Abstract:

Most plagiarism detection software works on the basis of identifying text similarities between the document under analysis and the sources at its disposal. Quantitatively, these similarities are shown as a percentage.

When should disciplinary measures be taken? Is there a threshold that signifies a clear attempt to cheat? What percentage of similarity defines plagiarism?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to understand how the percentage of similarity is calculated. What are false positives and how should these be dealt with to avoid falsely accusing a student of plagiarism? Should a similarity percentage be the sole criterion in the fight against plagiarism? What qualitative aspects of the analysis may help identify real and systematic plagiarism.

This presentation may help bring some clarity to the workings of similarity tools, and guidance on how to best use the results from the originality reports.

Keywords:

plagiarism, anti-plagiarism, academic integrity, originality, creativity