Turnitin Overview

Turnitin is a plagiarism detection tool used within Canvas that analyzes student submissions for matching text by comparing them against a database of student work, published materials, and online content. Currently, Turnitin doesn't check for AI generated content. This tool brings attention to potential plagiarism for instructors to investigate further and works best when partnered with instructional strategies that allow students to demonstrate their writing abilities over time.

Turnitin Availability

Turnitin is available to all instructors in Canvas Assignments.
Students submit a file upload to their assignment and their work is checked for originality via the Plagiarism Checker feature in Canvas Assignments.

Turnitin Considerations

For optimal performance, use Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Clearing browser history or switching browsers often resolves issues.
Originality reports are available to both students and instructors once a submission is made. However, there can be a slight delay due to processing.
The report highlights potential instances of plagiarism and provides a similarity score.
Instructors can use Turnitin’s feedback tools to provide comments, annotations, and grades directly within the submission interface, streamlining the grading process.

Turnitin Guides

Create Turnitin assignments in Canvas
Understand the similarity report
Review and grade Turnitin submissions in Canvas
Canvas course copy recommendations for Turnitin
Similarity Report explained to students
Add Draft Coach to Microsoft Word Online

Turnitin FAQ

Can students access Turnitin reports?

Yes. Students can view their Originality Report. However, the instructor can disable this feature.

How does Turnitin work within Canvas?

When a student uploads a file for a Canvas Assignment submission that has Plagiarism Review enabled, Turnitin checks it against a database of academic content and internet sources to generate an originality report.

Can I adjust the settings for Turnitin assignments?

Yes, instructors can customize settings such as excluding Bibliography and quotes.

What file types are accepted for Turnitin submissions?

Turnitin accepts various file formats, including Word documents, PDFs, and text files. Instructors are encouraged to provide clear expectations.