Turnitin: FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Turnitin and its use at SIUC.
Who is eligible to use Turnitin?
Does Turnitin comply with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)?
What are the consequences of plagiarism for SIUC students?
What are the advantages of Turnitin?
How are papers uploaded to Turnitin?
How long does it take for Turnitin to check an uploaded paper?
As a faculty member, how do I sign up for a Turnitin account?
I forgot the enrollment password I created for my class. Is there a way I can look it up?
If I have questions about Turnitin whom do I contact?
If I need training in the use of Turnitin, how do I sign up?
If I have training questions who do I contact?
http://www.infotech.siu.edu/csc/turnitin/aboutturnit.html
Who is Eligible to Use Turnitin?
http://www.infotech.siu.edu/csc/turnitin/facultyturnit.html
Does Turnitin comply with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)?
FERPA generally prohibits schools and educational agencies from releasing personally identifiable information from a student's educational record without consent. When analyzing whether the Turnitin system violates any provisions under FERPA, remember that the focus of FERPA is not the content of the student's work, but the student author's personally identifiable information (e.g., name, home or email address, etc.) submitted along with the content, and to whom that information is released. Assuming school assignments do not contain information that would make the student's identity easily traceable (such as family member names or adddress, or social security numbers), the content of student work alone does not implicate FERPA. However, if you are concerned about student privacy, it is recommended to use aliases for actual student names when submitting papers for review by Turnitin.com.
Plagiarism, according to the SIUC Student Conduct Code, Section II, Subsection A1, is defined as "representing the work of another as one's own work."
What are the consequences of plagiarism for SIUC students?
See the following URL: SIUC Student Conduct Code, Section V., Procedures Applicable To Academic Dishonesty.
http://www.siu.edu/~docedit/policies/conduct.html
Turnitin allows the faculty member to upload a paper into the Turnitin database, where the software uses algorithms to create "digital fingerprints" that can identify similar patterns in text. The paper is then matched to billions of web pages, paper mill essays, and student papers submitted online. In an hour or less, Turnitin creates an "originality report" that records any passages from the paper that might not be authentic, and lists web sites and other resources that include previously submitted papers that have matched content to the passages.
What are the advantages of Turnitin?
Turnitin was one of the first plagiarism prevention systems and is recognized worldwide as a valuable resource for educators. Faculty can use it to make the process of detecting plagiarism easier and more efficient. It also provides a variety of educational resources on preventing and avoiding plagiarism, writing research papers, and citing sources.
How are papers uploaded to Turnitin?
Turnitin requires a working internet connection. To upload a paper into Turnitin, faculty log into their account and find the appropriate classes. Then, they can either: a) highlight the text the student submitted, copy and paste the paper into a text box, and click submit or b) browse for a file stored on their computer and click submit. The papers can be submitted in Microsoft Word, plain text, RTF, PDF, or Postscript formats.
How long does it take for Turnitin to check an uploaded paper?
An originality report is generated in an hour or less.
As a faculty member, how do I sign up for a Turnitin account?
http://www.infotech.siu.edu/csc/turnitin/
I forgot the enrollment password I created for my class. Is there a way I can look it up?
After you log in, you should see a box with a line for each of your classes. At the far right of the line for each class is a green button under the heading "update." If you click on the green button you will see the class name and enrollment password. You can change the password here as well if you wish.
If I have questions about Turnitin whom do I contact?
Joe Harding
Administrative Coordinator of User Services
Information Technology
Computer Support Center
(618) 453-5155If I need training in the use of Turnitin, how do I sign up?
http://www.lib.siu.edu/hp/about/turnitin.shtml
If I have training questions whom do I contact?
Howard Carter
Manager
Instructional Support Services
Library Affairs
(618) 453-2258