The system from A to Z

Introduction: What is StrikePlagiarism?

StrikePlagiarism.com offers a text-matching software which detects similarities between texts.

The system allows for the upload of text documents (doc.; docx.; rtf.; txt.; odt.; ppt.; pptx.; editable pdf etc.) and verification of the text. The system analyzes the uploaded text based on millions of existing texts in the virtual space and in the end generates a Similarity Report, which indicates detected similarities between texts and their sources. 

In order to use the system you must register by creating an account. You can choose to have an individual account or an account connected to an educational institution. 

In this section, all user roles, possibilities and functionalities of the system will be explained.

Terms and definitions

Service - An online word processing tool with a user interface on a website

Token - The system uses tokens as an internal payment currency for the verification of documents. Tokens can be bought through the system and they have a respective value for number of pages. The tokens can be purchased by Individual users only. 

Similarity report - Represents detailed information about an uploaded text and outlines alerts, similarity coefficients, and an active list of similarities

Alerts - A section in the similarity report with information regarding text modifications that may aim to temper with the analysis results. Invisible to the person evaluating the content of the document on a printout or in a file, they influence the phrases compared during text analysis (by causing intended misspellings) to conceal borrowings as well as to falsify values ​​in the Similarity Report. It should be assessed whether the modifications are intentional or not. 

Types of alerts include:

Similarity coefficients - The similarity coefficients in the system's Similarity Report show in percentages how many text-matches were found in a document. The percentage values are measured based on the total quantity of the text from the 

Citation coefficient - Fragments of the text being checked, which are not author's, but which the system classified as correctly formatted. Citations also include template phrases; bibliography; fragments of text found by the search module "SPS Garant: legal documentation" 

Active list of similarities - A section in the Similarity Report which lists all the matching sources found in the uploaded text. The section is divided into different source sections and gives percentage value as well as word count value of the matching excerpts

List of accepted fragments - List becomes active once a highlighted part of the text has been accepted

Purpose and conditions of use

The service is designed to check text documents for text borrowings from different sources. The user uploads a document to the system which is then sent for verification. As a result from the verification, users receive a Similarity Report. The report contains information about sources and match rates by source, as well as detailed information indicating those fragments of the document being checked that were identified as matches. Identification is accompanied by the presentation of a matching fragment of the text of the source of the match and / or a link to the original (URL). As a result of checking the document, the user is provided with information that helps to determine which part of the document is written independently and which part is borrowed.

Technical conditions for using the service:

The results of working with StrikePlagiarism.com are not the basis for claims of copyright infringement. The service is intended to be used for informational purposes only. In other words, we do not declare that this or that text is plagiarism, but only inform you about the presence of the same or similar piece of text. It is possible that when working with the service you will find text with a copied fragment from other sources, including the possibility that the document you uploaded is the original source. In any case, when working with the service, be careful, try to be objective and do not rush to conclusions. Remember that the service is only a tool for work, and only the user of the system can give a real assessment of the document.

Before you begin

Workplace

To work with StrikePlagiarism, you need to open the system's website and register or log in. The system is available to use via browser and there is no need for it to be downloaded to a personal device. 

Since the system is used via browser, internet connection is needed. 

User roles

The following user roles are provided in our anti-plagiarism system:

Administrator functionalities

The administrators in StrikePlagiarism can add users to the system. When an administrator is assigned by a university or another organization, their main responsibility is to create user accounts for the rest of the system users. This includes the creation of organizational units (optional), unit administrators, and lecturer accounts.

To add users to the system, the Administrator must enter the Users menu on the left-hand side and click on the green button Add User. 

From here the Administrator has two options - to add a user manually or to import an excel sheet with information for multiple user creation. 

Adding a user manually

Add a user by filling in all the related fields including name, e-mail address, telephone number (optional), organizational unit (optional) and user role. 

Adding users using an excel sheet import

Add a large group of users to the system by using our handy excel template and filling in all the related fields.

*Unit administrators are users who are responsible for the creation of user accounts within their organizational unit. For example, if the user administrator is assigned to the organizational unit of a certain faculty, then, the administrator could add users who belong to that specific faculty. 

Administrator

Unit administrator

Lecturer functionalities

Users with a Lecturer account can upload documents, review and interact with the Similarity Report, and create assignments in the system. 

UPLOADING A DOCUMENT

There are three ways to upload a document to the system:

Evaluation and Similarity Report

StrikePlagiarism offers a unique Similarity Report that outlines in-depth information about an uploaded document. 

ALERTS

Our Similarity Report shows alerts such as:

*Please note: the numbers in this image are only for exemplary purposes

RECORD OF SIMILARITIES

The Similarity Report generated by StrikePlagiarism includes two Similarity Coefficients which indicate information related to the evaluation of the text from the document.

The value of Similarity Coefficient 1 (SC1) determines which part of the documents contains phrase of 5 words or longer, found in the database of the university, database of Database Exchange Program, RefBooks database or Internet resources (excluding borrowings from legal acts found in the Database of Legal Acts). The Similarity Coefficient 1 is primarily used to examine the linguistic independence of the author of the documents.

The value of Similarity Coefficient 2 (SC2) determines which part of the documents contains phrase of 25 words or longer found in the databases mentioned above (excluding Database of Legal Acts). Due to the length of the detected phrases, the Similarity Score 2 is a better tool for detecting unauthorized borrowings.

ACTIVE LISTS OF SIMILARITIES

This list presents the main sources of borrowings in the text (in the form of percentage and number of words) and easy navigation on found marked fragments. The percentage value for a specific record in the list indicates what part of the analyzed documents is identical to the indicated source.

*Please note: the numbers in this image are only for exemplary purposes

EDITING THE SIMILARITY REPORT AND ADDING COMMENTS

From the Lecturer account, the user can review the Similarity Report and make edits by accepting marked paragraphs. There is an option to accept only the selected fragment or the entire source.

Furthermore, Lecturers can add comments to selected parts of the text by using the menu tab on the right side of the report. 

FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS ABOUT OUR SIMILARITY REPORT

For further questions related to our similarity report, we have a detailed instruction manual for the interpretation of the report you can find and read here

Assignments functionality 

The user menu of lecturers offers a feature for creating Assignments. In this section, the lecturer can create an Assignment by clicking on the green "Add" button.

After selecting the button, a new window opens with fields that need to be filled relating to the new assignment. These are the short title, the long title, and the document type. The rest of the fields, which are not mandatory, but recommended are: the description, the due date, and the e-mail address field where the e-mails of active student accounts from the system are added. By adding the e-mail address of the student, they will receive an e-mail invitation to the assignment and can easily access the assignment through their profile. 

The button "Generate short name" allows the lecturer to ask the system to generate a short name for the assignment. This is usually a unique code made up of numbers and letters, which students can use when they want to join an assignment.

Once the assignment is created, it is recommended that all documents are added simultaneously. Whether they are submitted by the student users from the system or manually from the lecturer, the documents are then analyzed at the same time. At the end of the verification, the Similarity Reports are available to view and this time there is an added section to the Similarity Report, which shows for cross check similarities. This means that the system has checked if there have been any borrowings of text between the student works. 

Student functionalities

Users with "Student" status in the system can upload documents to the system and join assignments. The student does not have access to the interactive Similarity Report. The student cannot accept fragments or add comments to their documents. Furthermore, the student cannot add documents to the data base.

The student can join and assignment by using the red "Join Assignment" button at the top right corner of the webpage. 

From there, the student can enter the short title of the assignment created by the lecturer and join it. 

Alternatively, if the student has already been added to an assignment, it will be visible in the profile and the student can upload their document there. 

Individual users

Individual users have more or less the same functionalities as the rest. Individual users can upload their documents to the system and they also receive a Similarity Report. 

The individual user can decide which sources they want included in their Similarity Report. This means that the individual user pays for user tokens and depending on the price, decides what they would like to have checked by the system.

Integrations

The integration of our anti-plagiarism system and systems used by the client is possible using various methods. The most popular methods are with API, LTI 1.3, Plugin, LDap (Active Directory), and SSO (Single Sign-on). The integration of the two systems makes it possible to simplify the process of using the anti-plagiarism system, for example, you can upload documents for verification inside the LMS, there is no need to create additional accounts in our system, but use those that are already created in the LMS. 

The data that the university sends to us via the LMS is encrypted and anonymized by our system in accordance with GDPR. We take all necessary steps to protect personal data. As a European company, the protection of personal data is of top priority for us. For more than 20 years of work on the European market, we have become the best among anti-plagiarism systems in terms of personal data protection. 

We are ready to implement any other forms of integration convenient for universities. For example, integration with proctoring systems has recently become popular, which allow you to check and compare the results of test exams, compare the results with each other within the same exam, which is very important when the answers may be the same. Integration with the dean's office systems of universities has also become popular, allowing to collect information about the result of checking for plagiarism in the university database. 

Integrations built on LTI 1.3 technology:

Integrations built on Plug-in and API technology:

LTI 1.3 Integration

StrikePlagiarism.com is using different ways of integration with external LMS or Deanery systems. One of the most popular form of integration is LTI. As the first 1EdTech standards to use the new security paradigm, Learning Tools Interoperability® (LTI®) 1.3 and LTI Advantage are the first to do so. Beyond the advantages for privacy and security, LTI 1.3 features a simpler upgrade path than previous versions and the full support and approval of significant platform providers.

LTI 1.3 allows a wide range of integration abilities not only with widely recognized Learning Management Systems like Canvas, Blackboard and BrightSpace, but also with domestic LMSs created by universities or smaller enterprises. 

StrikePlagiarism.com created LTI based on specific needs of academic institutions. We have added new features like pre-submission by the student, ability to add scores (marks) to the LTI Similarity Report, and limitations to the number of pre-submissions. 

Thanks to our LTI, lecturers can see whether a report was already opened and reviewed by a student, and the status of the Similarity Report - whether a document has been accepted, disqualified or returned for correction. 

In order for a university or any other educational institution to integrate with StrikePlagiarism using LTI 1.3 technology, the request must be done by registering at https://lti.strikeplagiarism.com/. Once registered, our team receives a notification and approves the request for integration. After this process, the integration is initiated. 

API integration

API integrations allows for documents to be sent via API and get a link to the Interactive Similarity Report. Furthermore, API allows you manage accounts, delete users, add documents to the database, send the status of the document or decision made by a lecturer and many more. 

API integration is possible by sending a request for an API key to our team. In order to make a request, the user (usually the administrator) of an educational institution must send a request via e-mail contact@strikeplagiarism.com. Once a request is sent, our team creates a unique API-key code, which is then sent to the user. The user may then input the API-key and add the plugin to their LMS. After that, the integration between StrikePlagiarism and the user's LMS is made. Both systems exchange information and StrikePlagiarism becomes available to use within the user's LMS. 

Customer service


All customer requests are processed by the customer support department, which is available via email, phone numbers and WhatsApp.


All requests can be sent to contact@strikeplagiarism.com or help@strikeplagiarism.com.


A customer support representative will respond to your request within 24 hours. If the issue is of a technical nature and requires the involvement of the technical department, then the customer support employee will create a corresponding task in the company’s internal electronic system and, after consultation with the technical department, will inform the client about further steps. Customer support is available in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, etc.

If the Client's request concerns a problem occurring during the use of the system, after accepting the application, the customer service officer first proceeds to verify the Client's contract. The purpose of this verification is to exclude the possibility of a problem arising through the state of the contract.

After obtaining information from the IT Department about the solution of the problem and the possible cause of its occurrence, the customer service officer provides information to the Client and asks for verification whether the problem still occurs. If the problem persists, the information is forwarded to the IT Department.

If, despite positive verification by the customer service officer, the system's operation in the scope of the reported problem, the client still claims that the problem occurs. The system is re-verified and the client is contacted in order to clarify this issue. The process of handling current requests can be considered completed only when the client confirms that the problem has been solved.

Support

The system offers a "Help" section in the user account menu with an FAQ list, video tutorials and an added field for contact. Additionally, there is a user manual for interpretation of the Similarity Report added on the right-hand side of the Similarity Report and indicated with a question mark icon. These resources are available to all users of the system regardless of their user status. 

Furthermore, we offer customer support for additional questions and requests that might not have been answered in these sections. In this instance, it is advisable to fill in any questions in the contact form found in the "Help" menu. This contact form will send the user request to the whole team of StrikePlagiarism. 

The best way to contact us is via e-mail: contact@strikeplagiarism.com. From there, the team checks the country of origin of the user and the appropriate agent replies. For easier communication, sometimes the agent may also give their telephone contact and continue the consultation with the user verbally.