1. Know that Turnitin is a text-matching software, it does not detect plagiarism

When your assignment is uploaded to Turnitin, it is compared to online texts, scholarly publications, and other student submissions. This can include your own past assignments as well as work from students at other universities. Turnitin identifies when texts are similar. It cannot detect plagiarism because it does not make any kind of judgement. It merely provides information for you and the teaching staff in charge of your unit.

2. Understand how Turnitin helps you demonstrate academic integrity

Turnitin will generate a Similarity Report for you which identifies any sections of your text which are similar to other texts. The purpose of the report is to demonstrate the originality of your critical thinking, as well as identify sections of your text that could be improved regarding academic integrity principles.

3. Trust that Turnitin is automatic, but it is not used for every assignment

Unless your unit coordinator explicitly tells you otherwise, you simply need to submit your assignment to upload it to Turnitin. Because, in most cases, Turnitin is connected to the same online submission box that you use to upload your assignment. Additionally, Turnitin is not used for all assignments. So, it is good to check for the report, but if no report is generated there is no need for concern.

4. Check your Similarity Report and use it to improve

Turnitin can take some time to generate the Similarity Report, so upload your assignment early, and then log back into Moodle later in the day to check your report. Depending on the settings, you may have the opportunity to view the report and make changes to your assignment before the final submission, but in many cases the report is generated after the final submission. Looking at the report in detail can help you identify areas for improvement for your next assignment.

5. Seek support when you need it

If you are concerned about the similarity Turnitin has identified in your writing, or are having trouble understanding the report, you can book a consultation with a Learning Adviser for support. You can show your adviser the Similarity Report, and they can help you identify the underlying causes for the similarity and support you in further developing your academic integrity.