Writing Integrity
Monitor student writing and address potential integrity issues in real-time
Traditional plagiarism detection software isn’t getting the job done. False positives are common, the reports are nearly indecipherable, and there is widespread confusion about what the different plagiarism “scores” even mean.
When plagiarism is as easy as "select, right click, copy, paste," what we really need is a tool that helps students avoid plagiarism in the first place.
Authentic Author works proactively to prevent plagiarism by focusing on student writing behaviors and alerting students in real-time when a passage might require citation or paraphrasing.
student accountability
No more copying and pasting incognito. Students must indicate whether the content is original thought or taken from another source.
instructor tools
Instructors can see what was pasted into a paper, the source, and exactly how that pasted content was edited or wordsmithed by the student.
Plagiarism Prevention
Put the focus on student comprehension, not student apprehension
Real-time Alert
When students paste content, they immediately see an alert that reminds them that they must provide a citation for outside sources.
Source Confirmation
Students must identify the pasted content as being either original thought or from an outside source (with the option to provide a description).
Source Identification
Identify the source of pasted content (website, Word, Google Doc, etc.) and search the pasted content on Google with a single click.
Instructor Review
Instructors have the option to see a detailed view of a student's paper, showing them what was pasted, edited, added, and deleted.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Instructors can easily compare content as originally pasted into the paper against the final version as edited and submitted by the student.
Pasted Content %
The percentage of content pasted in the paper appears in the SpeedGrader, so instructors can quickly determine if there is reason to take a closer look.
F.A.Q
Some answers to commonly asked questions
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How do students use Authentic Author?
With Authentic Author, students write and submit their papers directly in Canvas using the text submission option (instructors must select this as the only submission option). This submission option provides a full rich text editor and will auto-save student work. When students paste content, they will be asked to indicate the source, and they will have the option to provide a description. In all other ways, this submission option is the same as preparing a paper in Word, Google Docs, or similar writing program.
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What student data is collected by Authentic Author?
None! Authentic Author does not use or collect any student data. All student data remains solely in Canvas.
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How do instructors use Authentic Author?
When an instructor opens up the SpeedGrader, they will see a Pasted Content % for the paper (i.e., the percentage of the paper comprised of pasted content), which enables them to quickly determine if there is reason to take a closer look. The instructor can then select "Compare Pasted Words" or "Pasted Content Overview" from the dropdown options.
The "Compare Pasted Words" option shows what content was pasted by the student and how the student edited that content. When pasted content is unedited, it is displayed as yellow, highlighted text. When any part of the pasted content was deleted, it is displayed as red, strikethrough text. When the student adds to any part of the pasted content, it is displayed as green, underlined text.
The "Pasted Content Overview" option provides a high level overview, but for each paste event it includes: (a) a side-by-side view of the original pasted text and the pasted text as edited, (b) whether the student identified the pasted content as being original thought or from an outside source (and a description if provided by the student), (c) the source of the pasted content, and (d) a button to easily search the pasted content on Google.
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Is it hard to get started using Authentic Author?
Not at all! You can be up and running in just three steps: (1) purchase a subscription to Authentic Author, (2) add the Authentic Author script to your LMS theme, and (3) add the unique Authentic Author code to the end of the assignment description in which you want to use the tool.
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What customizations are available in Authentic Author?
When using Authentic Author, an instructor can turn off the student confirmation dialoque box (where the student is required to identify the pasted content as being their own original thought or from an outside source).
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What does Authentic Author cost?
The cost for an Authentic Author subscription is based on the size of your institution and the number of classes offered. Please contact us for a quote.
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Is Authentic Author available for our Learning Management System?
Authentic Author is currently only available for Canvas.
Try It Out
Contact us and we'll get you set-up to try Authentic Author
