Plagiarism is an issue, but so are false positives in education. Someone who’s doing his or her due diligence can be ruined academically from being being falsely accused of copying a research paper or using AI chatbots.
From a teacher’s perspective, it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish real work from academic dishonesty because everything’s so accessible nowadays. From a student’s perspective, it can be unfair that teachers have safeguards against cheating, but students don’t have any recourse against false positives.
Something has to change and I’m here to help.
But look, before I start, I’ve seen way too many students trying to find shortcuts around plagiarism checkers. Here’s the thing: this article isn’t about helping you cheat Blackboard. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’m here to teach you something.
First Things First
Let’s get something clear: this article is about helping you become a better academic writer, not a better cheater. As someone who’s spent years writing, I can tell you that understanding how plagiarism checkers work will actually make you a stronger, more original writer.
The goal here? Learning to express ideas in your own voice while giving proper credit where it’s due. That’s it.
How Does Blackboard’s Plagiarism Checker Work?
Blackboard’s plagiarism detection isn’t random — it’s mathematics. They use a system called SafeAssign that breaks down your text into smaller chunks and compares them against a massive database of academic papers, websites, and published works. But here’s the thing: it’s not just looking for word-for-word matches.
The system uses something called pattern matching algorithms. Think of it like a detective looking for fingerprints — except instead of fingerprints, it’s looking for similar sentence structures, common phrases, and patterns in your writing.
Here’s what’s really interesting: sometimes your original work might get flagged simply because you’re using common academic phrases or standard definitions. That’s why understanding how the system works is crucial for legitimate academic writing.
How to Bypass Blackboard’s Plagiarism Checker
Here’s where we get into the real meat of academic writing. True paraphrasing is an art — and trust me, it’s a skill worth mastering. I’ve seen too many students try to take shortcuts, but there’s no substitute for understanding your material deeply.
Paraphrase By Yourself
Want to know how I approach paraphrasing?
- I read the material until I truly get it.
- I look away from the source and explain it to myself.
- I write it down in my own words.
Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is — but simple doesn’t mean easy. For example, here’s a (fake) excerpt and my paraphrased version:
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A recent investigation into social behavior revealed that individuals are more likely to conform to group norms when they perceive others as being highly competent or knowledgeable. The study utilized a series of decision-making experiments, demonstrating that participants shifted their opinions to align with a majority they deemed credible. This effect was amplified in scenarios involving uncertainty or unfamiliarity with the subject matter. Researchers suggest that the underlying mechanism may involve a subconscious desire to reduce cognitive dissonance and enhance social cohesion. |
New research into social behavior has shown that people tend to follow group norms more closely when they believe others in the group are skilled or well-informed. Through decision-making experiments, the study found that participants adjusted their views to match those of a trusted majority, especially in situations where they felt unsure or lacked knowledge. The researchers propose that this could be driven by an unintentional effort to avoid mental discomfort and strengthen social connections. |
I paraphrased this by following the steps I outlined. First, I carefully read the excerpt, focusing on understanding the main points: group conformity, perceived competence, decision-making experiments, uncertainty, and the proposed mechanisms of cognitive dissonance and social cohesion.
Then, after grasping the concepts, I stepped away and explained the idea to myself, noting that the study discusses how people align with credible groups to feel less uncertain and build relationships. And, using my understanding of the text, I rewrote the information naturally while avoiding the exact phrasing or structure.
And before I forget: the example above is an AI-generated excerpt so there are no citations. But you definitely should always cite your sources.
AI Paraphrasing Tools
If you’re pressed for time, AI paraphrasing tools can also help a lot. The ones I recommend most are QuillBot (free) or Grammarly Premium.
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A recent investigation into social behavior revealed that individuals are more likely to conform to group norms when they perceive others as being highly competent or knowledgeable. The study utilized a series of decision-making experiments, demonstrating that participants shifted their opinions to align with a majority they deemed credible. This effect was amplified in scenarios involving uncertainty or unfamiliarity with the subject matter. Researchers suggest that the underlying mechanism may involve a subconscious desire to reduce cognitive dissonance and enhance social cohesion. |
According to a recent study on social behavior, people are more inclined to follow group standards when they believe that others are very skilled or informed. Through a series of decision-making tests, the study showed that participants changed their beliefs to support a majority they believed to be reliable. This effect was more pronounced in situations where there was ambiguity or a lack of familiarity with the topic. The fundamental process, according to researchers, could be a subconscious impulse to improve social cohesiveness and lessen cognitive dissonance. |
These are great if you need something quick, but always check their output. Sometimes they change the meaning entirely, and other times they produce writing that just sounds… off. Plus, using them without proper citation is still plagiarism. Full stop.
Great, So What About AI Detection?
Now we’re entering some seriously interesting territory. With AI writing tools and chatbots becoming more popular, Blackboard and other academic platforms like Canvas are adapting their detection methods. But let’s be clear — we’re discussing this to help you maintain academic integrity, not circumvent it.
How To Remove AI Writing?
My writing, on many occasions, has been flagged as AI because of false positives. I’ve learnt how to deal with it by understanding how AI writing works. The gist of it is that what separates AI and human writing are two things:
- Perplexity or the predictability of the next word in a sentence. Human writing has high perplexity since we’re more unpredictable.
- Burstiness or how “uniform” a passage is. Human writing is more complex and uneven.
You can easily edit AI writing or something that reads like it by adding more perplexity (substitute uncommon terms and remove common AI words) and burstiness (play with sentence length and remove repetition). You should also personalize the writing by adding a few anecdotes and emotion.
Use Undetectable AI
I also recommend using AI humanizers such as Undetectable AI to lower AI likelihood scores. This removes telltale signs of AI writing in a text so that detection tools would have a harder time classifying it as machine-generated.
Does It Actually Work?
Yes, it works — but there’s a catch. AI humanizers don’t have the technology (yet) to lower AI likelihood without adding mistakes. What does that look like, you ask? Like this:
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In a study on social interaction and its impact on cognitive development, researchers found that individuals who frequently engage in meaningful conversations tend to display improved problem-solving abilities. The study, conducted over two years with a diverse participant pool, highlighted that shared storytelling and collaborative discussions stimulate areas of the brain associated with critical thinking. Furthermore, these interactions were found to build emotional resilience, as participants felt more supported and confident in navigating challenges. |
In a study on social interaction and its impact on cognitive development, the authors discovered that those who have of regular different conversations ages help for the two individuals years to and solve the complex of results problems. the showed The brain that study that shared was are storytelling done with linked and a with group group critical of discussions participants thinking. help In develop addition, the the regions more interaction was observed to enhance the emotional intelligence of the participants as they felt more empowered and strong to face any difficulty. |
Most professors would just return your paper if written like this. I’ll be honest — it’s barely readable. You’d still have to fix the writing before submitting it.
But beyond grammar, Undetectable AI works more often than not.
AI Likelihood Score before Undetectable AI
AI Likelihood Score before Undetectable AI
If you’re interested in knowing more about Undetectable AI, check out our review here. We’ve also done countless tests and comparison articles about them. If you don’t have the time, the results are pretty conclusive: Undetectable AI just works.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, academic integrity isn’t about beating a plagiarism checker or an AI detector — it’s about contributing your own thoughts and ideas to the academic conversation. Yes, understanding how plagiarism detection works can help you avoid false positives, but the real goal should be developing your own voice.
Think about it this way: every time you write a paper, you’re not just completing an assignment. You’re developing skills that will serve you throughout your professional career. The ability to understand complex ideas and express them in your own words? That’s invaluable.
Remember: your professors aren’t out to get you. Focus on understanding your subject matter, citing your sources properly, and expressing your ideas clearly. Do that, and plagiarism checkers and AI detection tools become a non-issue.
And one final time, because it bears repeating: if you’re looking for ways to cheat the system, you’re missing the entire point of education. The real “hack” is learning to write well and think critically. That’s something no plagiarism checker can ever flag.
