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Plagiarism

The Role Of Citation And Referencing In Avoiding Plagiarism

You likely already know that one of the best ways to avoid plagiarism in your work is to cite your references. Not only does this help you avoid plagiarism but it also clearly separates your ideas from the ideas of the person (or people) you are referencing. This allows your own ideas to stand on

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Introduction

Our text compare tool is a fantastic, lightweight tool that provides plagiarism checks between two documents. Whether you are a student, blogger or publisher, this tool offers a great solution to detect and compare similarities between any two pieces of text. In this article, I will discuss the different ways to use the tool, the primary features of the tool and who this tool is for. There is an FAQ at the bottom if you run into any issues when trying to use the tool.

What makes Originality.ai’s text comparison tool stand out?

Keyword density helper – This tool comes with a built-in keyword density helper in some ways similar to the likes of SurferSEO or MarketMuse the difference being, ours is free! This feature shows the user the frequency of single or two word keywords in a document, meaning you can easily compare an article you have written against a competitor to see the major differences in keyword densities. This is especially useful for SEO’s who are looking to optimize their blog content for search engines and improve the blog’s visibility.

Ways to compare

File compare – Text comparison between files is a breeze with our tool. Simply select the files you would like to compare, hit “Upload” and our tool will automatically insert the content into the text area, then simply hit “Compare” and let our tool show you where the differences in the text are. By uploading a file, you can still check the keyword density in your content.

URL compare

Comparing text between URLs is effortless with our tool. Simply paste the URL you would like to get the content from (in our example we use a fantastic blog post by Sherice Jacob found here) hit “Submit URL” and our tool will automatically retrieve the contents of the page and paste it into the text area, then simply click “Compare” and let our tool highlight the difference between the URLs. This feature is especially useful for checking keyword density between pages!

Simple text compare

You can also easily compare text by copying and pasting it into each field, as demonstrated below.

Features of Originality.ai’s Text Compare Tool

Ease of use

Our text compare tool is created with the user in mind, it is designed to be accessible to everyone. Our tool allows users to upload files or enter a URL to extract text, this along with the lightweight design ensures a seamless experience. The interface is simple and straightforward, making it easy for users to compare text and detect the diff.

Multiple text file format support

Our tool provides support for a variety of different text files and microsoft word formats including pdf file, .docx, .odt, .doc, and .txt, giving users the ability to compare text from different sources with ease. This makes it a great solution for students, bloggers, and publishers who are looking for file comparison in different formats.

Protects intellectual property

Our text comparison tool helps you protect your intellectual property and helps prevent plagiarism. This tool provides an accurate comparison of texts, making it easy to ensure that your work is original and not copied from other sources. Our tool is a valuable resource for anyone looking to maintain the originality of their content.

User Data Privacy

Our text compare tool is secure and protects user data privacy. No data is ever saved to the tool, the users’ text is only scanned and pasted into the tool’s text area. This makes certain that users can use our tool with confidence, knowing their data is safe and secure.

Compatibility

Our text comparison tool is designed to work seamlessly across all size devices, ensuring maximum compatibility no matter your screen size. Whether you are using a large desktop monitor, a small laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, this tool adjusts to your screen size. This means that users can compare texts and detect the diff anywhere without the need for specialized hardware or software. This level of accessibility makes it an ideal solution for students or bloggers who value the originality of their work and need to compare text online anywhere at any time.

You likely already know that one of the best ways to avoid plagiarism in your work is to cite your references. Not only does this help you avoid plagiarism but it also clearly separates your ideas from the ideas of the person (or people) you are referencing. This allows your own ideas to stand on their own merits while lending credibility to your presentation, and if someone wants to learn more, including references will help them continue their research.

Because there are so many different types of research to reference, guides known as Referencing Styles have been developed to make it easy to correctly cite your research. There are several different styles, so you’ll want to consider which style you prefer and then use that style consistently when citing your references.

Referencing styles are not the same thing as in-text citations and in-text citations are not the same thing as a bibliography. Clear as mud? Not to worry, Originality.AI is here to help you make sense of it all.

How to Reference Correctly

At the very least, you’ll want to include the title, author, date and publication of the material you’re referencing. When it comes to web pages or online journals, this becomes a little more difficult, as pages can move and URLs change all the time. That’s why when citing an online reference, it’s important to also include the access URL and the date you visited it.

As you’re doing your research and come across important tidbits that you want to include, it’s a good idea to make a note of that publication and relevant details on a separate document. This way when it comes time to cite your references, you don’t have to go back trawling through your browser’s history to find that worthy snippet.

Many academic institutions, as well as content publishers, subscribe to a service called Cite Them Right Online, which includes a wide range of examples and specific cases and how to cite them correctly, including how to avoid plagiarism in groups and how to cite something if the information within is confidential.

Cite Them Right Online includes information on how to cite most any type of content, including specific and unique situations and how to handle them

When Should You Cite?

This is the question on every good content writer and publisher’s mind. When, exactly, should you cite someone else’s work? Bryan Greetham, author of How to Write Better Essays, offers a six-point code[1] that outlines when to cite someone else’s work:

Distinctive ideas

Whenever the ideas or opinions are distinctive to one particular source.

Distinctive structure or organizing strategy

Even though you may have put it into your own words, if the author has adopted a particular method of approaching a problem, or there is a distinctive intellectual structure to what’s written, for example to an argument or to the analysis of a concept, then you must cite the source.

Information or data from a particular source

If you’ve gathered information from a source in the form of facts, statistics, tables and diagrams, you will need to cite the source, so your readers will know who gathered the information and where to find it.

Verbatim phrase or passage

Even a single word, if it is distinctive to your author’s argument. You must use quotation marks and cite the source.

If it’s not common knowledge

Whenever you mention some aspect of another person’s work, unless the information or opinion is widely known, you must cite the source, so your readers can follow it up.

Whenever in doubt, cite it!

It will do no harm, as long as you’re not citing just to impress the examiner in the mistaken belief that getting good grades depends upon trading facts, in this case references, for marks.

As you can see, this six point code was taken verbatim from Greetham’s own essay. In wanting to be clear about separating my ideas and explanations from his, I’ve referenced him in the footer of this online article, including details on the website where the code was found.

The Importance of Citing and References for Online Publishers and Content Creators

For content creators, writers and online publishers, plagiarism goes far beyond the danger of getting a failing grade as you might have done had you plagiarized during your school years. Online, sources can be found in seconds, and stealing someone else’s content or passing off their ideas as your own can have severe consequences.

For example, the original creator of the content could press legal charges against the publisher and the author, seeking monetary damages. In addition, Google and other search engines will rank the plagiarized content lower (if they rank it at all). Content that is knowingly taken from another site can also harm the reputation of the publisher and the writer. If readers and the search engines can’t trust that the content is authentic, why should anyone else?

How to Avoid Plagiarism as a Content Creator or Publisher

Whether you’re a marketing agency, content creator or publisher, or you want your writing to understandably stand on its own merits, it’s important to know how to not just properly cite your references, but also avoid slipping into the temptation of copying others’ work and ideas in the first place.

Creating the kind of content that ranks highly in the search engines and is engaging to readers takes time and is worth the effort, but in order to shortcut the process, even well-known professionals have been known to swipe a sentence or two from somewhere else. Again, it’s perfectly fine and often encouraged to borrow others’ thoughts if you reference them correctly.

To get around this, some content publishers will use online tools or AI that attempt to summarize content in their own words. However, the AI is only as “intelligent” as the material it is being fed, and more advanced plagiarism checkers, like Originality.AI can instantly pick up on this use of paraphrasing to spot content that’s “the same but different.”

Great Content is Original Content

Online, things change so quickly that yesterday’s content may well be outdated by today. Although that’s an extreme example, it’s worth remembering that online, we often borrow or cite other peoples’  work by throwing a link back to them and sometimes including their socials. This is especially common among bloggers and content writers, particularly when there are notable quotes from experts or statistics they want to include.

Although a backlink isn’t the same as a detailed reference or citation, it nevertheless shows your intent in separating your ideas (or words) from someone else’s. The same applies to social media. So whether you’re referencing a tweet, a Facebook post or a statistic, it’s just good netiquette to link back to the original.

Create a Set of Content Guidelines

Last but not least, if you want to encourage others to reference and cite you as an expert, one of the best things you can do that’s fully worth the time and effort to do it is create a set of content guidelines. HubSpot has a great set of guidelines that are written in plain English and are easy to follow, no legalese needed! And because their content is often well-researched and documented, countless bloggers, marketers and content creators link back to them.

Hubspot’s Content Guidelines are easy to read, easy to understand and easy to follow!

To create your own set of guidelines, think about how you want (and don’t want) people to use your content, including any images or videos you buy or have created. For example, HubSpot loves when people share their social content via retweets or shares, but draws the line at people using their content to make money, which being that it’s given for free, is understandable!

To make it easier for people to cite their work, they also include a content attribution policy that, while not nearly as long and detailed as an academic reference, is nevertheless easy to follow. The easier you make it for people to reference your work, the more likely they will be to link back to it!

Checking Content for Originality

It’s good to know the importance and the impact of properly citing or referencing someone else’s ideas, words, or other information to not only give them a nod of appreciation, but also avoid plagiarizing from their work. At the same time, you want your own ideas to stand on their own merits, supported by the credibility and authenticity of others’ views, research or perspectives. It can be a delicate balance at times, but doing so is not only worth the effort, it’s simply the right thing to do.

Now, more than ever, online plagiarism is rampant and writers everywhere often take shortcuts by using content without proper attribution or citations. Whether you’re an agency looking to crack down on potential copyright infringement or you’re a website buyer who wants to make sure the content on your pages is authentic, there’s now a better way to check for originality, by using Originality.AI.

Originality.AI has evolved to leverage artificial intelligence not to produce content, but to check and see if another AI has. It can even detect, with up to 94% accuracy, the nuances in content that has been created by the latest iteration of ChatGPT and other AI writing tools. Google’s stance on the matter is clear, and as a result, content publishers, agencies and writers should pay attention and always make sure that whatever they produce is brimming with… originality.

[1] Greetham, Bryan “The Study Space: Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism” 1, January 2023. https://www.thestudyspace.com/page/referencing-and-avoiding-plagiarism/

Sherice Jacob

Sherice Jacob is a seasoned copywriter and content professional fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan, with over 25 years of experience crafting high-converting copy. Passionate about AI, she enjoys exploring the new innovations and possibilities it brings to the world of content creation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to check for plagiarism?

Tools for conducting a plagiarism check between two documents online are important as it helps to ensure the originality and authenticity of written work. Plagiarism undermines the value of professional and educational institutions, as well as the integrity of the authors who write articles. By checking for plagiarism, you can ensure the work that you produce is original or properly attributed to the original author. This helps prevent the distribution of copied and misrepresented information.

What is Text Comparison?

Text comparison is the process of taking two or more pieces of text and comparing them to see if there are any similarities, differences and/or plagiarism. The objective of a text comparison is to see if one of the texts has been copied or paraphrased from another text. This text compare tool for plagiarism check between two documents has been built to help you streamline that process by finding the discrepancies with ease.

How do Text Comparison Tools Work?

Text comparison tools work by analyzing and comparing the contents of two or more text documents to find similarities and differences between them. This is typically done by breaking the texts down into smaller units such as sentences or phrases, and then calculating a similarity score based on the number of identical or nearly identical units. The comparison may be based on the exact wording of the text, or it may take into account synonyms and other variations in language. The results of the comparison are usually presented in the form of a report or visual representation, highlighting the similarities and differences between the texts.

String comparison is a fundamental operation in text comparison tools that involves comparing two sequences of characters to determine if they are identical or not. This comparison can be done at the character level or at a higher level, such as the word or sentence level.

The most basic form of string comparison is the equality test, where the two strings are compared character by character and a Boolean result indicating whether they are equal or not is returned. More sophisticated string comparison algorithms use heuristics and statistical models to determine the similarity between two strings, even if they are not exactly the same. These algorithms often use techniques such as edit distance, which measures the minimum number of operations (such as insertions, deletions, and substitutions) required to transform one string into another.

Another common technique for string comparison is n-gram analysis, where the strings are divided into overlapping sequences of characters (n-grams) and the frequency of each n-gram is compared between the two strings. This allows for a more nuanced comparison that takes into account partial similarities, rather than just exact matches.

String comparison is a crucial component of text comparison tools, as it forms the basis for determining the similarities and differences between texts. The results of the string comparison can then be used to generate a report or visual representation of the similarities and differences between the texts.

What is Syntax Highlighting?

Syntax highlighting is a feature of text editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) that helps to visually distinguish different elements of a code or markup language. It does this by coloring different elements of the code, such as keywords, variables, functions, and operators, based on a predefined set of rules.

The purpose of syntax highlighting is to make the code easier to read and understand, by drawing attention to the different elements and their structure. For example, keywords may be colored in a different hue to emphasize their importance, while comments or strings may be colored differently to distinguish them from the code itself. This helps to make the code more readable, reducing the cognitive load of the reader and making it easier to identify potential syntax errors.

How Can I Conduct a Plagiarism Check between Two Documents Online?

With our tool it’s easy, just enter or upload some text, click on the button “Compare text” and the tool will automatically display the diff between the two texts.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Text Compare Tool?

Using text comparison tools is much easier, more efficient, and more reliable than proofreading a piece of text by hand. Eliminate the risk of human error by using a tool to detect and display the text difference within seconds.

What Files Can You Inspect with This Text Compare Tool?

We have support for the file extensions .pdf, .docx, .odt, .doc and .txt. You can also enter your text or copy and paste text to compare.

Will My Data Be Shared?

There is never any data saved by the tool, when you hit “Upload” we are just scanning the text and pasting it into our text area so with our text compare tool, no data ever enters our servers.

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