Turnitin and iThenticate

Turnitin can be used as both a plagiarism tool and an educational tool. Turnitin generates ‘similarity reports’ on student submissions which can provide instructors with information about plagiarized sources. The reports can also be used as part of a formative or low-stakes assessment to help students understand the proper use of quotation marks, how to cite sources properly, and how to paraphrase.

It is important that instructors, TA's, and students know how to use Turnitin and interpret its reports.

Using Turnitin in your course

As of Spring 2018, all course outlines must include the following boilerplate statement (whether you intend to use the software or not):

Turnitin.com: Text matching software may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students’ submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.

You must provide students with an alternative to Turnitin. Because students’ submissions are stored on a U.S. server you must give students an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography) in order to protect their privacy and security.

Turnitin can be used as a text-matching tool and/or as an educational tool. Before using Turnitin, instructors and teaching assistants (TA) should review:

Instructors can refer students to the following:

Using Turnitin as a text-matching tool

Turnitin can be used by instructors to identify how much of an assignment is not original. Turnitin will generate a similiarity report, which indicates the percentage of text that was matched, and which highlights the matched text and shows the corresponding source it was matched to.

Note that there is no percentage that can fully indicate whether plagiarism has occurred. If Turnitin is being used as a text matching tool to detect plagiarism, it is important to check each paper to judge whether the overall similarity report that has been calculated is due to chance matches, matches to common terms or phrases used for an assignment (e.g., the title of a key document, process, legislation, etc.), matches to quotations or a reference list, or intentional copying from a source that has not been cited.

To use Turnitin as a text-matching tool when creating a new dropbox, under "Evaluation & Feedback" and select the "Manage Turnitin". To add Turnitin to an existing dropbox, under "Evaluation & Feedback" and select the "Manage Turnitin" and configure your settings (for example, to exclude bibliographic material, quoted materials, or to allow late submissions). Once you’ve configured your settings, click "Save" and you can close this window.

Before using Turnitin, instructors and teaching assistants (TA) should review:

Instructors can refer students to the following:

Using Turnitin as an educational tool

Turnitin can be used so that students have an opportunity to review issues in their draft, and make changes to their final submission. The following practices are recommended for using Turnitin as an educational tool:

  • For each assignment, limit students to one draft submission and one final submission.
  • Advise students to submit their draft early so that they have time to interpret the similarity report and make the necessary changes to their draft before the assignment is due.
  • The Turnitin dropbox is to be used only for their submission of their draft of that assignment (i.e., no other assignment).
  • The draft assignment will not be graded.
  • The similarity report for the draft assignment will not be reviewed by the instructor or TA: it is for the student’s use only.
  • Only content related to the course may be submitted to the Turnitin dropbox. Materials for use in other courses are not to be submitted. Unauthorized submissions will be treated as a breach of academic integrity

To use Turnitin as a text matching tool as well as an educational tool, allow students to submit a draft to Turnitin and make changes before submitting their final version to the dropbox. Create two dropboxes for the assignment: a ‘draft’ dropbox, and a ‘final submission’ dropbox. Enable Turnitin for both dropboxes using the ‘Using Turnitin as a Text Matching Tool’ steps (above). In the ‘draft’ dropbox folder, under "Evaluation & Feedback" and select the "Manage Turnitin", and select ‘Allow students to view Similarity Reports’. Students will then be able to view the similarity reports for their draft submission and make changes before submitting their final version. Note that Turnitin will not compare their final submission to their draft submission.  

Before using Turnitin, instructors and teaching assistants (TA) should review:

Instructors can refer students to the following:

Interpreting Turnitin Reports

When the similarity report is ready, you will first see the similarity index which indicates how much of the submission was not original. The similarity index is a percentage that represents the number of words that the program finds in common with database content and divides that number by the total number of words in the file. If, for example, the overall similarity index for a submission is 10%, then 10% of the total words in the document can be matched to sequences of words in the database. These words may be in one passage or may be in several, separate passages.

A lower percentage rating indicates that most of the content is original; a higher percentage rating indicates that much, or all, of the content matches content found in other sources. The percentage ranges are associated with colours, as follows:

  • Light Blue: 0%
  • Green: 1% to 24%
  • Yellow: 25% to 49%
  • Orange: 50% to 74%
  • Red: 75% to 100%

Turnitin’s similarity report highlights and colour-codes the phrases and series of words that match text that exists in the Turnitin database or on the web. These highlighted areas can help you identify where students have used direct quotes and where students might have intentionally or unintentionally used poor paraphrasing when summarizing information from another source.

Note that there is no “safe” colour or percentage: no percentage or colour in the similarity report can fully evaluate whether text has been plagiarized. For example, Turnitin will identify direct quotations as matched text and this will be reflected in the similarity index score. However, as long as those quotations are properly cited, plagiarism has not occurred. Rather than focusing solely on the percentage, go through the paper and look at the highlighted sections. Along with the identification of matched text, Turnitin provides a link to the original source of that matched text as well as the option to view the original source in full. This enables instructors to evaluate the quality of students’ sources.

If Turnitin is being used as a text matching tool to detect plagiarism, it is important to check each paper to judge whether the overall similarity index that has been calculated is due to chance matches, matches to common terms or phrases used for an assignment (e.g., the title of a key document, process, legislation, etc.) or intentional copying from a source that has not been cited.

Instructors can configure Turnitin to exclude bibliographic or quoted materials under "Evaluation Feedback" and select "Manage Turnitin" when they are editing a dropbox folder, or creating a new folder. Similarity reports need to be interpreted on a case-by-case basis and any determinations of plagiarism require human judgement. Depending on the number of students in a course and the length of their papers, this process can be time consuming. However, the evaluation time will likely be reduced as the reader becomes more familiar with, and adept at, using the similarity report.

Before using Turnitin, instructors and teaching assistants (TA) should review:

Instructors can refer students to the following:

Turnitin Guides for Instructors and Students

Artificial Intelligence Writing Detection

"Turnitin has added an AI writing indicator to the Similarity Report which shows an overall percentage of the document that AI writing tools, such as ChatGPT, may have generated. The indicator also links to a report which highlights the text segments that the model predicts were written by AI. Please note, only instructors and administrators are able to see the indicator" (Source: AI Writing Detection Frequently Asked Questions | Turnitin).

While the indicator may be able to highlight some text that might have been generated by AI tools, it is not foolproof. In fact, there is evidence that this indicator tool is not reliable (Inside Higher Ed.; Scientific American; The Washington Post; Vanderbilt University), and should not be the only source of evidence used to determine if text was generated by AI.

It is important that students are informed about the use of the AI Writing Detection tool. We encourage instructors to have open conversations about generative artificial intelligence and what is/is not permitted in a specific course or assignment. For more information about generative artificial intelligence click here.

Please use this tool with caution and refer to some of these resources to inform use of the product:

iThenticate 

iThenticate is text-matching software that is designed to be used by researchers to ensure the originality of written work before publication. For example, graduate students and researchers can check their articles and book chapters to be submitted for publication, grant proposals, theses and dissertations.

The iThenticate tool is provided by Turnitin. Turnitin and iThenticate check against the same databases, but these services are designed for different categories of users. While Turnitin is designed to meet the needs of instructors and their courses, iThenticate is a text-matching service for researchers. iThenticate cannot be used for coursework.

Note: iThenticate does not currently include an AI detection tool. This tool is expected to be incorporated into this software in 2024. 

For support and more information, review:

To request an iThenticate account, contact Sean Warren.

iThenticate Frequently Asked Questions

What is iThenticate?

How is iThenticate different from Turnitin?

What databases does iThenticate check against?

Who can use iThenticate?

Who might benefit from using iThenticate? 

What are the University of Waterloo's guidelines for graduate students using iThenticate?

Can iThenticate be used to check someone else’s work?

Can instructors use iThenticate to check papers that their students have submitted as a course assignment?

Can iThenticate be used to check a co-authored work?

Can a supervisor require a student to submit theses or dissertation chapters to iThenticate?

Can supervisors use iThenticate to check their students’ theses or dissertations?

Who has access to the report and can it be shared among colleagues and collaborators?

Can uWaterloo faculty use our iThenticate license to check manuscripts that they are reviewing? 

Is a document submitted to iThenticate retained by iParadigm and used in the iThenticate or Turnitin comparison database?

Can an undergraduate student request an iThenticate account?

Do visiting scholars have access to iThenticate?

Is an iThenticate account holder charged a fee for document checking?

What file types are recognized?

Can various versions of a document be submitted to iThenticate over time?

How to start using iThenticate?

Where to get help?

What is iThenticate?
iThenticate is plagiarism detection software that is designed to be used by researchers to ensure the originality of written work before publication.  It is a product of Turnitin, a company that provides web-based solutions for plagiarism prevention.
How is iThenticate different from Turnitin?

Both are provided by Turnitin, but they are designed for different categories of users.

Turnitin is course management based in LEARN and requires instructors to set up classes and assignments.  iThenticate is for non-coursework and individual account holders upload documents for review.
What databases does iThenticate check against?

CrossCheck
An initiative of the publisher association CrossRef, CrossCheck is a database populated with content (journal articles, conference proceedings and books) provided by publishers (365+ leading scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishers).  As of 2013, 65% of CrossRef publishers participate in CrossCheck, representing most large scholarly publishers.  An increasing percentage of scholarly journals is using iThenticate to check manuscripts submitted for publication.

Internet archive
Turnitin's proprietary Internet crawler is archived back nearly a decade.

Aggregators, databases, content providers
Over 90 million online and offline subscription content and research titles from leading aggregators, databases and content providers, including: ABC-CLIO, Cengage Learning, EBSCOhost, Emerald Journals, Gale InfoTrac, One File, Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Wiley, PubMed/Medline, SAGE Reference.

PQDT
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) is a research database that includes theses and dissertations from more than 1,000 North American and European graduate schools.

Who can use iThenticate?

uWaterloo has purchased a site license for use by uWaterloo authors to check documents such as articles and book chapters to be submitted for publication, grant proposals, theses and dissertations,  and writing of all types created by individuals in connection with their role at the University of Waterloo. Graduate students may request an account for work on their thesis, research or comprehensive exam. This platform is not to be used with coursework. 
What are the University of Waterloo's guidelines for graduate students using iThenticate?

1. Graduate students are encouraged to use iThenticate with support from their supervisor as a tool to advance their understanding of good academic integrity practices.

2. Graduate students are especially encouraged to employ iThenticate to review their research milestones - theses, research proposals, or other substantive elements - and discuss the results with their supervisors prior to submitting these elements formally.

3. PhD students are normally required to employ iThenticate to review their comprehensive exams. Further information can be found in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar section on Comprehensive Exams.
Who might benefit from using iThenticate?
  • Authors seeking to ensure they have sufficiently cited their sources
  • Researchers who are preparing to submit a manuscript for publication
  • Graduate students preparing to submit a thesis or dissertation
Can iThenticate be used to check someone else’s work?
No, iThenticate is provided for uWaterloo authors to check work that they themselves have authored or co-authored.
Can instructors use iThenticate to check papers that their students have submitted as a course assignment?
No, instructors wishing to ensure that assignments submitted by their students have not been plagiarized should consider incorporating Turnitin into their course structure.
Can iThenticate be used to check a co-authored work?
Yes, iThenticate can be used to check works that you have co-authored. Resulting reports can be shared among co-authors.
Can a supervisor require a student to submit theses or dissertation chapters to iThenticate?

Supervisors make their own decisions about whether to request that their students submit theses or dissertations to iThenticate.  If they decide that iThenticate is to be used by their students, they should provide at least one other option.  Possible alternatives include those suggested in the Turnitin Guidelines for Instructors (PDF)

Can supervisors use iThenticate to check their students’ theses or dissertations?

No, graduate students should request their own accounts and submit their own papers to iThenticate.  Their reports can be shared with their supervisor via email or by sharing their folder if their supervisor has an iThenticate account.
Who has access to the report and can it be shared among colleagues and collaborators?
Your iThenticate account and reports are accessible only to you.  You may share your reports via email, printout, or download or by giving another iThenticate user access to your folder.
Can uWaterloo faculty use our iThenticate license to check manuscripts that they are reviewing?
No, iThenticate is intended for use by authors to check their own work. Many academic publishers use iThenticate to check manuscripts prior to considering them for publication.
Is a document submitted to iThenticate retained by the vendor and used in the iThenticate or Turnitin comparison database?
No, iThenticate does not add your manuscript to any databases.  However, your submissions are archived privately until you delete them.
Can an undergraduate student request an iThenticate account?
iThenticate is a tool for researchers.  An undergraduate student can request an iThenticate account to check an undergraduate thesis/essay or a manuscript to be submitted for publication. iThenticate should not be used to check papers or essays to be submitted to instructors as a course assignment.
Do visiting scholars have access to iThenticate?
Yes, but they must indicate in the publication that they prepared the paper being reviewed by iThenticate while they were visiting at UW.
Is an iThenticate account holder charged a fee for document checking?
No, the University has purchased a site license for use by members of the uWaterloo community.  Waterloo researchers are not charged a fee to create an individual account nor are they charged a fee to submit and check their documents.
What file types are recognized?
MS Word, Word XML, WordPerfect, PostScript, PDF, HTML, RTF, OpenOffice (ODT) and plain text.
Can various versions of a document be submitted to iThenticate over time?
A revision of a previously uploaded manuscript can be uploaded and checked again, to a maximum of five times.  You may choose to submit a substantially revised manuscript as a new submission.

How to start using iThenticate?

The first step is to request creation of a personal iThenticate account.

Contact:
Sean Warren, iThenticate Account Administrator
Info Systems and Technology: EC2-2006C
sean.warren@uwaterloo.ca, x46950
Where to get help?

Documentation and training materials are available on the iThenticate website: http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/customer-training/

Review the:

Contact Sean Warren for technical support.

To find out more about iThenticate or suggest changes or additions to this FAQ, contact:

Office of Academic Integrity      
academic.integrity@uwaterloo.ca

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