Open Access: for everyone, everywhere, any time! Turnitin: a cure for plagiarism?

As the journey in search for more advanced ICT knowledge continues, it would be unfair for me not to put on record the amazing knowledge I have accumulated this week.  

I have just noted that Open Access (OA) is for everyone, everywhere and with no attached cost, provided those willing to access the resources have the necessary skills, ability and computer hardware and soft wares.  Just to share with you dear readers, Open Access is where the well done research articles are uploaded online for free access by everyone, regardless of their location, field of study, economic status, level of education, etc. The process also involves converting print academic research articles into digital format for uploading on the online database – a process called digitising.    

As a prospective librarian, I am now knowledgeable that there are many advantages associated with the initiative of Open Access.  As someone in the teaching profession where academic publishing is prerequisite for promotion and building self ego, I find the OP the only initiative that opens opportunities for prospective researchers in developing countries that struggle to subscribe to most prestigious journals which have their prices unattainable. Speed of access, twenty four hour access, permanent availability/preservation, inclusion of interdisciplinary literature, visibility, usage and impact of research are some of the factors that I have noticed make this initiative helpful hence, a must have.

It is important for me to mention here that the major problem associated with the OA initiative is copyright. Copy right issues have stirred a hot debate among scholars and prominent researchers on how they should be taken care of. Many feel that making research articles accessible for free snatches them the right to be rewarded financially.   

On a lighter note, for the first time this week  I was introduced to an amazing software, indeed, a software that did not only amaze me, but even my fellow classmates. It is the Turnitil software. It is software that detects if the academic. work was plagiarised or not – probably another sophisticated technological development by human kind in the academic world.  The conclusion could be that this software is the cure for plagiarism which is a crime yet, very common in the academic arena.