Curious formattingOften the easiest way to spot copied sections of writing is changes in font or paragraph formats. Look for signs like varying line spacing, margins and heading styles.

Obvious flaws in cohesion and grammarA sudden change in the level of prose, writing style, or complexity of vocabulary is usually a good indicator of cosmetic tweaks or outright plagiarism. Look for obvious variations in the flow or quality of language.

Inconsistent citation formatsThe use of different methods to cite information sources is a red flag. In most cases authors of the paper have not realized that the citation styles of various references do not match.

Intellectual dissonanceSometimes, there is no evidence of literal plagiarism, but it is clear that the writer is conveying an idea or point of view originally expressed by someone else. This is especially evident when there is logical discordance, badly paraphrased sections or undeveloped ideas.

Sudden visibility of very good matterA large chunk of eloquent matter in an otherwise average manuscript might be a sign of borrowed material. Some authors lift material directly when it perfectly conveys what they wanted to say, without realizing that they have to attribute source.

Patchy informationWhen some data in the manuscript is diligently referenced whereas other tables and figures have no reference, this could indicate various data sources.

Confused language usageIt’s worth a closer investigation when the document is flowing along with American spelling and language conventions and suddenly there’s a very British turn of phrase.

Inconsistent sectionsWhen a manuscript has a section that clearly does not belong, there’s room for verification. It is very unlikely that the same author has written a brilliant, stylish introduction full of panache, when the rest of the document collapses into a mess of logic and structure.

Incriminating evidence
Irrefutable evidence left on the document that points straight to the stolen work is a sign of a lazy or inattentive writer who has forgotten to clean up. It is a damning clue left at the scene of a crime.