Best Plagiarism Checker for Research Papers

Finding the best plagiarism checker for research papers is a little different than choosing one for other types of academic work. 

Unlike more opinion-based essays, research papers often require a ton of citations and paraphrasing, making it easy for writers to borrow a sentence or miss a reference — and even harder for readers, editors, and teachers to catch it.

Finding a plagiarism checker that’s accurate and reliable enough to catch subtle or complex types of plagiarism (even if it’s accidental) can be challenging.

Read on for our top picks for the best plagiarism checker for research papers, and what to look for when selecting one.

Best Plagiarism Checkers for Research Papers (TL;DR)

1. Originality.ai: Best for web or online-based plagiarism and AI content detection
2. iThenticate: A top pick for journal submissions and education institutions
3. Scribbr: A popular option for student papers and other academic assignments

What to Look for in a Plagiarism Checker for Research Papers

When assessing a piece of academic writing full of facts and analysis, not just any plagiarism detection tool will do. 

Here’s what to look for in a plagiarism checker for research papers:

• Accuracy. Plagiarism can result in serious academic or professional consequences for writers, so a highly accurate tool that limits false positives is an absolute must.
• AI content detection capabilities. It’s not only using another author’s human-written text that may be considered plagiarism. Research-heavy academic journals like Science won’t accept ChatGPT-written content as they consider it AI plagiarism, making a tool with AI detection capabilities critical.
• Coverage. A key consideration is which databases or information a plagiarism detector scans to identify plagiarism (does it scan academic or institutional databases or online sources), coverage can vary by the type of plagiarism checker. 
• Citation handling. Some checkers enable users to filter out properly cited sources, like quotes, to better focus on originality.
• Detailed reports. A comprehensive plagiarism detection report should pinpoint the flagged text and provide its original source for verification.
• Affordability and accessibility. Some detectors are targeted for more institutional use, so plans and pricing may be out of reach for individual researchers or small teams.

Although these are all considerations when looking for a quality plagiarism detector, some factors may rank higher in priority depending on the use case. For instance, some may prioritize accessibility and AI detection features, while others have different requirements for the tools.

Additionally, it’s important to note that a plagiarism detector should not be the only measurement to establish academic standing or identify academic cheating.

Best Plagiarism Checker for Research Papers: Top Picks

Ready to start narrowing down your options? Here are our top picks for the best plagiarism checkers for research papers.

1. Originality.ai

Best for web-search-based plagiarism & AI content detection in research papers

For its accuracy, affordability, accessibility, and more, Originality.ai stands out as the best web-based plagiarism and AI content detection tool. 

For researchers and educators, Originality.ai enables users to quickly check text for both AI and plagiarism in a single scan.

With research papers in mind, Originality.ai features:

• An AI-powered plagiarism checker with up to 90% accuracy that detects even complex types of plagiarism, whether it’s patchwork, mosaic, or simply unintentional
• A 98% accurate Lite AI detection model built for academics and educators, with an under 1% false positive rate
• Budget-friendly subscription-based and pay-as-you-go pricing options
• Detailed reports that show an overall plagiarism confidence score, highlight any matched phrases, and provide the associated sources for further review
• An all-in-one patented toolkit, Originality.ai also features a fact checker, readability tool, and grammar checker for comprehensive text verification

It’s important to note that Originality.ai doesn’t scan academic databases or institutional databases.

As a web-search-based plagiarism checker, it’s an excellent choice for identifying potential instances of plagiarism (including complex types of plagiarism) from content that appears in Google search results.

As researchers have more access to online resources for conducting research than ever before, a plagiarism checker that checks for potentially matching content in search results is becoming increasingly important.

2. iThenticate by Turnitin

A top pick for journal submissions and education institutions

If you’re looking to detect plagiarism in research papers with a platform that also offers LMS (learning management system) integrations, try iThenticate by Turnitin. 

Built with faculty, researchers, and graduate students in mind, iThenticate is designed to help institutions confidently submit plagiarism-free work to journals and other respected publications.

iThenticate features:

• Access to various content databases, including web pages, open-access journals, books, and other scholarly resources
• Partnership with Crossref, enabling users to use the same plagiarism tool as many publishers
• AI detection for organizations only
• Similarity reports highlighting potentially plagiarized text, with confidence scores and links to original sources
• Options to filter out quotes and citations

Although there’s a lot to like about iThenticate, one of its main limitations is its accessibility. 

As noted above, iThenticate’s AI detection tool is for organizations only and is missing from the individual plans, requiring these users to pay for and use a separate tool. 

Even without the AI detection feature, iThenticate has a high cost. Submitting a single manuscript to iThenticate under an individual plan costs about $125, which may put it out of reach for solo researchers and small teams.

In contrast, with all-in-one solutions like Originality.ai, you can perform all the checks you need in one place.

3. Scribbr

A popular choice for student papers and other academic assignments

Whether you want to identify plagiarism in college research papers or even in-depth assignments, Scribbr is a popular option. 

Since it’s partnered with Turnitin, the same kind of detection software as some universities use, Scribbr can help students identify plagiarism in their work and amend it before submitting the assignment.

With Scribbr, users can:

• Run premium plagiarism checks to get similarity scores, as well as matching sources to any flagged text
• Compare any potentially plagiarized text beside the original to assess the similarities
• Upload previous assignments to check for self-plagiarism
• Run grammar and spelling checks in Word
• Detect AI-generated content

Scribbr is also a more cost-effective option than iThenticate, charging only around $20 per small document (7,499 words). 

However, it’s easy to see how this can still add up, especially for individuals and teachers who want to verify their text more than just occasionally. 

So, if you have multiple texts, papers, or articles to scan Originality.ai is a better choice, with flexible pricing options.

Learn more in our Scribbr AI detector review and Scribbr plagiarism checker review.

Try One of the Best Plagiarism Checkers for Research Papers Today

If you’re looking for a patented plagiarism checker that’s accurate, affordable, and accessible, and also offers the most accurate AI Detector, Originality.ai is the top choice. 

Ready to review your content with confidence? Sign up for Originality.ai today.

Discover more resources for education:

• AI Detection for Education
• How Can AI Detect Plagiarism in Research Papers?
• What Is the Best Plagiarism Detector for Teachers?
• How Do Professors Check for AI?
• Are Colleges Using AI Detectors?
• Grammarly Plagiarism Checker Review
• Copyscape Plagiarism Checker Review
• How to Support Students to Avoid Plagiarism in Assignments
• 5 AI Detectors Used by Colleges and Universities for Research