in your text. For example, if half of your paper is 100% plagiarized, your score would be 50%

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Get a 100% accurate report from an advanced AI-powered writing assistant. Our plagiarism checker works with all common file formats.

• Deep Search
• Check in real time
• Data Safety

How to avoid plagiarism?

Proper citation style.

Avoid plagiarism by always listing the source and formatting it correctly when you are note-taking. Take care of the proper formatting and citation style when using content from outside sources.

Write on your own

Avoid borrowing and overusing large pieces of the content from outside sources, especially from Wikipedia. Write your own thoughts and use sources only to support your opinion (remember to cite it though!).

Rewriting Service

PapersOwl expert can rewrite up to 75% of your content, edit and proofread your paper to make it plagiarism free and ready to use.

Editing Service

PapersOwl expert can edit up to 50% of your content, proofread and polish your paper to make it plagiarism free and ready to use.

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Plagiarism Checker Review

Get speed and uniqueness when you use the free Papersowl plagiarism checker that accepts an unlimited word count compared to other platforms.

Online Plagiarism Checker For Students

Writing an academic paper can be challenging when you’re not sure if it’s original enough to pass a plagiarism check. Of course, students take information from various sites before writing their own text. Sometimes, it just so happens that certain parts are very similar to your resources, making your professor think that you’ve just copied work from somewhere. That’s why it’s crucial for any modern college or university student to ensure that their work has 100% original content to maintain academic integrity.

Luckily, a free plagiarism checker online can solve this issue quickly and easily. Many professional writing services use a plagiarism checker for research paper. However, students sometimes forget that they should too. But with so many options that pop up when you ask Google to “check my paper for plagiarism”, how do you choose the right one for detection? We’ve got the solution in the form of PapersOwl’s free plagiarism checker tool! Our simple tool makes it convenient to check any writing task without having to spend a dime. It works quickly and highly accurately, ensuring that you get the top grade you deserve. So, if you want to check plagiarism online before turning your task in, head over to our website and get started!

Accurate Check for Plagiarism with Percentage

Many students wishing to produce original content aren’t quite sure how to get an exact percentage of plagiarised text in their work. This percentage is important since many universities have a certain limit of non-unique words you can have in your essay for it to be considered okay. If your plagiarism search doesn’t give you the exact percentage, you can’t be sure if your assignment will go through or not.

When using a free plagiarism tool, it’s essential to have this data provided to you. Only when you have it can you decide which parts to change and which ones to chuck out to achieve your desired results. Plagiarized content is a big issue in modern educational institutions, so getting reliable and trustworthy results is vital. This is the most essential requirement when you check plagiarism.

PapersOwl’s plagiarism detection tool gives you all the information you need to fix plagiarized content. Whether you’ve fallen victim to accidental plagiarism or have tried to make your life easier by copying some text from different sources, you’ll get an accurate percentage with our plagiarism checker online. If you’re wondering how to check paper for plagiarism, it’s nothing complicated at all! Simply visit our site, paste your whole essay into the relevant text box or upload the text file, click on Check For Plagiarism, and you’ll get accurate plagiarism results in a matter of seconds. You’ll see the problematic parts with plagiarism detected highlighted, with links to where similar content exists. Our service with plagiarism detector will also give you the option to check my paper for plagiarism and then to hire a professional writer to fix your task quickly if you’re busy with other things!

The Fastest Plagiarism Checker Online

Gaining insight into duplicate content only works if you get your results quickly. There are so many free plagiarism software online that promise to do the job for you. However, a lot of them are clunky, slow, and inaccurate. How can you produce original work without similarity detection you can trust?

PapersOwl stands out in this regard because it will detect plagiarism in seconds. This is a plagiarism scanner that’s able to perform a Swift Check to give you a uniqueness check right there and then. It also conducts a Deep Search, going through millions of sources on the internet to check for plagiarism. A document of about 1500 words takes only about 10 seconds to get processed! You get a clear plagiarism score of how much text is plagiarized and how much is original. All the sources that your essay matches are listed based on how much similarity there is in your academic writing. And on top of that, you get a handy Make It Unique button that’ll take you to an order page where you can ask our expert writers to rewrite your work and make it 100% unique.

All of this is done almost instantly, allowing students to continue working on their assignments without missing a beat. Not every plagiarism detection software works this quickly, making ours the best one you’ll ever use.

Plagiarism Checker Helps Boost Your Grade

A lot of students make the mistake of considering their papers automatically free from plagiarism. After all, they’ve written it themselves, so how could it be problematic? What they don’t realize is that it’s very easy to borrow some information mistakenly. Turning such a paper in can cause multiple problems, as your professor might think you haven’t done the work at all.

That is why you should always use a plagiarism scanner to test for plagiarized content in your college papers. Our online plagiarism checker for students is designed for this exact purpose. A simple, free plagiarism check could help you check plagiarism, fix any mistakes you see, and submit high-quality text that no one will question.

Our plagiarism detector has a lot going for it. It makes plagiarism detection easier than ever before. Unlike copying and pasting each passage individually into Google, simply upload the whole file into our plagiarism checker free for students, and you don’t have to do anything else. All the matches are highlighted so you know what to change.

The plagiarism test will give you a uniqueness percentage too. This will help you figure out where you stand and how much time you need to adjust anything if required. So, using our copyright checker online free to check your writing is essential. This way, you’ll submit the task only when you’re sure it meets the level of uniqueness required by your school. As a result, your grades will drastically improve when you check for plagiarism.

Benefits of Free Plagiarism Checker for Students

Our professional online plagiarism checker work offers too many benefits to ignore. With our plagiarism detector, you can enjoy highly accurate results as a comprehensive report. The plagiarism checker for students is designed to help you achieve 100% uniqueness without hassle. Here are the key advantages you can enjoy when you check plagiarism free with our plagiarism detection tool:

It’s completely free! We know you are on a tight budget and should be able to check your paper for plagiarism without worrying about payments, so we’ve made the best similarity checker free for all!

Our software detects plagiarism swiftly. It’ll show you detailed results in as little as 10 seconds so you can continue working immediately.

The report from our plagiarism tool gives you access to all the links from where it has detected similarities in your work. You can head to the relevant sites and see which information you must rewrite to improve your results.

Our best free plagiarism checker doesn’t require any skills and presents its services in a simple-to-use interface that anyone can use.

The plagiarism test allows you to get professional help with your work if you’re short on time. Simply ask one of our writers to rewrite the problematic parts of your text and enjoy top grades.

With PapersOwl plagiarism detector, there’s no need to search the internet for an accurate tool. We have many satisfied students worldwide who can vouch for our plagiarism-checking services. Give our online plagiarism checker free tries as often as you want and see how easy it is to produce original essays without spending a penny!

Free Tools for Writing

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How Does Plagiarism Checker Work?

• If you already have a completed text, all you need is just to copy-paste the whole thing in the special box of the chosen plagiarism tool or website, choose suitable settings (if any), then press “check for plagiarism”. It is quite simple and takes just a few moments.
• Once you have pressed “check for plagiarism”, the system will analyze your text and compare it with different sources to find similarities. As a rule, the duration depends on the text’s length. A standard free online plagiarism checker with percentage can give you the result within five minutes or less.
• When the system finishes the work you will be transmitted to the reporting page – it contains the comprehensive report on your work, a percentage of its uniqueness, and a list of sources on which similarities were detected. Often, such tools also highlight the overlaps that were found.

As you can see, it is simple. However, for the best and reliable result you have to be careful. There are tons of programs and online tools that can be used but keep in mind that many of them work differently and not all are good for you. To be confident in the truthfulness of the received result, you need to select the best plagiarism checker because only a professional and high-quality software can detect all similarities and give you a reasoned assessment.

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Advantages Of Plagiarism Checker By PapersOwl

Why choose us? Our service offers a professional online plagiarism checker with report that will provide you with a comprehensive report to make you confident in the 100% uniqueness of your paper. Our free plagiarism checker for students guarantees the best check and here are the key advantages of using our tool that prove this:

You don’t need to pay anything to check your paper for plagiarism because we know the value of original and unique works.

One of the main benefits of our antiplagiat checker online is that it works so fast that you will not even have enough time to make yourself a cup of coffee while it analyzes your text, and it is safe!

We use the latest and the best algorithms and software in order to provide you with an advanced check and help you receive the high-quality papers.

It is simple in use and won’t take much time!

Many students have already confirmed that our free tool is a great and convenient feature that helped them detect and fix errors that could lead to a failure. With us, you will no longer need to look for a different scanner!

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Plagiarism Checker FAQ

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