Protect Your Manuscript with the Plagiarism Check

Journals today routinely use plagiarism detection software during peer review. That means any overlooked overlap, even if unintentional, could result in a desk rejection or time-consuming revisions.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until your submission is in an editor’s hands to identify and address potential problems. With the  Plagiarism Check, you can scan your manuscript using the same trusted technology that journals themselves rely on, before you submit.

Why Plagiarism Checking Matters

Plagiarism isn’t always deliberate. In fact, most cases flagged by journals stem from:

1. Commonly used phrases within a field
2. Incomplete or inaccurate citation practices
3. Reusing text across multiple projects or collaborations

Unfortunately, even unintentional overlap can raise red flags during the review process. For authors, this can mean rejection, reputational risk, and unnecessary stress. A proactive plagiarism check helps you identify areas of concern, correct issues in advance, and submit with confidence.

A Longstanding Concern

Although accusations of copying ideas or texts have existed for centuries, plagiarism was not always seen as an ethical breach. That changed in 1755 when Samuel Johnson defined a plagiarist as “A thief in literature; one who steals the thoughts or writings of another.” Since then, plagiarism has been universally recognized as unacceptable in scholarly communication.

Researchers today recognize at least ten common types of plagiarism. The table below summarizes the most frequent forms and why they cause problems during peer review.

Type of Plagiarism

Description

Why it Causes Problems

1. Direct plagiarism without citation

●       Text copied word-for-word without attribution

●       Raises immediate concerns of misconduct and can lead to outright rejection

1. Direct plagiarism with citation

●       Citation provided, but quotation marks missing or incomplete

●       Misleads reviewers into thinking the text is original phrasing

1. Self-plagiarism

●       Reusing your own published work without proper citation

●       Suggests duplicate publication and inflates research output

1. Single source plagiarism

●       Changing only a few keywords from one source without attribution

●       Signals lack of originality and weak scholarship

1. Multiple source plagiarism

●       Mixing text from different sources to appear original

●       Obscures accountability and undermines trust in the manuscript

1. Blended plagiarism

●       Combining copied text with your own writing to fill gaps

●       Makes it difficult for reviewers to judge the author’s true contribution

1. Plagiarism of ideas

●       Paraphrasing or borrowing ideas without adding original contribution

●       Prevents fair credit to original researchers and reduces novelty

1. Unoriginal work

●       Manuscript structure/content nearly identical to existing work

●       Suggests duplication and offers little new value to the field

1. Incidental plagiarism

●       Incorrect or non-existent sources cited

●       Weakens credibility and hinders verification of claims

1. Accidental plagiarism

●       Misquoting or paraphrasing unintentionally

●       Still undermines precision and trust, even if not deliberate

Each of these forms of plagiarism can cause problems during peer review, even if unintentional.

Avoiding Plagiarism

The best way to avoid plagiarism depends on how prior work is being reused. For example:

1. Quotations: Direct quotations preserve the original voice of a source, but they must be clearly introduced, placed in quotation marks, and fully cited.
2. Paraphrasing: Restating ideas in your own words allows you to maintain your manuscript’s flow, but proper attribution remains essential.
3. When Using AI: Generative AI tools can support the writing process but are no replacement for original scholarship. Always fact-check outputs, verify sources, and integrate the information responsibly.

Understanding the different forms of plagiarism and how to avoid them is critical. Even experienced authors benefit from an additional check, however.

This is where Plagiarism Check comes in.

AJE + iThenticate: The Gold Standard in Detection

Plagiarism Check is powered by iThenticate in partnership with Turnitin, the industry leader in plagiarism detection. iThenticate is used by:

●       97% of the top 10,000 most-cited journals

●       1,500 top publishers worldwide

This means your manuscript is being checked against the same professional databases that editors and reviewers use during peer review. Screening your work with Rubriq lets you see what journals will see, removing uncertainty from the process.

More Than Plagiarism: Accurate Citations

Plagiarism detection is only part of the story. Missing or incomplete citations are another common issue that can slow down review.

To address this, Plagiarism Check includes an AI-powered citation check that thoroughly reviews your manuscript for referencing accuracy. In addition to spotting missing citations, it can help highlight potential inconsistencies between in-text references and your bibliography, giving you the chance to correct them before submission.

By catching these details early, you can avoid unnecessary revision requests from editors and reviewers. The result is a manuscript that is not only plagiarism-free, but also accurately cited and submission-ready.

Here are a few examples of the kinds of citation issues authors sometimes face and how a tool like Plagiarism Check can help you identify these before submission:

Issue

Problem Example

Corrected Example

●       Year mismatch

In-text: (Smith, 2019) vs. Bibliography: Smith, J. (2018). Climate change impacts. Nature.

In-text and bibliography both updated to (Smith, 2018)

●       Missing details

Brown, A. (2021). Machine learning in biology.

Brown, A. (2021). Machine learning in biology. Bioinformatics, 37(4), 123–134.

●       Duplicate entry

Bibliography lists Lee, K. (2020). Data science methods. PLOS One. twice

Only one correctly formatted entry remains

For broader guidance on proper referencing practices, see the Purdue Owl Research and Citation Resources or your target journal’s author instructions.

Trusted by the Research Community

Plagiarism Check is just one part of a broader ecosystem of services trusted by researchers and publishers worldwide. More than 3,000 journals and societies recommend AJE, reflecting our reputation for quality and reliability.

Our team includes experts across more than 400 academic fields, giving authors access to subject-specific knowledge at every stage of the publication journey. Beyond plagiarism detection, AJE provides scientific editing, formatting, and translation services to help authors prepare their work for top journals.

Each service is designed to reduce barriers to publication and strengthen your manuscript. Together, these tools improve your chances of acceptance and support your long-term success as a researcher.

Clear Reports, Actionable Results

When you submit your manuscript to Plagiarism Check, you receive a detailed, easy-to-read report. This report highlights areas of text overlap, provides citation insights, and helps you understand exactly what adjustments are needed.

A sample report is available on our Plagiarism Check page, so you can see for yourself how clear and actionable the feedback is.

Submit with Confidence

Publishing is competitive, and your research deserves to be judged on its merit, not delayed by preventable issues.  Plagiarism Check helps you:

●       Protect your reputation by ensuring originality

●       Catch potential problems before journals do

●       Strengthen your manuscript with accurate citations

●       Submit with confidence, knowing your work is ready for publication

By combining trusted technology with AJE’s expertise in supporting researchers worldwide,  Plagiarism Check gives you the assurance you need in today’s publishing environment.

Take the next step toward a smooth submission. Check your manuscript with AJE today.