When it comes to writing, whether it’s an assignment, thesis, or research paper, originality is everything. Ensuring your work is plagiarism-free keeps things ethical and boosts its credibility and overall quality. But let’s be honest: manually checking for originality isn’t practical. That’s where Turnitin steps in! Let’s dive into what this tool can do.
What is Turnitin?
Turnitin is a plagiarism detection tool that checks how similar a piece of writing is to other existing content. It is primarily used in academic settings, including by students, educators, and educational institutions.
By using Turnitin, educators can identify unoriginal content, provide constructive feedback, and help students develop better writing skills. It also allows institutions to uphold high academic standards, fostering a culture of honesty and originality in education. For students, it helps reinforce the importance of originality and respecting others’ work.
When you upload a document to Turnitin, it will scan it against billions of web pages, academic papers, and student submissions to identify any matches. Once the scan is complete, a report showing the similarity percentage is generated. The higher the percentage, the more similarities were found. This report helps students and educators pinpoint specific sections needing revision or proper citation.
Turnitin’s Standout Features
Turnitin isn’t just a basic plagiarism checker; it comes packed with powerful features designed to support students and educators in different ways. Here’s what it offers:
1. Similarity Check
This is Turnitin’s main feature, allowing students and educators to see how much a piece of writing overlaps with existing content. It scans submissions against over 99.3 billion web pages and billions of academic papers, making it nearly impossible for plagiarized content to go unnoticed.
2. AI Writing Detection
With AI-generated content becoming more common, Turnitin now includes a tool to detect writing produced by AI, such as text from ChatGPT. This helps educators determine whether a student’s work is original or AI-assisted.
3. Feedback Studio
Feedback Studio allows instructors to provide real-time comments and suggestions on student submissions directly. This not only speeds up the grading process but also helps students make necessary improvements based on their instructor’s feedback.
4. ExamSoft
ExamSoft enables instructors to conduct digital exams without an internet connection, preventing students from searching for answers online. ExamSoft also generates instant reports, making it easier to analyze test results efficiently.
5. Gradescope
Gradescope streamlines the grading process by allowing educators to create custom rubrics, provide quick feedback, and even use AI-powered tools to group similar answers together for faster evaluation.
6. PeerMark
PeerMark encourages peer review, allowing students to give and receive feedback on each other’s work before submitting their final drafts. It’s a great way to refine writing skills and learn from others.
7. Supports Multiple File Formats
Turnitin is compatible with various file formats, making it easy to upload documents without having to convert them first. You can submit files in formats such as Doc & Docx, Corel WordPerfect, HTML, Adobe PostScript, Plain Text (TXT), Rich Text Format (RTF), PDF, OpenOffice (ODT), Hangul (HWP & HWPX), PowerPoint (PPTX), and even Google Docs directly from Google Drive.
How to Create a Turnitin Account
Turnitin isn’t like other online tools that you can sign up for freely. The registration process is structured based on your academic role, whether you’re a student, instructor, teaching assistant, or administrator.
If you’re a student, you can’t just create an account on your own. You’ll need an invitation from your instructor or university, or you can register using an enrollment key—a unique code provided by your instructor. Without one of these, you won’t be able to sign up.
Here’s how to register using an enrollment key:
- Go to the Turnitin website, click Login, then scroll down and select New user? Click here.
- Choose Student as your account type.
- Enter the Class ID and Enrollment Key given by your instructor.
- Fill in your name, email address, and create a password.
- Select a security question from the dropdown menu and enter your answer. Make sure to remember it—you’ll need it if you ever forget your password.
- Check the “I’m not a robot” box, then click I Agree – Create Profile.
Registration works a bit differently for instructors and administrators. You can only sign up after receiving an official email from Turnitin, which is sent once your institution is registered on the platform. Simply open the email and follow the instructions to set up your account.
Enjoy Hassle-Free Turnitin Access with Toolabs!
Need to use Turnitin but don’t have an enrollment key? No worries, Toolabs has you covered! Toolabs is a Google Chrome extension and app that gives you instant access to over 50 premium accounts, including Turnitin.
Getting started is quick and easy! Install the Toolabs extension or app, search for Turnitin, and select an available server. You’ll then receive login credentials from Toolabs and use them to log in.
Once you’re in, you’ll land on the student homepage, where you’ll see the university name, faculty, and class details. To upload your document, follow these simple steps:
- Select an available class from the student homepage.
- You’ll be redirected to the Class Homepage, where you’ll find a list of assignments.
- Click Open on any assignment.
- This will take you to the submission dashboard.
- Click Resubmit Paper (the upload button on the right), then choose the file you want to check.
This is a heads-up that Turnitin only accepts files under 100MB and fewer than 800 pages, so make sure your document meets these requirements. Got any questions? The Toolabs support team is available 24/7 to help you out!
Sounds good? Get Toolabs now! For details on download and subscription, check out this video!