Scanning Software
Viper is probably the best known and most widely used scanning software currently in use. It is a very useful academic tool as it protects you from accusations of plagiarism, i.e. the stealing of someone else’s work and passing it off as your own.
Why use scanning software?
You should use scanning software because it is impossible otherwise to be sure that you have not plagiarised in some way.
You may be absolutely sure that you have not plagiarised in any way, but it is so easy to plagiarise by accident. Using scanning software is essential in order to be sure that you cannot possibly be accused of plagiarism.
For example, imagine that you have made notes from a large number of texts over a long period of time. As you make notes you also add comments, and it is very easy when you look back over your notes prior to beginning to write, to confuse your own comments with notes you took down from a text, especially if you have been a little careless in marking the details of the author, title, publisher and place and date of publication.
Scanning software is very useful in this regard, because the report will show you each and every instance of referencing in your work highlighted in red. This ensure that you check your referencing for accuracy of presentation, as well as applicability.
You will have been made aware by your school, college or university of the required referencing style of your department and know how difficult it can be to adhere to it exactly.
The scanning software will help you to take another look at the referencing in your work to make sure that you have done it correctly.
What else will I receive from a scanning software report?
In the Viper scanning software report you receive the following:
- The percentage of work the scanning software found in sources.
- The percentage of work the scanning software found made of quotes.
- The percentage of matches the scanning software found in quotes.
- The percentage of work the scanning software suspected plagiarised.
In this way, the scanning software helps you to:
- Decide whether the percentage of work the scanning software found in sources is correct.
- Decide whether the percentage of work the scanning software found in quotes is appropriate.
- Decide whether the matches in quotes the scanning software identified matches your citations.
- Decide whether the percentage of work suspected of being plagiarised by the scanning software is accurate and if so what action needs to be taken to change and/or remove it.
As all of this is conveniently colour coded, you can see at a glance if the scanning software report is correct, and make any changes that are needed before you endanger your mark by handing it in unchecked.
Also, because Viper and other scanning software scans against literally billions of documents, you have the reassurance of knowing that your work is safe from accusations of plagiarism.
Can scanning software help me in other ways?
The main reason for using scanning software is to eliminate the possibility of plagiarism, but the identification of the usage of certain sources and quotations in certain ways, can help you to improve the quality of your work.
For example, Viper scanning software will highlight the frequency of sources used. Now the main reason for this is because you need to know whether or not that source can be suspected of being plagiarised, so you can remove or alter the information. However, you may discover, by having this error pointed out to you, that you are in the habit of using certain sources rather too often and having the scanning software point this out to you can only result in your improving your work by varying the sources if necessary.
Another way that scanning software can help you to improve your work is by highlighting the referencing. As discussed earlier, scanning software like Viper highlights referencing in red therefore it stands out and is very easy to see. As before, the chief reason for this is that you are trying to detect any possible areas of plagiarism in your work, and eradicate them. But, the referencing highlighting, which the scanning software provides, can also alert you not only to errors in referencing but also to whether or not you are using referencing as effectively as you could. For example, you could look at how you have analysed your referencing and ensure that you have commented correctly on all words and phrases so that the evidence really supports your work as well as it should.
Without scanning software like Viper, it's not so easy to see where improvements in your work can be made. So, it's not only with the avoidance of plagiarism that scanning software can be of help.It can also help you with all aspects of editing your work and thus improve your grade, which is what you are always aiming towards!
To sum up, scanning software like Viper is an invaluable academic tool for the serious student of today. Not only does it offer you the reassurance of knowing that your work is plagiarism free, it also helps you to improve your work by pointing out recurrences or overuse of particular sources. This is done by helping you to re-examine, and if necessary correct any errors in referencing, as well as improving on the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of quotes and references in your work.
With schools, colleges and universities becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of plagiarism, it is foolish not to make yourself aware of any possible aids that might be available to you, and one of the best of these is scanning software like Viper.
Viper vs. WriteCheck (Turnitin)
How do we compare?
We have told you what makes Viper great but how do we compare to Turnitin's WriteCheck? Have a look at our easy chart...
Editing Services
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