These Free Online Plagiarism Checkers Are a Must for Any Journalist
It is incredibly easy to get caught when you claim credit for someone else's work, which is what plagiarism entails. Plagiarism is a risky practice that carries ethical and legal concerns of its own. Academic institutions do not tolerate plagiarism, and guidelines and warnings against it are usually clearly outlined in student handbooks or codes of ethics. And it’s even more important not to plagiarize when working professionally.
While larger news organizations have the means to afford costly software, smaller newsrooms and institutions lack the same resources. Fortunately, there are several free online tools available for anyone to access.
PLAGIARISMA
Despite having an outdated interface, Plagiarisma offers a plethora of features that make it a valuable tool. With support for over 190 languages, users can verify their content by uploading computer files, pasting text, or providing a URL. However, there is a restricted number of daily checks for users, although they can opt to pay for additional checks if required.
PLAGIUM
Plagium, an online tool to detect plagiarism, is accessible for free for up to 5,000 characters. To analyze a document, users can simply copy and paste the text into the platform and receive a detailed report. For unrestricted character limits, users can opt for the paid version of the tool, which allows them to upload documents for analysis.
EDUBIRDIE
Edubirdie, an online platform that offers essay writing services, has a built-in plagiarism checker feature. While users may receive frequent notifications about paid plans and other services offered by Edubirdie, the plagiarism detector can be used free of charge. Upon running the plagiarism check, users receive a highlighted copy of their text with links to any locations where it matches previously published content.
SEARCH ENGINE REPORT PLAGIARISM CHECKER
The Search Engine Report Plagiarism Checker is a simple, user-friendly tool that is accessible at no cost. Users can utilize the platform by pasting their text, uploading files from their computer, or linking to Dropbox. Upon analysis, the tool highlights the work in green or red, with green denoting no plagiarism and red indicating content that has previously been published.
GRAMMARLY
Grammarly is a comprehensive online application or Chrome extension that examines content for grammatical and spelling errors as well as plagiarism. Upon detection, the platform annotates the errors and prompts users to create an account to access its services. Most of the features of the platform can be used free of charge.
Alan Herrera is the Editorial Supervisor for the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (AFPC-USA), where he oversees the organization’s media platform, foreignpress.org. He previously served as AFPC-USA’s General Secretary from 2019 to 2021 and as its Treasurer until early 2022.
Alan is an editor and reporter who has worked on interviews with such individuals as former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the former President of the United Nations General Assembly; and Mariangela Zappia, the former Permanent Representative to Italy for the U.N. and current Italian Ambassador to the United States.
Alan has spent his career managing teams as well as commissioning, writing, and editing pieces on subjects like sustainable trade, financial markets, climate change, artificial intelligence, threats to the global information environment, and domestic and international politics. Alan began his career writing film criticism for fun and later worked as the Editor on the content team for Star Trek actor and activist George Takei, where he oversaw the writing team and championed progressive policy initatives, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ rights advocacy.