RECENT UPDATE: The standalone site for Turnitin is currently disabled. All Turnitin assignments must be facilitated through Canvas.

Contributors:Emmett Crass, Isabel Elizalde, Misty Hamideh

Turnitin is a software designed to verify the originality of student submissions in academic settings. Integrated into Canvas, Turnitin can be used to compare student submissions to an extensive database of academic papers, web pages, and other student work to identify content similarities. This tool supports educators in ensuring the authenticity of student work and assists students in understanding the importance of originality and proper citation practices in their academic papers.

Why Use Turnitin?

Turnitin is integrated with the Canvas Assignment tool, so it is quick and easy to enable it for use with your new or pre-existing assignments. Although Turnitin is typically thought of as a plagiarism detection tool, it can often be unreliable. Turnitin may mistakenly identify common phrases and properly cited work as plagiarism. Instead of relying on the tool solely to detect plagiarism, consider utilizing Turnitin as a tool to help improve your students’ writing. It can be used to:

    • Educate students on proper citation and references
    • Create scaffolded assessments for the research paper development process
    • Provide authentic inline feedback on students’ writing

Things to Consider When Using Turnitin

  • The standalone site for Turnitin is currently disabled. All Turnitin assignments must be facilitated through Canvas.
  • Turnitin’s AI detection feature is currently disabled. Please review Generative AI for Teaching for information on AI detection software limitations.
  • Student submissions WILL NOT be used to train Turnitin’s Large Language Mode (LLM), and the tool has been thoroughly vetted for security and student data protections as recommended by OIT.
  • Turnitin is optional and can be used on an assignment-by-assignment basis.
  • We have two options available for using Turnitin in Canvas: Plagiarism Framework and Turnitin LTI. Please view the LTI vs. Plagiarism Framework guide to determine which feature is best for you.

How Do I Use Turnitin in Canvas?

Consider the following when selecting a repository during assignment setup

  • Institutional repository: Student submissions are stored in a PSU-only database and are NEVER shared with outside institutions that leverage Turnitin.
  • Standard paper repository: Student submissions will be entered into Turnitin’s database of student papers. Other institutions that leverage Turnitin will be able to compare these submissions.
  • Do not store papers: Assignments will be compared against but will not be stored in any repository.

Student Use of Turnitin

If you use Turnitin for assignments, the following message will be presented to students prior to every submission in Canvas:

By checking this box, you acknowledge that:

  • Your paper will be shared with Turnitin to generate a similarity report ONLY. 
  • Your paper may be stored for comparison against future papers submitted at Portland State University as determined by your instructor.
  • Turnitin does not acquire any copyright or intellectual property on your paper contents.
  • If you elect to view your similarity report after your paper is submitted, you will be prompted to accept the Turnitin End User License Agreement (EULA). We recommend reviewing this carefully and every time it is presented to you as Turnitin may make updates since the last time you agreed to it.
  • The EULA agreement is between you, the individual user (not the university), and Turnitin, LLC, the company that licenses the tool to the university for integration through Canvas.
  • If you choose NOT to accept the Turnitin EULA, do not attempt to view your similarity report. However, your instructor will still be able to view the report.

Please review the available resources on writing from the Writing Center at Portland State University and speak to your instructor if you have any concerns with using this tool.

For more help with submitting an assignment with Turnitin, please contact help@pdx.edu.

Syllabus Statement When Using Turnitin

If using Turnitin in your course, include the following statement in your course syllabus:

Note: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission review for textual similarity for the purpose of detecting unoriginal writing, including plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting unoriginal writing, including plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Turnitin Acceptable Use posted on the Turnitin.com website.

For more information on building your syllabus and to download a syllabus template containing the Turnitin statement, view Building an Effective Syllabus and Syllabus Template.

Academic Misconduct and Turnitin

Turnitin should not be relied upon as a definitive source of truth that a student engaged in academic misconduct. Consider reviewing the Encouraging Academic Integrity through Course Design guide for more information.