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Fact Checking

Step-by-Step Fact-Checking : Ensuring Authenticity Online

Given that we live in the Information Age, it has become more important than ever to fact check the articles we read or the content we cite and share. The fact that anyone can publish anything online means that anyone will publish anything online and as readers, it’s up to us to be able to differentiate between fact and fiction.

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Introduction

Our text compare tool is a fantastic, lightweight tool that provides plagiarism checks between two documents. Whether you are a student, blogger or publisher, this tool offers a great solution to detect and compare similarities between any two pieces of text. In this article, I will discuss the different ways to use the tool, the primary features of the tool and who this tool is for. There is an FAQ at the bottom if you run into any issues when trying to use the tool.

What makes Originality.ai’s text comparison tool stand out?

Keyword density helper – This tool comes with a built-in keyword density helper in some ways similar to the likes of SurferSEO or MarketMuse the difference being, ours is free! This feature shows the user the frequency of single or two word keywords in a document, meaning you can easily compare an article you have written against a competitor to see the major differences in keyword densities. This is especially useful for SEO’s who are looking to optimize their blog content for search engines and improve the blog’s visibility.

Ways to compare

File compare – Text comparison between files is a breeze with our tool. Simply select the files you would like to compare, hit “Upload” and our tool will automatically insert the content into the text area, then simply hit “Compare” and let our tool show you where the differences in the text are. By uploading a file, you can still check the keyword density in your content.

URL compare

Comparing text between URLs is effortless with our tool. Simply paste the URL you would like to get the content from (in our example we use a fantastic blog post by Sherice Jacob found here) hit “Submit URL” and our tool will automatically retrieve the contents of the page and paste it into the text area, then simply click “Compare” and let our tool highlight the difference between the URLs. This feature is especially useful for checking keyword density between pages!

Simple text compare

You can also easily compare text by copying and pasting it into each field, as demonstrated below.

Features of Originality.ai’s Text Compare Tool

Ease of use

Our text compare tool is created with the user in mind, it is designed to be accessible to everyone. Our tool allows users to upload files or enter a URL to extract text, this along with the lightweight design ensures a seamless experience. The interface is simple and straightforward, making it easy for users to compare text and detect the diff.

Multiple text file format support

Our tool provides support for a variety of different text files and microsoft word formats including pdf file, .docx, .odt, .doc, and .txt, giving users the ability to compare text from different sources with ease. This makes it a great solution for students, bloggers, and publishers who are looking for file comparison in different formats.

Protects intellectual property

Our text comparison tool helps you protect your intellectual property and helps prevent plagiarism. This tool provides an accurate comparison of texts, making it easy to ensure that your work is original and not copied from other sources. Our tool is a valuable resource for anyone looking to maintain the originality of their content.

User Data Privacy

Our text compare tool is secure and protects user data privacy. No data is ever saved to the tool, the users’ text is only scanned and pasted into the tool’s text area. This makes certain that users can use our tool with confidence, knowing their data is safe and secure.

Compatibility

Our text comparison tool is designed to work seamlessly across all size devices, ensuring maximum compatibility no matter your screen size. Whether you are using a large desktop monitor, a small laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, this tool adjusts to your screen size. This means that users can compare texts and detect the diff anywhere without the need for specialized hardware or software. This level of accessibility makes it an ideal solution for students or bloggers who value the originality of their work and need to compare text online anywhere at any time.

Given that we live in the Information Age, it has become more important than ever to fact check the articles we read or the content we cite and share. The fact that anyone can publish anything online means that anyone will publish anything online and as readers, it’s up to us to be able to differentiate between fact and fiction.

With this in mind, how to fact-check an article becomes an additional skill we need to master in order to understand the world and events around us. By scrutinizing articles effectively, you’ll be able to authenticate information before it becomes fact in your mind, or before you share the wrong thing with someone else. Here’s how to make sure you get it right. 

Step 1: Consider the Source

At the very core of doing an article check online is taking a moment to check the source and ensure that they’re reputable. Many major news organizations and academic journals alike have extremely high editorial standards that they adhere to in order to ensure the expertise of their sources. 

If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to check the author’s bio at the end of an article or a clickable link within their name itself. Take a closer look at their background and experience in the field. Check out their affiliations – do they work at a university, a research institute or a news outlet? Or does the organization have a vested interest in the subject being covered? 

 In some cases, you can also see if their articles have been reviewed by their peers for accuracy. Peer-reviewed articles can give the content an extra layer of validation as you’re verifying the source’s expertise. 

Step 2: Cross-Reference the Information

Don’t just rely on a single source. Check to see if multiple sources verify claims that the original article makes. However, even if you are able to find several articles with the same claims, be sure that the articles themselves are from reputable sources. Once a false statement gains traction and catches fire online, many other similar articles will take that tidbit of information and run with it, factual or not. 

In many cases, unless the event is hyper-local in some way, it’s also a good idea to fact check using international sources and references as well. 

Step 3: Check the Citations and References

The best articles will have academic or peer-reviewed citations backing them. Keep in mind that Wikipedia or blog posts are not considered reliable sources as they can be (and are) continually edited by anyone. 

In some cases, the original source material may make a statement that is widely interpreted to slant a completely different direction. Check the original source material to make sure the information has been understood and shared with the correct interpretation and that other articles aren’t trying to skew the information to adhere to a specific agenda or cause. 

Step 4: Check Cited Data and Statistics

Data should ideally come from academic studies, government statistics agencies or other reliable sources. Check to ensure that the data is presented in context, for example, 98% sounds like a large percentage, but if the sample size is very small, it’s insignificant and misleading. 

Also make sure to carefully scrutinize graphs and charts that might manipulate scales or omit data intentionally in order to mislead readers.

Step 5: Check For Logistical Consistency and Bias

Does the article follow a consistent pattern of logic or does it leap to conclusions? An article or piece of information should naturally flow and follow a sensible series of steps. It’s also important to take into account the article through a cultural lens in many cases as this offers a distinct and diverse perspective where it’s needed. 

Be cautious of articles that use overly emotional language or appeal to your sense of fear as these techniques are designed to persuade and panic instead of inform and educate. 

Step 6: Check for Timeliness and Relevance

Make sure to double-check the date of publication. Depending on when an article was published, it might have information that’s no longer relevant or has been disproven

Step 7: Re-Examine and Re-Assess

Sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and re-assessing the information. Did you miss any of the steps? Have you checked with multiple different sources? Taking a step back can give you a refreshed and renewed perspective so that you can move forward with confidence. 

Why Bother Going Through All of These Steps? 

With so much information out there from so many different sources all telling you what or who to believe, fact-checking, far from being a trivial process, helps us create a more responsible and more knowledgeable “information ecosystem”. With a glut of information at our fingertips on every conceivable subject and niche interest, being able to accurately fact-check and ensure authenticity helps us to: 

Fight Back Against Misinformation

Misinformation can cause harm on several levels. It can create discord, fuel conspiracy theories and in some cases, it has even jeopardized public health. Fact-checking is your first line of defense against the spread of misinformation and blatant lies. 

Make Better Informed Decisions

No matter what you’re doing, be it voting, making an investment or otherwise making an important decision, you often take that action with the information you have at hand. Basing your decision on information that’s incorrect or even misleading can cause you to make decisions that have real-world, lasting consequences. 

Build Better Critical Thinking Skills

Fact-checking is an exercise in critical thinking. When you fact-check, you aren’t just reading information, you’re actively engaging in it, questioning sources, looking at the flow of logic and the result, and evaluating charts and graphs to determine their credibility. 

Cultivate Trust

For media outlets, trust is pivotal. It’s not just a good practice but crucial in a world where “fake news” has become a buzzword, trust is something that takes time to build but can easily be broken. Building and maintaining the trust of your audience doesn’t come easy, but fact-checking is worth the effort to help establish that trustworthy foundation. 

Hold People Accountable

Fact-checking also applies to statements made by public leaders or those of crucial importance or leadership in well-known businesses or other agencies. When fact-checking exposes their statements as false or misleading, it holds them accountable for what they say. 

Share Responsibly and Cultivate a Culture of Honesty

In the age of social media, where things can (and are) shared in just a click, fast-checking ensures that you’re not inadvertently passing on false information. It also creates an environment that tampers sensationalist journalism and puts reporting back on the track of “just the facts’. 

Originality.AI’s New Fact-Checking Tool

Rather than leave fact-checking to humans, who can be biased, easily persuaded or misled, Originality.AI once again has broken the mold with their new fact-checking tool. Using machine learning, artificial intelligence and language pattern recognition, Originality.AI’s new fact checking tool leverages the latest in artificial intelligence and a wide array of databases to help you shortcut the complex and often cumbersome process of fact-checking. 

We invite you to try this tool for yourself and experience the full depth and breadth of a fact-checking tool that’s always updated along with the latest advances in AI. 

Our new fact-checking tool, alongside Originality.AI’s other robust free tools like our readability checker, text compare tool and our free content analyzer tool makes it easier than ever to not only ascertain the accuracy of content before you share or read it, but also helps you ensure your own content is held to the highest possible standards; free of plagiarism, AI interference or crushed under the search results pages of duplicate content. There’s no easier way to do an article check online. 

The Bottom Line on Fact-Checking

Information is our most valuable and potentially our most dangerous commodity and now, more than ever, the importance of fact-checking can’t be overstated. The responsibility no longer falls on just the media, just the government or just academia. The responsibility is a shared one – both for content creators and consumers. Gone are the days when you can toss a paper to someone and say “check my article”. By fact-checking content, we not only protect ourselves but also help create a more reliable, authentic and accurate information landscape.

Sherice Jacob

Sherice Jacob is a seasoned copywriter and content professional fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan, with over 25 years of experience crafting high-converting copy. Passionate about AI, she enjoys exploring the new innovations and possibilities it brings to the world of content creation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to fill out the entire form?

No, that’s one of the benefits, only fill out the areas which you think will be relevant to the prompts you require.

Why is the English so poor for some prompts?

When making the tool we had to make each prompt as general as possible to be able to include every kind of input. Not to worry though ChatGPT is smart and will still understand the prompt.

In The Press

Originality.ai has been featured for its accurate ability to detect GPT-3, Chat GPT and GPT-4 generated content. See some of the coverage below…

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Featured by Leading Publications

Originality.ai did a fantastic job on all three prompts, precisely detecting them as AI-written. Additionally, after I checked with actual human-written textual content, it did determine it as 100% human-generated, which is important.

Vahan Petrosyan

searchenginejournal.com

I use this tool most frequently to check for AI content personally. My most frequent use-case is checking content submitted by freelance writers we work with for AI and plagiarism.

Tom Demers

searchengineland.com

After extensive research and testing, we determined Originality.ai to be the most accurate technology.

Rock Content Team

rockcontent.com

Jon Gillham, Founder of Originality.ai came up with a tool to detect whether the content is written by humans or AI tools. It’s built on such technology that can specifically detect content by ChatGPT-3 — by giving you a spam score of 0-100, with an accuracy of 94%.

Felix Rose-Collins

ranktracker.com

ChatGPT lacks empathy and originality. It’s also recognized as AI-generated content most of the time by plagiarism and AI detectors like Originality.ai

Ashley Stahl

forbes.com

Originality.ai Do give them a shot! 

Sri Krishna

venturebeat.com

For web publishers, Originality.ai will enable you to scan your content seamlessly, see who has checked it previously, and detect if an AI-powered tool was implored.

Industry Trends

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to check for plagiarism?

Tools for conducting a plagiarism check between two documents online are important as it helps to ensure the originality and authenticity of written work. Plagiarism undermines the value of professional and educational institutions, as well as the integrity of the authors who write articles. By checking for plagiarism, you can ensure the work that you produce is original or properly attributed to the original author. This helps prevent the distribution of copied and misrepresented information.

What is Text Comparison?

Text comparison is the process of taking two or more pieces of text and comparing them to see if there are any similarities, differences and/or plagiarism. The objective of a text comparison is to see if one of the texts has been copied or paraphrased from another text. This text compare tool for plagiarism check between two documents has been built to help you streamline that process by finding the discrepancies with ease.

How do Text Comparison Tools Work?

Text comparison tools work by analyzing and comparing the contents of two or more text documents to find similarities and differences between them. This is typically done by breaking the texts down into smaller units such as sentences or phrases, and then calculating a similarity score based on the number of identical or nearly identical units. The comparison may be based on the exact wording of the text, or it may take into account synonyms and other variations in language. The results of the comparison are usually presented in the form of a report or visual representation, highlighting the similarities and differences between the texts.

String comparison is a fundamental operation in text comparison tools that involves comparing two sequences of characters to determine if they are identical or not. This comparison can be done at the character level or at a higher level, such as the word or sentence level.

The most basic form of string comparison is the equality test, where the two strings are compared character by character and a Boolean result indicating whether they are equal or not is returned. More sophisticated string comparison algorithms use heuristics and statistical models to determine the similarity between two strings, even if they are not exactly the same. These algorithms often use techniques such as edit distance, which measures the minimum number of operations (such as insertions, deletions, and substitutions) required to transform one string into another.

Another common technique for string comparison is n-gram analysis, where the strings are divided into overlapping sequences of characters (n-grams) and the frequency of each n-gram is compared between the two strings. This allows for a more nuanced comparison that takes into account partial similarities, rather than just exact matches.

String comparison is a crucial component of text comparison tools, as it forms the basis for determining the similarities and differences between texts. The results of the string comparison can then be used to generate a report or visual representation of the similarities and differences between the texts.

What is Syntax Highlighting?

Syntax highlighting is a feature of text editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) that helps to visually distinguish different elements of a code or markup language. It does this by coloring different elements of the code, such as keywords, variables, functions, and operators, based on a predefined set of rules.

The purpose of syntax highlighting is to make the code easier to read and understand, by drawing attention to the different elements and their structure. For example, keywords may be colored in a different hue to emphasize their importance, while comments or strings may be colored differently to distinguish them from the code itself. This helps to make the code more readable, reducing the cognitive load of the reader and making it easier to identify potential syntax errors.

How Can I Conduct a Plagiarism Check between Two Documents Online?

With our tool it’s easy, just enter or upload some text, click on the button “Compare text” and the tool will automatically display the diff between the two texts.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Text Compare Tool?

Using text comparison tools is much easier, more efficient, and more reliable than proofreading a piece of text by hand. Eliminate the risk of human error by using a tool to detect and display the text difference within seconds.

What Files Can You Inspect with This Text Compare Tool?

We have support for the file extensions .pdf, .docx, .odt, .doc and .txt. You can also enter your text or copy and paste text to compare.

Will My Data Be Shared?

There is never any data saved by the tool, when you hit “Upload” we are just scanning the text and pasting it into our text area so with our text compare tool, no data ever enters our servers.

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