Re^2: Brainstorming session: detecting plagiarism

[monarch]

Just what I was thinking! Great idea..!

No doubt, as more intelligent anti-plagiarising software is developed there will be greater demand for auto-plagiarising software (that runs a thesauraus on every noun and verb and perhaps re-arranges sentences gramatically).

There's a fine line, however, between detecting plagiarising and matching on anything approximate.. being too clever can sometimes cause headaches.

At university I found it was mostly English-As-A-Second-Language students that cut and paste from other text books. So much it was painfully obvious to any native speaker of English (where text book language often differs from summary/report language).

I don't envy the exam marker's job. Imagine having to read essays anyway!

[zentara]

You are right... an improved "anti-plagiarism software" will result in advances in "plagiarism-detection-avoidance". It's sort of like a "cold-war" between teachers and students.

I was watching one of those "TV-exposes" on "Buying term papers", and I can just see them selling "plagiarism-detection insurance" as an extra add-on cost. :-)

Plus its a better business to be in.....there are always a fresh supply of "student-customers", but a limited market of teachers. ;-)