How Do Academic Courses Detect Plagiarism

Academic courses use a variety of methods to detect plagiarism. The most common of these methods are detection software, searches for duplicate content, and manually reviewing student work. One of the most common methods to detect plagiarism is using detection software. This software is used to compare student work with a huge database of existing academic work to detect matches that suggest plagiarism. The software can detect many similar phrases and sentences, creating a score that helps indicate the potential for plagiarism. In some cases, this type of software marks the suspected plagiarized material so that it can be easily located by a reviewing professor. Searching for duplicate content is another way in which courses detect plagiarism. This type of search looks for identical or near-identical phrases across the Internet that match student submitted work. These searches often look for exact matches, but can also be configured to search for similar phrases and structural similarities in writing. Manually reviewing student work is another way in which courses can detect plagiarism. This involves having a professor or teaching assistant read through student work for indications of plagiarism. This method is more labor intensive, but can be effective if the professor or teaching assistant is experienced in identifying plagiarism. Regardless of the methods used, courses are increasingly focusing on detection and prevention of plagiarism. This is done through software, search engines, experienced reading, and informing students of the potential risks involved with plagiarism. With proper detection and prevention, courses can help ensure that students are creating original work and not taking shortcuts.