The School of Medicine makes use of the iThenticate plagiarism checker available as a tool to assure draft publications are free of plagiarized text. School of Medicine faculty, researchers, and graduate students may request an iThenticate analysis of their unpublished work through their department administration or the Office of Research Integrity.
How does iThenticate work?
iThenticate compares a submitted draft document to an extensive database of hundreds of thousands of published works. The software seeks out similarities in wording and phrases and identifies potential instances of plagiarism.
You will asked to provide a copy of your draft manuscript with the references removed. Because references include exact copies of the titles of published works, including this material will result in similarities that are expected and not indicative of plagiarism, but will skew the analysis.
After the analysis you will be provided with a report that highlights any areas that are similar to published work, and a link to that work for comparison. By comparing your draft to published work you can evaluate the similarity and make any necessary corrections prior to publication. iThenticate does not provide definitive proof of plagiarism – it is necessary to examine the context of any similarities to determine if there is a risk of plagiarism and how to correct it.
What happens if an analysis shows potential plagiarism?
Your draft work and an analysis of potential similarities will be returned to you to use as part of the publication process. The goal of an iThenticate analysis is to alert researchers to potential issues and give them an opportunity to examine and re-write drafts prior to publication.
Why should I use a plagiarism checker?
Even if you are careful to avoid plagiarism using a plagiarism checker is a wise precaution, particularly if you are working with co-authors who may not be as diligent. Drafts prepared over long periods may include materials from other sources that were mistaken for original material during the drafting process. A plagiarism checker can also help detect inadvertent similarities. Click here to read more about common instances of plagiarism and how to avoid them.
How do I request an analysis of my draft?
To request an iThenticate analysis of your unpublished work, please contact your department administration:
Department of Pathology: [email protected]
Department of Cell Biology: [email protected]
If your department contact is not listed, please contact the Office of Research Integrity to request an iThenticate analysis.