Detect Plagiarism Using Text Compare | Rune

Plagiarism detection is crucial for educators, students, and content creators. While dedicated plagiarism checkers scan databases, text comparison tools offer a direct way to compare two specific documents for copied content. Here's how to use Rune's Text Compare for plagiarism detection.

How Text Comparison Helps Detect Plagiarism

Text comparison works by analyzing two documents and highlighting matching or similar content. If a student's essay contains passages identical to a source document, the tool makes it immediately visible.

When to Use Text Compare for Plagiarism

Comparing Against a Known Source

If you suspect content was copied from a specific article or website, paste both texts into the comparison tool.

Checking Student Submissions

Compare a student's work against:

• Previously submitted assignments.
• Shared source materials.
• Another student's submission (for collusion detection).

Verifying Original Content

Content creators can compare their drafts against published articles to ensure originality before publishing.

Step-by-Step: Detecting Plagiarism

1. Open Rune's Text Compare.
2. Paste the suspected plagiarized text on the left.
3. Paste the source or reference text on the right.
4. Set to Word Level for natural language.
5. Enable Ignore Case (plagiarists often change capitalization).
6. Review highlighted matches.

Interpreting Results

Indicator	Meaning
Large green/red blocks	Significant additions or removals—likely original work
Minimal highlighting	Very similar texts—potential plagiarism
Identical sections	Direct copying detected

Limitations of Text Comparison for Plagiarism

• Paraphrasing: Text comparison won't catch cleverly reworded content.
• Single Source Only: It compares two texts, not a database.
• Not a Substitute: For comprehensive checks, use dedicated plagiarism tools alongside.

Best Practices for Educators

• Compare All Submissions: Check for collusion by comparing student submissions against each other.
• Archive Previous Work: Keep a database of past submissions for comparison.
• Use with Turnitin: Text Compare supplements, not replaces, database-based checkers.

For Content Creators

• Check Before Publishing: Compare your draft against sources you referenced.
• Verify Freelancer Work: Compare submitted content against known articles.
• Monitor Content Theft: Compare your published articles against suspected copies.

Conclusion

Text comparison is a powerful tool for plagiarism detection when you have a specific source to check against. For quick, free, and instant comparisons, use Rune's Text Compare.