The user has to create an account with the service to be able to log into the software. Once logged in it is possible to add documents, the software is able to work with the formats txt, doc, rtf and html – and compare these documents against local and Internet resources.

Local resources can be selected by adding folders to the plagiarism checker. The contents of the folders will be analyzed. It is possible to submit the contents to an online database by clicking on the Publish button. This is however not a requirement. The benefit of publishing the data is that documents scanned by other users will be compared to those documents. The process is rather unclear as there are no information about the data that will be submitted in that process.

Searching the Internet for similarities to documents that have been added in the first step is the last option of the plagiarism checker Viper. It is again unclear how and where the search is performed. Results will be shown in the end. Documents that have been discovered in the process will be shown with ratings to make it easier for the user to identify how similar they are to the original documents. Reports can be saved in the end to archive the results.

The number one reason to use Viper is probably to check local documents against other local documents as this is the only transparent process of the plagiarism scanner. Internet search could probably also be conducted by simply entering a few sentences of a document into a search engine (don’t forget the “”).

Results vary depending on the digital camera used but it can be basically said that most digital cameras should be able to produce a good enough scan. It is a good idea to use enough lighting and place the document on a one colored background. This makes it easier later on to process the scanned document in an image editor.

It really depends on the purpose of the scan. If you just want to scan a document to a friend or family member a simple image might suffice but if you have to send it to authorities, business or other formal contacts you might want to make sure that it looks extra fine.

The one colored background ensures that it is easy to copy and paste the document to create a new document that is using the exact document borders as its resolution. This looks way more professional than a document photographed on a kitchen table.

The scanned document can then be printed or send electronically. It is really an easy and efficient process. Have additional tips? Let us hear them.