How to Master Plagiarism Analyzers to Make Sure Your Copy Is Authentically You
Plagiarism – yes, the thing you learned about in school – is just as real in the copywriting world. Except this time, the stakes are much higher.
Let’s be real, you never want to be accused of stealing someone else’s work. In the small but mighty copywriting world, your reputation would be ruined. AND you could get you and your client into a whole host of legal trouble.
If you’re newer to copywriting, you might be afraid you’ll accidentally plagiarize something. As a professional copyeditor, I’ve seen this happen a handful of times. What it really comes down to is your ability to infuse personality and storytelling into your copy. The more you naturally connect with your reader, the less your work will resemble other copy out there.
Since you’re here, on this blog and in my little corner of the internet, I know you value authenticity and originality. With all the written works in the world, it would be nearly impossible to manually check for plagiarism.
Luckily, there’s an online tool to help you out: plagiarism analyzers.
With plagiarism analyzers, you can have peace of mind knowing your work is as original as it gets.
But first, let’s talk about how they work.
What Is a Plagiarism Analyzer?
Plagiarism analyzers are tools designed to hunt down matches or similarities in phrases in all written works. They scan your copy word-for-word, comparing it to a huge database of sources.
All you gotta do is plug in your copy and sit back with your coffee/tea/wine while it puts together a report for you.
While there are a number of plagiarism analyzers on the market, here are some key features you want to look out for:
Extensive database: The larger the database, the more comprehensive and accurate your results will be.
Multiple file formats: Depending on your needs, keep an eye out for ones that can scan PDFs, Word documents, and plain text files.
Clear and user-friendly reports: You don’t want to make your job harder. Find an analyzer that delivers results in an easy-to-read format with detailed information.
Suggested sources links: When areas of your copy are flagged, you’ll want to know where it came from. The plus side? You’ll have additional resources to add to your research. And you can easily give credit where it’s due and add the proper citation.
Now let’s get into the benefits of using this powerful tool.
Pros of Using Plagiarism Analyzers
The biggest benefit: they protect your reputation and credibility as a writer – of any kind.
They give you peace of mind that your copy is original and authentic. Running your work through a plagiarism analyzer ensures you maintain the highest level of integrity in your work.
Another benefit is they save you time. You don’t have the bandwidth for endless searches and guesswork, right? You’ve got clients to find and keep happy.
When a part of your text gets flagged, a good analyzer will give you a list of sources that match it. These suggestions can be a goldmine for proper citations and further research. Take advantage of these sources to give credit where it’s due and explore more material related to your topic.
The more you use plagiarism analyzers, the more you’ll understand the nuances of plagiarism and what constitutes original content. They help you become a more responsible and ethical writer, guiding you toward creating your unique voice while respecting the intellectual property of others.
I get it, you still have concerns – especially around accuracy. They aren’t perfect. But being aware of their limitations will help you better utilize plagiarism analyzers in your copywriting process. Let’s get into it.
The Downsides to Plagiarism Analyzers
Like any tool, plagiarism analyzers do come with a few drawbacks. And a tool is just that, a tool. You have to use your better judgment to analyze your report.
Let’s talk about its limitations.
Paraphrased or Modified Content
Plagiarism analyzers compare your text to existing sources. But they may struggle to detect instances where you paraphrased or slightly modified the content. While these tools are efficient at catching blatant copy-pasting, they might not always catch more subtle forms of plagiarism. Though, some are better than others at detecting different levels of plagiarism.
False Results
Plagiarism analyzers aren’t perfect. Manual verification is needed.
A false positive occurs when the tool flags your original content as plagiarized. Say you’re rewriting an existing blog or web page. Since the existing blog or web page is within its database, it will flag as an instance of plagiarism. If this is the case, you can disregard the flag – it IS your work, after all.
Common words and phrases are, well, common. Plagiarism analyzers will flag phrases that people say on the regular. Use your best judgment to determine if it is indeed a common phrase, or an idea you’ve (accidentally 👀) copped from another writer.
Pro Tip: Always verify flagged areas to ensure the accuracy of the analyzer’s results. Don’t rely on the tool’s judgment alone.
Privacy Concerns on Data Security and Confidentiality
When you use a plagiarism analyzer, you’re entrusting your content to a third-party tool. Many reputable analyzers take privacy very seriously. But it’s essential to review the measures they have in place. Read the privacy policies and opt for ones that prioritize protecting your data so your copy remains secure and confidential.
Now which plagiarism analyzers are worth your time?
Choosing the Right Plagiarism Analyzer
With all the options out there, it might be overwhelming to figure out which is best. Here are three key things to consider when comparing analyzers:
Define your needs and goals to find a plagiarism analyzer that matches your specific requirements. From there, you’ll be able to narrow it down to a handful of analyzers.
Compare features, accuracy, and user reviews. Take the time to read user reviews to get a sense of the effectiveness and user-friendliness of each plagiarism analyzer.
Consider the cost-to-benefit ratio. Free versions can be a good starting point for casual use or if you’re on a tight budget. But paid analyzers come with a host of advanced features and support that might be worth the cost.
We’ve tested and investigated eight popular plagiarism analyzers for you. Read on to compare which one suits your needs.
This plagiarism analyzer is free to use. And you can analyze copy in multiple languages – if that’s something you need. It provides a detailed report and can review text in various file formats.
But you can only check 1000 words at a time unless you opt for the paid version. Some users report occasional inaccuracies in the results. And the interface and user experience isn’t as polished as other tools.
Plagiarism Detector’s free version checks 1000 words for free at a time. While it is very precise, it’s a little too much. It flags for common words, so manual verification may take longer than necessary with this one.
It provides a comprehensive report. And like the one above, it can analyze various file formats and supports multiple languages. But the user interface can be overwhelming.
Like the previous two analyzers, the free version checks up to 1000 words at a time – with unlimited scans. It gets extra points for its user-friendly interface.
It checks for plagiarism by URL or by copying and pasting the text.
But the free version displays ads and requires CAPTCHA verification – bringing down its efficiency points. This plagiarism checker is also way more sensitive than the two above, requiring more work on your end.
This one also checks your work up to 1000 words at a time, supporting multiple file formats including DOCX and TXT. It provides detailed reports and additional SEO tools.
But the ads are a bit overwhelming and can be too distracting or confusing. And it takes a looooong time to load. Plus, the user interface isn’t as intuitive as other tools.
The free version comes with basic plagiarism checking features – up to 1000 words at a time. You get multiple scanning options including URL, file upload, and text input.
It doesn’t flag common words and phrases that aren’t noticeably plagiarized, so accuracy can vary. Some users report occasional delays in processing and the interface isn’t as modern or user-friendly as its counterparts.
6. Editpad
This plagiarism analyzer checks 1000 words at a time for free. It’s pretty quick at analyzing your copy, but it tends to freeze up after a while. And the user interface isn’t as intuitive or visually appealing as other tools.
7. Grammarly Plagiarism Checker
Grammarly’s plagiarism checker is a perk you get with a premium subscription. Grammarly’s main draw is the writing and grammar checking feature.
But note that the checker is not available in the free version of Grammarly. So the pricing may be higher compared to other, standalone plagiarism checkers. If you already pay for Grammarly, give this feature a try.
Although it’s not as in-depth as the next plagiarism analyzer we’ll get into.
8. Quetext (CDA’s Go-To Plagiarism Analyzer)
Quetext is by far our favorite. It has a user-friendly interface and provides a comprehensive plagiarism report. Its side-by-side comparison of original and plagiarized content makes manual verification seamless.
The free version has limitations on the number of scans and word count. So the premium version is the best – and that’s the one my team and I use for our copyediting clients. 😉
The BEST Plagiarism Analyzer 😉
Ok, I’m definitely biased here, but the best way to ensure your copy is original, captivating, and SEO-optimized is by working with an experienced copyeditor.
As a copywriter, it’s not your job to reinvent the wheel and report new information all the time. Your job is to capture your client’s unique voice and connect with your reader by using emotional techniques, storytelling, relevant examples, and personality. By bulking up that aspect of copywriting, the chances of plagiarism go wayyyyy down.
Regularly using plagiarism analyzers help you maintain originality and integrity in your writing. But you can't rely on the results alone. So make sure you review and verify any flagged areas for accuracy.
Don’t got time for all that? My team and I are here to take this task off your hands. As professional copyeditors, we run every piece of copy through Quetext – our plagiarism analyzer of choice – and interpret the report for you to ensure originality in your work.
BONUS: We pay the premium price for plagiarism analyzers so you don’t have to. Check out our copyediting services here.
Do you use a plagiarism analyzer that wasn’t on this list? Email me at carley@carleydenboeragency.com and tell me which one you love.