code plagiarism checker

code plagiarism checker

The Importance of Code Plagiarism Checker

1. Introduction

There really isn’t too much of a debate about whether plagiarism is okay. I believe that most people see it as a flaw in the programming community and would rather avoid it altogether. The problem is that it is very difficult to tell how original your code really is. At one extreme, a programmer can be hired to write a small piece of code. They may end up copying that code from somewhere else in fear that it is not good enough. On the other hand, if a programmer has a good idea for a piece of software, they would not want to start working on it and later find out that the idea has already been implemented. These tools of plagiarism prevention can be very useful in these situations because they can ease the minds of programmers from wondering about the originality of their code.

Some people think that using code from the internet is completely acceptable. It is a valid argument, but the code should be cited. This is the same as writing a research paper. You cannot copy a paragraph from a published paper and pretend it is your own, but many people argue to the contrary.

Coding plagiarism is a rising problem in the world of computer programming. New software and tools have been developed to combat this issue. One particular program known as Moss is able to detect similarities in code and assign a percentage of how much two programs match. There are still some problems with the detection of plagiarism between programming languages. Programs that are working to complete the same task can be considered stolen. This is an issue because the code may be the same, but the method to achieve the task can be different.

2. Benefits of Code Plagiarism Checker

Another reason can be seen with the recent cluster of academic plagiarism scandals. Many students will outsource homework to a tutor, or do the homework for someone else. It is typically an economic decision and brings about a solution for many students who are struggling with their studies. However, what this means is that the assignment has now been shared between two students (or more!) at different points. In an online environment, this assignment is typically provided as a written document, e.g. uploaded and shared via email. This may lead to the awkward situation where the tutor sees the student using material strangely similar to what was provided in the assignment. The tutor may or may not realize what has happened, but in any case, this puts the student in a very uncomfortable position, as the tutor now feels that the student has tried to cheat him. In a situation such as this, often the student isn’t aware of where the new material provided came from. A code plagiarism tool can be used in an attempt to assist in any of these situations by comparing the current assignment to the old assignment which raised suspicion.

There are two major reasons to use a plagiarism checker. The first is to ensure that data is used in a legitimate fashion according to the author’s license. With the vast amount of content available online, there is both an explicit and implicit understanding that all electronic information is free to reproduce. While this is at the heart of a democratic society, it can lead to problems for people who create the content. Just because it is on the internet does not mean you can freely reproduce it for your own purposes. Many of the sites are public facing, and the information contained within is to help the reader accomplish a specific task. This task usually leads to a commercial endeavor, which can be confused by duplicate content.

3. Features to Look for in a Code Plagiarism Checker

If you are considering a code plagiarism checker for your organisation, then here are some features that you are going to want to consider: Ease of use – This feature is quite important. If the software is difficult to use, then many staff will not use it or will find a way to get around it. Whether the software has a word processor-like interface or can be run from within an IDE, your staff need to be able to run it easily. Comparative analysis – This is a useful feature to have, as it cuts down on the amount of manual checking that is required. The software should be able to compare students’ code against each other to find instances of collusion, and not just a straight comparison between the code and other sources. Reporting features – The checker should provide an easy-to-read, comprehensive report, detailing where the code has been copied from and the percentage of similarity. This is useful for instructors looking to confirm suspicions of copying before taking any action. Wide database coverage – The more sources in the database, the more likely instances of plagiarism will be found. However, the relevance of these sources is also important. Some checkers allow the user to tailor the search to find sources that are most likely to have been copied from, for example by searching the internet for computer science specific sources.

4. How to Use a Code Plagiarism Checker

Using a code plagiarism checker is quite easy and uncomplicated. Many times you can access them online. You have to copy and paste the written code into the content text area that exists on the website and then click on the button that is named “search”. This search may take a bit longer depending upon your code. If the project is to map over time on a code plagiarism checker, some sites may ask you to make an account there, as a registered user or a paid client, to enable more features and get more comprehensive reports. Some code plagiarism checkers like MOSS can safely ignore manually tagged code like assignments. These checkers are fed with the desired rules of what a programmer, programmer team, professor, or a company may consider as stolen code. For example, a university teacher may want to check the assignment of his students and its source code with the previous year students’ assignment, getting a comprehensive report for any duplicate code. OCR technology can be of great use for students using software projects as it can compare visually similar code. After completion of the search, a detailed report is generated mentioning the similar code, source of the similar codes, and how similar it is. An overall percentage is also mentioned. Some software generates a simplified bar graph or a pie chart. These tools are very easy to use and can be used by anyone familiar with using a computer and the internet. For example, a freelancer using it to check the quality of code of a programmer or a student reviewing his assignment before submission.

5. Conclusion

Prevention of code plagiarism is a vital step in the assurance of the quality and integrity of software. By providing a tool for code plagiarism checking at the developmental stage of the code, the developer is given immediate feedback as to the originality of their work, thus promoting self-honesty and integrity and saving the embarrassment of any disputes or allegations of code plagiarism at a later date. It is important that the focus of plagiarism detection remains in a preventive nature with the objective to uphold the integrity of the software and the developer, and not to carry out a ‘witch hunt’ bringing to light the wrongdoings of the past.

There are many who will argue that the issue of code plagiarism is not such a great problem and is hard to control. While it is feasible that a direct solution to preventing all forms of code plagiarism may never be found, it can be said that the existence of source code plagiarism casts doubt upon the integrity and skill of a developer and is a reflection on their learning and understanding of computing concepts.

A number of algorithms and tools have been proposed to tackle this problem. However, many have been too invasive, time-consuming, and are not focused on the prevention of plagiarism at the developmental stage. It is for this reason that a tool was developed to be used within the Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The tool uses a process of pre-compilation source code transformations to build Abstract Syntax Trees and generates a concise and simplified form of the code. Key to this process is that the traceability of the code to its original is not lost.

One of the most common cases of code plagiarism is among students who often share their code with their colleagues during coursework. While this can often be taken as a form of learning, there are times where the code is to be merely passed off as one’s own work. With a view to check source code plagiarism, it is desirable for a tool to work within the environment in which the code is developed, and it is advantageous that the plagiarism detection is performed at the time when the code is being developed and before the developer has a chance to integrate this code with anyone else’s work. This will give the developer immediate feedback as to the originality of their work and could help to prevent any deliberate copying on the part of the developer.

In this age of informational ubiquity and digital technology, using the internet to pilfer intellectual property poses a unique problem to an increasing number of people. In the field of computer science and software development, a new menace has found root. It is with technological advances that the tools by which this illicit theft can be accomplished have grown more powerful in their stealth and have been able to outpace the tools designed to prevent this type of plagiarism.