Dear all,
Re matching algorithm: this is non-trivial; I know, having written one
myself. But it can be done.

But the real requirement is to store a large corpus of material,
preferably gathered from cooperating institutions and by crawling the web.
This requires significant investment and support and is why the HE sector
should (imho) stick with Turnitin.

A second important issue relates to legal support for the procedures,
including telling students what we are going to do -- so we get their
implicit and possibly explicit consent. JISC advice has supported us on
the use of TII and we would be OK if we needed to defend that what we are
doing is 'accepted in the HE sector'.

As for free software for carrying out a complex task, I am always reminded
(after 30 years in s/w development) of the story about paying peanuts and
getting monkeys. The correct solution MIGHT have been for us (the HE
sector) to have paid to develop something we give away, but I doubt it.
[We still could, by adding such features to MOODLE, I guess.]

Finally, although I agree that we should be more concerned with learning
task design and teaching than detecting plagiarism (particularly in level
0 and level 1 work), being able to produce individual, scholarly writing
is a key requirement of a degree (at least, as I write in 2009) I think we
should stick with the best solution for detecting plagiarism. And we
should be proactive in its use. If we don't, we know a large number of
graduates will think rehashing other peoples' materials and ideas can be
equated with 'graduateness'. It can't.

Mike Brough

> According to the site, no - unsurprisingly, since despite the use of the
> University of Maryland's logo this appears to be a semi-commercial
> development of a student project.
>
>
>
> Since there's no way of getting the author's consent, storing their work
> would raise a nightmarish forest of security, privacy and intellectual
> property issues.
>
>
>
> Also, since there's evidently no access to paid-for content such as
> journal articles, the value of the checks may be minimal (even the
> paid-for version's only eight dollars a month, after all).
>
>
>
> And the absence of a database of student work means there's no chance of
> detecting any of the following
>
>
>
> contemporaneous collusion/unauthorised copying of fellow-students' work,
>
>
>
>
> copying of textbooks not online but frequently copied by other students
>
>
>
> use of re-sold material from essay mills
>
>
>
>
>
> I'd also guess that there are no measures against attempts to embed Word
> macros aimed at defeating the comparison engine.
>
>
>
> People with proper IT skills will wish to comment, but my understanding
> is that there's no real mystery (for those who know what they're doing)
> to large-scale text matching - it's access to source material for
> comparison, and reporting tools, that are key to a worthwhile  product.
>
>
>
>
>
> Dr Julian Wells
>
>
>
> staff web-page: http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/staff/cv.php?staffnum=287
> <http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/staff/cv.php?staffnum=287>
>
> personal web-site: http://staffnet.kingston.ac.uk/~ku32530
> <http://staffnet.kingston.ac.uk/~ku32530>
>
>
>
> Senior lecturer in economics
>
> School of Economics
>
> Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
>
> Kingston University
>
> Penrhyn Road
>
> Kingston-upon-Thames
>
> KT1 2EE
>
> United Kingdom
>
>
>
> +44 (0)20 8417 2124
>
>
>
> From: Plagiarism [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cave,
> Lucy
> Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 12:50 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: freeware?
>
>
>
> Out of interest, do you know if (like Turnitin) any text which has been
> entered into this checker will then be stored in a similar database?
>
>
>
> Lucy
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Plagiarism [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Badge,
> Dr J.L.
> Sent: 28 April 2009 12:45
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: freeware?
>
>
>
> If you Have blackboard, Safeassign is 'free' as it is now bundled with
> it.
>
>
>
> There is this online checker:
>
>
>
> http://www.dustball.com/cs/plagiarism.checker/
> <http://www.dustball.com/cs/plagiarism.checker/>
>
>
>
> Pretty much just Google in another guise. Not a long term solution,
> dependent on a one man band in the US...
>
>
>
> I suspect you already know the answer to this one as you hinted,
> curriculum design... promotion of good scholarship etc...
>
> Jo
>
>
>
> From: Plagiarism [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brace,
> Kevin
> Sent: 28 April 2009 12:35
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: freeware?
>
>
>
>
>
> A local FE IT manager has been tasked to come up with a solution to
> implement a plagiarism detection system cost free! Are there any open
> source solutions out there anyone has tried? A long shot, but you never
> know?
>
>
>
> I advised curriculum redesign to promote best practice in teaching
> students correct citation and referencing, but I think that one missed
> the mark a little?
>
> Regards..
>
>
>
> Kevin Brace.  CMALT, MSc, Ieng, PDF-ELT
>
> HE Co-ordinator.
>
> JISC Regional Support Centre West Midlands, University of Wolverhampton,
>
> Technology Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Glaisher Drive,
> Wolverhampton WV10 9RU
>
>
>
> T: +44 (0)1902 518931
>
> F: +44 (0)1902 824345
>
> E: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Skype: kev.brace
>
>
>
>
>
> * HE conference in partnership with the Academy : playing with learning
> 2. May 13th. Book your place now
> <http://info.rsc-wm.ac.uk/events/event_details.asp?eid=412> :
>
> http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/heinfe/Playing_with_Lea
> rning_II_Programme.pdf
> <http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/heinfe/Playing_with_Le
> arning_II_Programme.pdf>
>
>
>
>
>
> * Join my HE email list : http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/RSCWM-HE.html
> <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/RSCWM-HE.html>
>
> * Join our Midlands eportfolio Group :
> http://groups.google.com/group/rscmeg
> <http://groups.google.com/group/rscmeg>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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