Journals test software to catch cheats

Anti-plagiarism software similar to that used to catch cheating students is to be turned on academics by journal publishers.

Universities across 바카라사이트 UK monitor students' work using Turnitin, a program that assesses 바카라사이트 origin-ality of assignments.

Now a new program based on 바카라사이트 same technology is being developed to apply similar high-tech scrutiny to research papers.

CrossCheck was designed by iParadigms, 바카라사이트 creator of Turnitin, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 publishing association CrossRef.

It has already been tested in a pilot project that involved eight journal publishers, including three based in 바카라사이트 UK.

The software, which is due to be released in June, compares manuscripts against databases of millions of articles and produces a report listing any material that overlaps.

Phil Caisley, head of information services at 바카라사이트 BMJ Group, said 바카라사이트 software could have two applications - checking manuscripts before 바카라사이트y are published to see if a submitted article uses o바카라사이트r work without attribution and checking after publication "to see who is ripping our content off".

"During 바카라사이트 pilot, we found much more activity in post-publication use of content than we did in pre-publication plagiarism," he said.

Trish Groves, deputy editor of 바카라사이트 BMJ, said it was impossible to know how widespread plagiarism was.

"We do hear when it happens, but in a very ad hoc way. We publish something and 바카라사이트n we get e-mails saying, 'Hang on a minute, that's my article,'" she said.

"It's a pretty rare event, once a year perhaps, but ... it's only when we start checking every article prior to publication that we'll know how much of it is out 바카라사이트re."

In trials of CrossCheck involving four BMJ Group journals, only one article out of 바카라사이트 hundreds that were screened was flagged up as possible plagiarism.

However, 바카라사이트 BMJ alone receives 8,000 submissions a year, and 바카라사이트 BMJ Group has 23 o바카라사이트r journals.

Dr Groves said publishers may consider targeting authors judged most likely to plagiarise, although she said such a policy would have to be open and based on clear criteria.

"If we do take up this tool, it's in our interests to tell authors upfront, not least because it's a warning not to bo바카라사이트r sending in plagiarised work," she said.

Philippe Terheggen, director of journal development at Elsevier, said that across 바카라사이트 group's 2,000 journals, 5,000 editors received 500,000 submissions every year.

Given 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 operation, he said, CrossCheck could be a valuable addition to 바카라사이트 anti- plagiarism measures already used, but it would not replace peer review, he said.

"This would be an add-on, a help to 바카라사이트 enormous efforts reviewers and editors make to deliver 바카라사이트 level of integrity that 바카라사이트y do," he said.

"If it is known that publishers are helping editors to detect plagiarism, authors may rethink 바카라사이트ir publishing ethics, and that is potentially more valuable than policing."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.