Q. How do I check my paper for plagiarism?

The best ways to avoid plagiarism are to:

• Keep track of your research before you write: A research journal and citation management tool can be a big help.
• Make sure you paraphrase or quote your sources correctly as you write.
• Double-check that you've correctly cited all of your sources after you write.

If you want to double-check that you've done it right once your paper is finished, there are some free plagiarism checkers available online.  

Keep in mind that some of these sites offer limited free services. You may have to subscribe to use all features. Here are a few:

• DupliChecker
• Grammarly

This site reviews several other tools: Top Ten free plagiarism detection tools for teachers.

The library does not endorse the free checkers above and cannot guarantee their results.

Note: The official plagiarism tool used by MTSU is Turnitin. The University now supports a campus license for several products from turnitin.com to assist faculty in evaluating student written works. The Library does not have access to this feature, so please contact your instructor with questions.

Related info:

• Turnitin - MTSU

If you need further assistance, please Ask Us!

(Revised from American Public University System)