As a teacher, you don’t have a lot of down-time. There aren’t enough hours in a day to type every phrase that may be plagiarized into Google and see what comes up.
That’s why computer geniuses have developed software that search for similarities between students’ papers and anything on the internet. These tools, called plagiarism checkers, are popping up in large numbers. So, how do you know which ones to use? Let’s take a look at some that live up to the hype.
Turnitin
Probably the most popular plagiarism checker on the market, Turnitin checks student work against over 24 billion websites. Many colleges and school districts have subscriptions to the website, so make sure that your school doesn’t already have it before you dish out the subscription fee.
Viper
Marketed as a free alternative to Turnitin, Viper lets users submit papers (no matter how long they are) and compare them side-by-side with other sources around the web. Another advantage to Viper is that it gives users links to the original material that was plagiarized, unlike some of the other plagiarism checkers.
Plagium
Rather than having users upload files in PDF format, Plagium allows you to copy and paste specific portions of a text into their search bar. This comes in handy when a certain piece of a student’s paper looks a little suspicious.
PaperRater
Not only does this website check for plagiarism, it also looks over the grammar for correctness and offers writing suggestions on how to strengthen the paper. This (combined with the fact that it’s free) makes it a favorite among students, as well as teachers.
Dupli Checker
One of the fastest websites on this list, Dupli Checker gives users results in a matter of seconds. Teachers are able to copy and paste or upload documents and almost immediately run the passage through a large database. Did I mention that it’s free to use?
iThenticate
This website is more popular among scholarly journals and universities, as it specializes in academic research. Run through Plagiarism.com, iThenticate hosts an extensive collection of professional writing.
PlagiarismChecker.com
PlagiarismChecker.com conducts its research throughout the most used search engines, allowing it to reach most source available on the internet. It’s specifically designed for teachers, so it’s user-friendly and doesn’t cost a dime to use.
Plagiarism Detect
While Plagiarism Detect isn’t free to use, it doesn’t require a subscription fee. Instead, it charges 50 cents for every page you put into its system. This makes it an affordable alternative to some of the other big names.
Plagiarisma.net
It doesn’t get much easier to use than this. Plagiarisma.net is just a search box, making it easier to navigate than pretty much any other website. Even teachers with absolutely no technological expertise will be able to get the most out of this free resource.
