Communication Science: Turnitin

Turnitin is web based software, which promotes academic integrity, streamlines grading and feedback, deters plagiarism, and improves students’ outcomes.

www.turnitin.com

Access & class enrolment

• Please, contact your lecturer

Training

• Please, contact your Faculty information librarians or Research support librarians for the training on Turnitin.

Accessing Turnitin

Step 1: Open Your Web Browser

• Go to your preferred web browser (e.g., Google Chrome, Firefox).

Step 2: Go to Turnitin’s Website

• Enter the URL: https://www.turnitin.com in the address bar and press Enter.

Step 3: Log In to Your Account

• For Students:
• Click on the “Log In” button.
• Enter your email address and password.
• Click “Log In”.
• For Instructors:
• Click on the “Log In” button.
• Enter your email address and password.
• Click “Log In”.

 Navigating the Turnitin Dashboard

• Dashboard Overview:
• After logging in, you’ll see the dashboard which includes tabs for Assignments, Feedback Studio, Grading, and User Profile.​​​​​​
• Students: You’ll see your enrolled classes and assignments.
• For Instructors: You’ll see your classes, assignments, and submission status.

Submitting an Assignment (For Students)

Step 1: Select Your Class

• Click on the appropriate class from the dashboard.

• Step 2: Choose the Assignment

• Click on the assignment you need to submit.

• Step 3: Upload Your Paper

• Click the “Submit” button.
• Choose “File Upload”, then click “Choose File” to select your document from your computer.
• Enter any required information such as title.
• Click “Upload” and then “Submit”.

• Step 4: Confirm Submission

• Confirm your submission by checking the confirmation screen or email notification.

Reviewing Your Submission (For Students)

• Step 1: Access Your Submission

• Click on the assignment from your dashboard.

• Step 2: View Originality Report

• Click on the “Originality Report” to view your submission’s results.

• Step 3: Interpreting the Report

• Match Overview: Review the overall similarity percentage.
• Highlighted Text: Look for sections highlighted in the report.
• Source Links: Click on the source links to see where the text matches.

 Creating and Managing Assignments (For Instructors)

• Step 1: Select a Class

• Click on the class for which you want to create an assignment.

• Step 2: Create a New Assignment

• Click “Add Assignment” or “Create Assignment”.
• Enter assignment details such as title, due date, and instructions.

• Step 3: Set Submission Options

Choose settings like file types allowed, late submission policies, and feedback options.

• Step 4: Save and Publish

• Click “Save” or “Publish” to finalize the assignment setup.

 Reviewing and Grading Submissions (For Instructors)

• Step 1: Access Submissions

• Click on the assignment from your dashboard.

• Step 2: Review Originality Reports

• Click on individual submissions to view the originality reports.

• Step 3: Provide Feedback

• Use the Feedback Studio tools to add comments, highlight text, and provide overall feedback.
• Attach a grading rubric if applicable.

• Step 4: Grade the Assignment

• Best Practices for Using Turnitin

• For Students:

• Understand Citation Rules: Ensure you know how to properly cite sources.
• Review Feedback: Use Turnitin’s feedback to improve your writing.

• For Instructors:

• Educate Students: Inform students about plagiarism and proper citation practices.
• Use Feedback Tools: Utilize Turnitin’s feedback tools to provide constructive comments.

 Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• False Positives:

• Issue: Common phrases or properly cited content may appear as matches.
• Solution: Review the context of matches and ensure citations are accurate.

 

• Blue (0%): No matching text was found in the document. This means that Turnitin did not detect any similarity between the submitted text and its database.

• Green (1-24%): Low level of matching text, indicating minimal overlap with other sources. This might be due to common phrases, references, or quotes. It typically suggests that the document contains a good level of original content.

• Yellow (25-49%): Medium level of matching text. This means a significant portion of the document matches other sources. It could indicate the need for more original writing or better paraphrasing, depending on the nature of the matches.

• Orange (50-74%): High level of matching text. This suggests a large amount of the content is not original, and the writer may need to review and revise their work to reduce reliance on external sources.

• Red (75-100%): Very high level of matching text. Most of the document appears to be copied or not properly cited. This usually raises a red flag for plagiarism and requires immediate attention to avoid academic misconduct.

• Low percentage (e.g., 0-10%): Typically indicates that the work is mostly original, with few or no matching sources.
• Moderate percentage (e.g., 11-25%): May suggest some matched content, which could be common phrases, quotations, or references. Proper citation of sources could still make this acceptable.
• High percentage (e.g., 26% or higher): Suggests a significant amount of similarity to existing work, which could indicate issues with originality or improper citation. It might need further review for potential plagiarism.

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Account basics (for students)

https://help.turnitin.com/feedback-studio/turnitin-website/student/student-category.htm

Student quick start guide

https://help.turnitin.com/feedback-studio/turnitin-website/student/quickstart.htm

Student Resources Hub

The Student Resources Hub gathers some of the most useful content available to students using Turnitin.

 https://help.turnitin.com/feedback-studio/student-resources.htm