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Every plagiarism checker usually has a limitation. It is best to avoid plagiarism and cite everything you use. Use a plagiarism checker only when you really have to but make sure you go through your work.

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When it comes to plagiarism, technology has been both a blessing and a curse. Though it has made it easier than ever to find and copy work from others without attribution, it's also made it easier to track and handle plagiarism when it happens.

With tools that can search billions of documents in seconds and can find matches only a few words in length, it might seem as if plagiarism would be as easily detected as finding information in Google. A matter of merely punching your query and going through the results.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

Plagiarism detectors have a huge limitation and one that isn't likely to go away any time soon. That limitation is, simply put, that plagiarism detectors can't actually detect plagiarism and, instead, do something very different altogether.

How Plagiarism Detection Works

This problem might seem a bit odd to those unfamiliar with the technology. After all, dishwashers wash dishes and car starters start cars, but plagiarism detectors don't actually detect plagiarism.

Instead, what they actually detect is sections of identical text. Though there is a variety of techniques for doing this, the end results are pretty much always the same. A plagiarism detection service looks for matching strings of words between the document its looking at and the ones it has in its index. This is true for a local plagiarism checker, such as WCopyFind, search engine-based systems such as Copyscape and Plagium and high-end system such as Turnitin.

They all work on the same principle and basically function much like we would expect Google or another search engine to work, finding the words we want in other sources and providing the best results it can.

While this makes them powerful tools, doing the same comparison by hand would be impossible given all of the sources these tools can check, it does mean that it has some tremendous blind spots.

However, those blind spots are only a problem if people aren't aware or don't believe that they are there. Then they become huge issues that can lead to both false positives and false negatives.

The Limitations of Plagiarism Detection

Since plagiarism detection tools can only detect copying, or more specifically similar phrases, there are two areas where they are particularly weak.

1. Non-Verbatim Plagiarism: Plagiarism that involves the rewriting, translating or otherwise redrafting the text can't be detected. This can be difficult to get away with as most plagiarism detectors are extremely sensitive, but since plagiarism detectors don't analyze the content of the work, just the words, it can't see if you lifted the idea or information if you didn't also lift the words. This is a common problem in academia, which treats this kind of plagiarism equally as seriously as verbatim plagiarism.

2. Common Phrasing/Attributed Use: Second, though many plagiarism checkers will make an attempt to separate out attributed use, given the variety of attribution styles it isn't always possible. Also, given how common some phrases are in the English language, many plagiarism checkers will report matches that are actually just coincidence.

In short, plagiarism detection tools are just machines and they can make mistakes. However, that is true with any tool as, for example, you don't discard Microsoft Word because you can make a typo.

Also, like any other tools, plagiarism checkers are useless without humans to use them intelligently, which is the biggest problem such tools have.

The Human Element

The answer to all of this is simple, the decision as to what is and what is not plagiarism should be left to human beings. Humans are the only ones who can detect non-verbatim plagiarism and are the only one who can make determinations about the likelihood that the matches are coincidence and the whether the attribution was adequate or not.

Professors who have a hard rule about papers not being more than X% matching or authors who don't let others copy more than X number of words before seeking legal action aren't fighting plagiarism, but are doing more to confuse the issue.

While bright line rules are always tempting because they are easy to remember and follow, with plagiarism, there are few such rules and you can't turn your judgment over to a machine.

Bottom Line

None of this is meant as a slight to any of these tools. I use all of the tools listed regularly and am grateful for the valuable service they provide. The problem doesn't lie with the technology, but with those who treat these tools as magical solutions that are capable of making perfect judgments about plagiarism.

They are anything but.

As tempting as it is to turn over our judgment on plagiarism matters to the machines, it simply doesn't work. Not only will a lot of plagiarism go undetected, but a lot of people will be accused falsely.

Though plagiarism detection tools are a part of the solution, they have to be used in tandem with human judgment and discretion to do any good.

If used correctly, a plagiarism detection service will alert someone to the possibility of plagiarism, not to its actual existence.

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The Limitation of Every Plagiarism Checker - Plagiarism Today

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When it comes to plagiarism, technology has been both a blessing and a curse. Though it has made it easier than ever to find and copy work from others without attribution, it's also made it easier to track and handle plagiarism when it happens.

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Plagiarism can get you expelled from a course and can result in expulsion from a school. It will destroy your work and bring in legal action.

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In short, there are many consequences of plagiarism and all are severe with the potential to have a sustained negative affect on the academic and career future of the student who has been found guilty of doing it. What is often overlooked is that the consequences of plagiarism extend far beyond the individual student who has been caught cheating in their essay and/or report submission. This section will outline that as well as the student, the consequences of plagiarism can also be felt by other groups including; other students, academic institutions and the UK economy. In brief introduction, students can be affected as their degree can be valued by the tag of cheating, the same is the case with the brand of the academic institution. In reference to the UK economy, the key consequence of plagiarism is that it invariably leads to a skills shortage in private sector organisations which recruit university graduates who have not gained the critical thinking skills needed to succeed in the modern economy. There are also legal issues for the student to consider, especially in regard to copyright and copyright infringement if students plagiarise content of academic authors. Typically these cases are small scale and centred on financial penalty and are therefore held in civil court.
If you as a student are unsure of the consequences of plagiarism or rather doubt them, you should consider the following:

Plagiarism can get you expelled from your course, college and/or university.

Plagiarism can result in your work being destroyed.

Plagiarism can result in expulsion from you academic institution, in some cases permanent expulsion.

Plagiarism can result in legal action; fines and penalties etc.

On the whole, plagiarism is on the rise in institutions such as schools, colleges and universities in the contemporary world of academia. The problem is that students today are faced not only with increasing pressure and a consequent temptation to plagiarise, but also with the potential to plagiarise being ever more available via the internet - for these reasons, plagiarism is on the increase. In relation to pressures, students are aware that obtaining a degree classification from a university is no longer a guarantee of entering a highly paid career post study because of the vast numbers of individuals who have the capacity to obtain this classification. Therefore, they recognise that attaining the highest marks possible is perhaps the only way in which they can secure the success of their future career path. This is where the temptation to plagiarise becomes significantly more pronounced. Equally, plagiarism is now much easier for modern students to practice given the ease with which they can access subject relevant information over the internet. The internet has also increased the speed with which students can formulate an answer to an essay or report question which is again tempting due to the often-poor work/life balance students are faced with.

However it would be unwise to assume that just because the temptation has grown, and the frequency of plagiarism has increased that the penalties have been arbitrarily reduced. This is not the case, in fact if you as a student are found guilty of plagiarising, you may be removed from your academic institution and be permanently banned from enrolling in academic institutions in the future. In the last 3-year period, over 50,000 students in the UK alone have been caught plagiarising. Plagiarism is a very severe offence not only in an academic context but also in a work-related context because prospective employers are unlikely to recruit a candidate who has a proven track record of cheating, laziness and dishonesty. This is the group of attributes that are associated with a student who deliberately plagiarises. The problem here is that accidental plagiarism often carries with it the same adverse effects as deliberate plagiarism because employers inevitably do not gain insight into the case by case circumstances.

The consequences of being caught plagiarising are high in severity as a damaged academic record will follow a student wherever they go whether it is gaining access to higher education i.e. MSc or PHD or entering gainful employment post study. Indeed, if a student is found guilty of plagiarising they will find it very difficult to gain access to another college or university placement in the future. This is because the student has proven that they are dishonest and unworthy of a place, preventing more honest students with a stronger academic record from enrolling in the course. It may seem as though these points are somewhat overstating the severity of being caught but it is worth pointing out that one moment of foolishness (plagiarism) can end up sacrificing your entire academic career. Additionally, with university placements becoming ever more scarce it is important to ensure that you as a student give yourself the best possible chance of entry and being caught plagiarising would significantly undermine your entry bid in this regard.

In the case of longer pieces such as a dissertation or thesis (i.e. often in advance of 10,000 words), plagiarism can result in the entirety of the students work being destroyed. In fact, in the case of pieces such as this, the effects of plagiarism become increasingly more magnified because works of this type are expected to be of publication standard. This therefore means that there is no place for plagiarism in any chapter of the work thus resulting in destruction of the entirety of the work. In any high-level research, there is no place for plagiarism as it detracts hugely from the publication standard of the whole piece. The key reason why the practice of plagiarism detracts from the academic standard of the whole piece is because it immediately demonstrates that the student has not read widely on the subject matter. This suggests that they have a poor work ethic which will have negative permutations for both their academic and work careers.

Consequences for the College Due to Student Plagiarism

A further important point within the discussion of plagiarism which is often overlooked is that it can have considerably adverse effects on the school, college or university itself. This is because if students plagiarise it therefore reflects very poorly ion the value of their degree. Thus, the academic reputation of the college or university is put into jeopardy. This has the further knock on effect of damaging the universities brand on the global market which could prevent international students from enrolling. Therefore, in this section we have found that plagiarism can have a variety of damaging consequences to the student as an individual and to the college or university as an academic institution. In this regard, it is important also to note that plagiarism can affect a student's peers also studying at the same institution. This is because it has the capacity to devalue each of their degrees which they have worked so assiduously to attain. From all angles then, plagiarism is something which must be avoided at all costs and at every opportunity. It is also important for students to recognise that the aftermath of engaging in plagiarism affect a huge range of people. This should therefore encourage students to be more hyperaware of the need to avoid plagiarism when composing an academic essay or report.

Consequences for the Economy

Although hard to believe, the act of an individual student plagiarising can even have a significantly adverse effect on the UK economy. This is because it devalues the degree held by students and therefore results in graduates not having the requisite skill sets needed to add value to the economy i.e. commercial awareness, problem solving and the capacity to think critically. Plagiarism can also negatively impact the value of the UK economy because private sector organisations may suffer from a skills shortage due to the limited range of attributes held by graduates who have plagiarised to attain their degree. It is worth pointing out that in this regard, students are really cheating themselves as they are unlikely to remain working for their dream company for very long if they do have the skills necessary to succeed.

Legal Consequences

There are also legal consequences for students to consider if they are caught or found guilty of plagiarising the content of another author. This is because the student who plagiarises may possibly be in breach of copyright laws, specifically copyright infringement with regards to as student submitting data which is not their own. An author has the legal right to sue a plagiarist in court. In the worst case, plagiarism can become a criminal offence and is legally enforceable however this is more relevant in the journalism and publishing/media industry. With respect to copyright laws in particular, students must take great care in avoiding plagiarising the work of other authors in the field as if they are made aware of it they can choose to sue them in civil court.

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Plagiarism | The Consequences Of Plagiarism

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In short, there are many consequences of plagiarism and all are severe with the potential to have a sustained negative affect on the academic and career future of the student who has been found guilty of doing it.

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Plagiarism can be illegal if it is is copyright infringement but sometimes it is not illegal. If it is illegal, the plagiarist can get sued or face criminal action.

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​Is Plagiarism Illegal? - Plagiarism.org

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By not plagiarizing and by acknowledging your sources, your readers can follow up on your work. It can distinguish your critical and insightful thinking from others.

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What is plagiarism?

According to Trinity's Academic Honor Code, plagiarism is defined as "the use of anyone else's words or ideas without assigning proper credit to their original source."

Is it possible to plagiarize, and subsequently be charged with plagiarizing, if one did not intend to cheat?

Yes. When a source does not receive attribution, whether this was intentional or accidental, the result is the same. The original work or information was not attributed to its author. This means that by default, the individual using information that has not been attributed to a source will receive credit for creating that work or developing that information. It is therefore necessary that both intentional and accidental situations of plagiarism be considered in the same manner.

Why do people plagiarize?

While reasons for plagiaristic activity can vary depending on the person or situation, the following situations are commonly associated with behaviors resulting in charges of plagiarism. None of these would be considered an appropriate excuse for such activity.

Poor time management

Inadequate attention given to methods for citing sources (both within the text of the essay and in a list of references at the end of an essay)

Inadequate understanding of what materials should be cited

Inadequate understanding of the assignment

Underestimating the instructor's/reader's ability to locate information that has been cut from web sources and pasted into the text of an assigned essay

Underestimating the damage that is caused due to cheating, stealing, and lying

What are the benefits of acknowledging my sources?

Writers, researchers, students, and teachers must all give attribution to the sources they use as they develop projects and write essays and articles. The long standing tradition of situating your own ideas among the ideas of others who have written and conducted research on your topic is as valuable an activity as conducting unique research, writing an enlightening new analysis, or positing a bold theory.

Offering attribution to your sources has a number of benefits:

It distinguishes your critical and insightful thinking from the thinking of others.

It indicates to the reader that you have completed an appropriate amount of research and that you can be considered an authoritative voice on your topic or subject of focus.

It suggests further avenues of information and inquiry for readers who wish to continue their study on your topic or subject of focus.

It allows readers to follow up on your research sources if they wish to check for accuracy or to challenge your ideas.

It allows you and your reader to situate your argument or commentary within the body of literature on your topic.

How can I avoid plagiarism?

Develop and practice good time management habits

Use the library's resources for citing sources (both within the text of your essay and in the list of references at the end of the essay)

Ask questions when you are uncertain if information should be cited in your essay

Keep research logs and notes related to the sources you use and refer to these when redrafting and proofreading your essays

Ask questions when you are uncertain about assignment guidelines or class policies

Where can I find more information on plagiarism?

The following links provide further information related to plagiarism and the need for giving attribution to your research sources.

Trinity University Academic Honor Code
Avoiding Plagiarism: Practical Strategies (from the Duke University Library)

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According to Trinity's Academic Honor Code , plagiarism is defined as "the use of anyone else's words or ideas without assigning proper credit to their original source." Is it possible to plagiarize, and subsequently be charged with plagiarizing, if one did not intend to cheat? Yes.

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People plagiarize because they are lazy, they panic, they lack the confidence, they are giving you the facts from static knowledge, they have difficulty integrating the source, they do not understand what the point of sources are, they are sloppy, they don't recognize the need for citation, they are learning, or they are used to a group and collaborative work.

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Give credit to others and cite their work when you are using it. Use quotations around someone's  specific words. Develop good time management skills

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Avoiding Plagiarism: Quoting and Paraphrasing

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These materials will help you avoid plagiarism by teaching you how to properly integrate information from published sources into your own writing.

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Plagiarism not only steals someone's work, it prevents you from learning and doing the work yourself. It undermines educational and ethical morals and could result in severe consequences

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Xavier University Library 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45207 513 745-3881

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Plagiarism means to steal and pass off someone else's work as your own without giving them credit and sourcing them.

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Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:

to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own

to use (another's production) without crediting the source

to commit literary theft

to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

But can words and ideas really be stolen?

According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

turning in someone else's work as your own

copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit

failing to put a quotation in quotation marks

giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation

changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit

copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on citation for more information on how to cite sources properly.

What about images, videos, and music?

Using an image, video or piece of music in a work you have produced without receiving proper permission or providing appropriate citation is plagiarism. The following activities are very common in today's society. Despite their popularity, they still count as plagiarism.

Copying media (especially images) from other websites to paste them into your own papers or websites.

Making a video using footage from others' videos or using copyrighted music as part of the soundtrack.

Performing another person's copyrighted music (i.e., playing a cover).

Composing a piece of music that borrows heavily from another composition.

Certainly, these media pose situations in which it can be challenging to determine whether or not the copyrights of a work are being violated. For example:

A photograph or scan of a copyrighted image (for example: using a photograph of a book cover to represent that book on one's website)

Recording audio or video in which copyrighted music or video is playing in the background.

Re-creating a visual work in the same medium. (for example: shooting a photograph that uses the same composition and subject matter as someone else's photograph)

Re-creating a visual work in a different medium (for example: making a painting that closely resembles another person's photograph).

Re-mixing or altering copyrighted images, video or audio, even if done so in an original way.

The legality of these situations, and others, would be dependent upon the intent and context within which they are produced. The two safest approaches to take in regards to these situations is: 1) Avoid them altogether or 2) Confirm the works' usage permissions and cite them properly.

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Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone else's original ideas.