Turnitin Similarity

WHAT IS TURNITIN SIMILARITY?

Turnitin Similarity is UTC’s supported similarity checker and plagiarism detection tool for files submitted through UTC Learn (Canvas) assignments. The tool works by comparing the text in file submissions to Turnitin’s database of previously submitted papers, published research papers, and numerous internet resources. A “similarity report” is then produced highlighting areas of the paper that match content in Turnitin’s database.

BENEFITS

• Monitor assignment submissions and identify potential cases of plagiarism
• Automatic submission comparison to an online database of original content
  • The database includes billions of web pages: both current and archived content from the Internet, a repository of works students have submitted to Turnitin in the past, and scholarly publications, which comprises thousands of periodicals, journals, and publications.

GET STARTED

Enable Turnitin Similarity for Canvas Assignments

Questions & Answers

Can I used Turnitin Similarity now?

Yes. The new tool has been turned on in Canvas and you can currently select Turnitin Similarity or Unicheck.

When will Unicheck be removed from Canvas?

Unicheck will no longer be available in Canvas after March 15, 2023.

Will I have access to Unicheck reports after March 15, 2023?

No. Once Unicheck has been removed from Canvas, you will no longer have access to the reports. That is why it is important to edit your current active assignments to use Turnitin Similarity prior to the due date.

If you feel like you will need a Unicheck report after March 15, 2023, or have submitted an Honor Code (Academic integrity) violation to the Dean of Students and may need access to the report, you can download the report from Unicheck.

What will happen to my assignments that are configured to use Unicheck?

We recommend that you edit your assignments to use Turnitin Similarity prior to March 15, 2023. If you do not edit your assignment in Canvas and switch to Turnitin Similarity, none of the uploaded files will be checked for plagiarism. 

Turnitin Similarity has the option of generating similarity reports upon submission and on assignment due date. This is the recommended setting. 

If you forget to update your assignment settings before Spring Break and the due date has not passed, you can still edit the assignment to use Turnitin and reports will be generated on the due date.

When should I edit my assignments to use Turnitin Similarity?

You can begin using Turnitin Similarity at any time. The similarity reports that are generated will check against all databased and resources. However, since our Unicheck institution library is being migrated over Spring Break, submissions will not be compared to past submissions until that migration is complete.

It is recommended that you begin using Turnitin on new and existing assignments as soon as possible.

Will UTC's Unicheck assignments submitted to Unicheck be moved to Turnitin?

Yes. During Spring Break, our Unicheck institution library will be migrated to Turnitin. This ensures that assignments that have Turnitin Similarity enabled will compare against files submitted to previous Unicheck assignments.

Can both Unicheck and Turnitin be enabled on one assignment?

No. Only one tool can be enabled per assignment. 

Until Unicheck is removed, you can use both tools on different assignments.

Why are we moving from Unicheck to Turnitin?

Unicheck was acquired by Turnitin in 2020. While Unicheck was continuing to be developed and supported, the platform is to be discontinued in the future. In light of this, the UT System conducted an RFP to choose a new plagiarism checker for all campuses. The Turnitin contract was finalized in January 2023.

RESOURCES

View the Similarity Report

• For instructors, the Turnitin Similarity report can be accessed from within the SpeedGrader.

• For students (if enabled), the Turnitin Similarity report can be accessed from the assignment submission.

Interpret the Similarity Report

Turnitin checks a user’s work against its extensive database. If instances are found where a user’s writing is similar to or matches against a source this will be flagged for review in the match overview.

The color of the report icon indicates the similarity score of the paper, based on the amount of matching or similar text that was uncovered. The percentage range is 0% to 100%. The possible similarity ranges are:

• Light blue: 0% matching text
• Dark blue: 1-24% matching text
• Yellow: 25-49% matching text
• Orange: 50-74% matching text
• Red: 75-100% matching text

A high similarity score does not always suggest that a piece of writing has been plagiarized, just as a low similarity score does not always indicate that no plagiarism has occurred.

Supported File Types

The following file types are compatible with Similarity Report:

• Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)
• Corel WordPerfect (WPD)
• Adobe Acrobat PDF
• HTML (HTM, HTML)
• Rich text (RTF)
• Plain text (TXT)
• Hangul Word Processor (HWP)
• PostScript (PS)
• Microsoft Excel (XLS, XLSX)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (PPTX, PPT, PPSX, PPS)