Is there a software that will modify text without plagiarizing?

Question

I want to use the ideas of someone else's sentences or phrases without plagiarizing. Is there a software that you can enter a sentence or phrase and have the words changed to read differently but still have the same meaning?

Answer 1

Hi,

I think one of the purposes of a writing assignment is to learn how to create & organize information into your own ideas. I don't think the teacher meant for the students to use a softwear program to do the work for them. If you are in doubt, ask yourself if you would ask the teacher if it would be alright to use such a program. If the answer is no, then that should tell you that is not the right approach.

It's ok to use the ideas of others as long as you give proper credit. You should use a website that shows you how to document correctly instead of how to change someone else's words around and claim those ideas as your own.

http://www.easybib.com/ is a useful and easy source for documenting. Here is another simple page with examples: http://teenlink.nypl.org/bibliography.html

If you are writing a paper, reflect on what you have read, combine all your resources, and come up with original thoughts on what you have learned. Present the ideas in a new way and then you can ethically claim it as your own work.

The following text is from Macon State College's website, which has some interesting thoughts on plagiarism that I will share here with you: (Visit my source link below to view it in its entirety)

Why Students Plagiarize
Plagiarism is a difficult concept to define because it encompasses a wide range of actions from merely writing incorrect citations to the wholesale theft of someone else's work or ideas. Also, the type of plagiarism -- deliberate or unintentional -- have an impact upon the perception of the offense for both faculty and students. The exact causes of plagiarism are complex, but worth examining.

Reasons for Plagiarizing

For printable handouts and writing tips, please click Handouts for Students.

Writing and Research Skills

Lack of research skills -- many undergraduate students do not know how to search the library catalog, search databases for journal articles, or use other reference sources. Faculty can help students acquire these skills by working in conjunction with their library. The Macon State College Library offers free instructional sessions for classes. These sessions introduce students to the library and teach them how to search the library catalog and databases. In addition, the MSC Library offers reference services on a daily basis.
Problems evaluating Internet sources -- many students do not know how to critically evaluate Internet sources and this can impact on the research process and the student's writing. It is important to remember that there is no quality control on the Internet! For a printable handout on what to look for when evaluating information found on the Web, please click Handouts for Students.
Confusion between plagiarism and paraphrasing -- studies indicate that up to 60% of students cannot distinguish between paraphrased and plagiarized text (Roig 914). The problem is magnified when students need to paraphrase unfamiliar vocabulary and technical terms. A study published in Psychological Reports found that "students will use writing strategies that result in plagiarism when they face the task of paraphrasing advanced technical text for which they may lack the proper cognitive resources with which to process it" (Roig 979). The inability to distinguish between plagiarized text and paraphrased text, and incorrectly citing sources, are often the root causes of unintentional plagiarism. For a printable handout on how to distinguish between plagiarism and paraphrasing, please click Handouts for Students.
Confusion about terminology -- "Terminology is another problem that perplexes students and compounds their confusion and anxiety. Many do not understand the difference between a report and an essay, between exposition and argumentation, between a theme and a thesis . . . And 'analyze' and 'discuss' must surely rank at the top of the list of all-time confusing terms" (Robertson D4).
Instructions on assignments should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Careless notetaking -- many students inadvertently plagiarize while doing preliminary research. During the notetaking phase paraphrased material and directly quoted material can easily be mixed up if students aren't careful. At a later date when students begin writing their essay they may no longer be able to distinguish what material is theirs and what material came from their sources. In addition, the student may have written incomplete or incorrect bibliographic information and cannot locate the source they quoted to ensure that they have not plagiarized.
To alleviate this problem some writers use only direct quotations while taking notes. This practice insures that the writer knows when to paraphrase and when to directly quote. Other methods of keeping track of direct quotes and paraphrased material include writing a "P" beside paraphrased material, plus the page number after every note taken, or placing quotation marks around everything copied word for word, even if it is only a phrase.
Confusion about how to properly cite sources -- the lack of consistency among the different style guides compounds the problems that students experience when citing sources. A student can use up to four different style guides in a year, and each guide may give conflicting information.
In addition, online sources can be particularly difficult to cite. First, there is no consensus among the style guides about citing online sources. Second, URLs are unstable. It is possible that a website address can change overnight, or the URL may be long, complex, and confusing.
The Macon State College Library has an online guide that explains how to cite sources. Citation Guides is available from the MSC Library website.

Misunderstanding Key Concepts

Misconception of plagiarism -- students may erroneously assume that the act of plagiarism only involves written text. However the theft or lack of attribution for someone else's ideas is also plagiarism.
Misconception of intellectual property, copyright, and public domain -- students may not be able to decipher what information is in the public domain, what materials and ideas are copyrighted, and what materials and ideas are the intellectual property of their creators and thus require proper attribution.
Misconception of common knowledge -- students may not have the ability to distinguish what materials, facts, and ideas are considered common knowledge. For a printable handout explaining the concept of common knowledge, please click Handouts for Students.
Perception of online information as public knowledge -- because some students perceive information found online as public knowledge, they do not realize that Internet resources must be referenced. Journal articles and books found in online databases often do not get properly cited for the same reason. Students need to know that information found online is the intellectual property of its creator and it requires proper attribution.

External Factors

Pressure from family, competition for scholarships and jobs -- family members and personal expectations can place a great deal of pressure on students to maintain a certain grade point average regardless of what is learned. Often all that matters to students are grades when they are competing for scholarships, jobs, or entry into graduate school.

In addition, "Students may also not be as personally interested in their own education versus their career aspirations . . . Even students who are concerned about the learning part of their education may justify plagiarism based on the fear that others are already cheating, causing "unfair competition'"(Fain and Bates qtd. in Auer and Krupar).
For some students, learning may not be the point of an education. They are there to get the qualifications or the piece of paper. This mode of thinking can result in students justifying academic offenses because they only need to finish this assignment, this class, or they need the grade.

Student ethics and relationship with the College -- "Students lack a basic reference point for ethical academic behavior. Too often learning and the evaluation of learning - namely grading - are considered one rather than two distinct processes. For some students, getting the grade becomes the goal, and they might see any behavior as appropriate which results in good grades. Thus, lacking clear guidance from faculty and confused about the goal of education, students do not know what constitutes academic dishonesty" (Peterson qtd. in Lathrop and Foss 115).

The commodification of knowledge and education -- the move to business and market-models coupled with a consumer mentality can result in some students viewing their education as a commodity. There has been a shift from valuing education for the sake of learning to valuing education so that career aspirations can be fulfilled. As a result some students expect to pay their tuition and cruise through post-secondary education on their way to becoming a professional in their chosen field. Education can be viewed as the passport to a desired job rather than a learning experience.

Internal Factors

Poor time management and organizational skills -- undergraduate students often do not have the time managment or organizational skills necessary to complete a large research paper. They can become overwhelmed by the large task and procrastinate.

To help alleviate the problem of procrastination faculty may ask students to hand in an outline of their paper a week before the paper is due.
Cultural Factors

Culturally based attitudes towards plagiarism -- The idea that an author has "ownership" of language may be a ludicrous concept to students from different cultures. In some cultures, copying someone else's words or ideas is a high form of flattery. The notion that words can be "owned" is a facet of Western culture.

"Many non-Westerners have a very difficult time understanding that a person can "own" discourse. For many Asian students in composition classes, proper acknowledgement of the language and ideas of others is a very difficult concept to understand, much less master . . . Furthermore, in the West, . . . there is a strong connection between ownership and selfhood, with the implication that whatever one owns (language included) makes up one's personal identity" (Bowden 13).

This is not a justification for anyone handing in plagiarized work, but it is useful to remember that it may take more time and different approaches for some people to master proper attribution.

Preventing Plagiarism
Preventing plagiarism isn't as difficult as one might think. The following are some simple strategies that faculty can use to prevent plagiarism:

Clarifying Concepts

Teach students how to correctly paraphrase, quote, and properly cite sources. For printable handouts click on Handouts for Students.
Some students do not know what plagiarism is. Explain the concepts of plagiarism, intellectual property, copyright, collaboration and fair dealing.
Course Syllabi

At the beginning of the term tell students that matters of academic dishonesty are taken very seriously at Macon State College. Faculty can reinforce this message by including a statement on academic dishonesty in the course syllabi. This statement should, however, be couched as fair warning rather than a threat.
In addition to reviewing the Student Code of Conduct in the MSC Student Handbook, think about what special issues may arise in a specific class. For example, is collaboration on assignments permissable or not? Faculty must make their expectations clear.
Faculty can help students learn how to properly cite materials, particularly Web sources, by providing information on style guides. The Macon State College Library has an online guide that explains how to cite sources. Citation Guides is available from the MSC Library website.
During Class


Discuss plagiarism as a moral and ethical issue. The relationship between faculty and students is based on trust; teach students the value of academic honesty and outline the responsibilities of being a junior member of the academic community.
Discuss the benefits of citing sources properly. Proper attribution shows that the student has done thorough research and that the student has been exposed to a diverse range of thought and opinion. As a result, the paper will likely be stronger.
Print a paper from one of the paper mills and critique it in class. This exercise accomplishes two things: first, it shows students that you are aware of paper mills and corresponding plagiarism detection services and second, you can teach them good writing skills by critiquing the paper.
Before the first assignment is due, outline the penalties for handing in plagiarized work and give examples of what the punishment has been for those caught plagiarizing in the past. The threat of being suspended or even expelled from the College or receiving a permanent mark on a transcript may be enough to deter a plagiarizer.
Address the problems that students may have with citing sources from the Web. Some students may think that by citing a URL they are also citing any other links included in the Web site. Stress that students must cite the URL for any page or link they use. For tips on evaluating Internet sources, please click Handouts for Students.
Prior to the first major assignment, either book an instructional session on how to use library resources through the MSC Library. Many undergraduates do not know how to search the library for materials.

Assignment Design

The following list is comprised of suggestions only. Some professors do not think they are responsible for policing student behavior or that they should alter their assignments to alleviate student procrastination. However, fair warning and enough time to complete an assignment, offers of help such as looking at drafts or outlines, and clear assignments are things that faculty can do to help their students successfully complete an assignment. Other suggestions include the following:

Stagger due dates for different parts of a paper. For example, make the bibliography due a week before the final paper, or specify what materials students can use -- i.e. two Internet sources, three journal articles, two monographs, etc., or assign two or three smaller papers throughout the term rather than a single large one.
Assign narrowly focused topics rather than broad general ones or ask students to write about current events as they relate to class materials.
Change the paper topics each time the course is offered. This practice will prevent students from appropriating work done by former students.
Tell students in advance that you will randomly check sources in the bibliography.
Request that students hand in a photocopied page from the sources cited in their paper, or include an annotated bibliography as part of the assignment, or tell students that they can only use references that have been published within the last five years.
Require students to hand in notes or outlines with their paper because you are looking for evidence of original thought.
Detecting Plagiarism
Indicators of possible plagiarism include:

A student's paper exceeds his or her research or writing capabilities, sounds professional or journalistic, or is too scholarly.
The student's paper contains complex or specialized vocabulary, jargon, technical terms, or other words and expressions beyond what would be expected from a student at that level.
The quality of writing is inconsistent. For example, the introduction or conclusion may be poorly written compared to the body of the paper.
The title page, font, references, format, or layout of the paper is inconsistent.
There are imbedded links, page breaks, or incorrect page numbers in the paper.
The topic of the paper isn't consistent with the assignment, class lectures, or class handouts.
The bibliography is odd in some way. For example, it may be long, the style guide used for the bibliography is different from the one used in class, the citations are all from older sources, or few or none of the materials referenced can be accessed in the library.
There are links or URLs at the top or bottom of the paper or greyed out letters or areas.
As a general rule, follow your instincts. Most professors can gauge what level their students are at.
How to track down a suspect paper

The same searching techniques that students use for locating papers on the Internet can also be used to retrieve plagiarized papers. Try typing in an unusual phrase or sentence from a suspect paper into a search engine like Google or Lycos. Because no search engine can index the entire Web, it is advisable to use more than one search engine.
In addition try using Google's Advanced Search feature. You can specify the formats you would like to search, the language, and you can construct far more specific searches.
Another resource to search is the Invisible Web. Web sites like InvisibleWeb.com or CompletePlanet offer links to thousands of databases and Web sites that aren't indexed by a regular search engines (Harris 172).
Although it may be tempting to submit student papers to a free detection service, it is strongly recommended that searchers only submit phrases or a few sentences to these search engines. With a stroke of ingenuity, there is evidence to suggest that some of these detection services may be taking submitted student essays and re-selling them from paper mills.
In addition, try searching some of the paper mills for a suspect paper.
If the quality of writing appears to exceed the level of the student, faculty may initially check both print and electronic reference sources like encyclopedias and dictionaries. Online reference sources like AskJeeves.com, Encyclopedia.com, and eLibrary offer links to other Web sites, newspaper and magazine articles, pictures, and books on selected topics. The eLibrary service has a subscription fee but offers a 7 day free trial. Faculty may be able to locate plagiarized sources searching some of these sites.
In addition to checking print sources faculty may also want to search a few online databases. The suspect paper may have been taken directly from an article found in an online database like Academic Search Premier, accessed via the library, rather than the Internet. The database may also retrieve articles that were omitted in the bibliography but have obviously been used by the student.
Another source students can plagiarize from for both ideas and text is usenet groups and list serves. Some search engines will automatically search these Internet sources, but usually they will only search the Web unless the researcher chooses usenet groups and list serves as the format to be searched (Stebelman 49).
Ask a librarian for help if there is difficulty searching for a suspect paper. Faculty can e-mail library staff or go directly to a reference desk for assistance.
Detection Services

Online services search the Internet and company databases for plagiarized material.

www.TurnItIn.com is a subscription detection program that schools can use to detect plagiarism

Good luck. Don't worry - You will get better at writing the more you practice.

Answer 2

What you are talking about is "rewriting". That is journalism jargon. Newspapers do it all the time to make it look like they did independent research on a story although they actually borrowed it from another newspaper.

I helped my dad do it once. I took the facts of the story and put them into my own words. It is good to practice that, although credit should always be given to the original source, as a matter of courtesy.

You might have Babelfish translate your essay from English into a foreign language, then have it translate it back to English. Be careful, though. It tends to have disastrously funny results if you do that.

Answer 3

There is no software that will change entire sentences, but a thesaurus will allow you to find alternative words.