Turnitin Student Instructions

Basic instructions for students:
Your instructor must give you the class ID number and a class enrollment password.

To set up an account:

• Go to Turnitin.com and click create a new user profile.
• Enter your Buffalo State College email address and click next.
• Enter your personal information.
• You will get an e-mail from Turnitin.com notifying you that your account is ready and reminding you of your password.

• Login to Turnitin.com and click on enroll in a class.
• Enter the class ID number and enrollment password which your professor will give you. Only your professor can provide it. Please contact your professor for the class ID number and class enrollment password.

• Click on the title of the class you are enrolled in.
• Click on the assignment titles to get a description of and instructions for each assignment.
• If you do not see assignments, it means the instructor has not added them yet.

• Login to Turnitin.com
• Click the name of the class for which you need to submit work.
• Click the submit button next to the appropriate assignment.
• In the Submit a paper by drop-down list, select either file upload or cut & paste. Check with your instructor about which method you should use.
• If submitting by File Upload:
  1. Your first and last name should already be provided
  2. Enter the title of your paper
  3. Click the Browse button. Locate and double-click on your paper file
  4. Make sure the name of the file appears in the Browse box
  5. When all fields are completed, click the Submit button
  6. Turnitin asks you to confirm. If what is displayed is correct, click the Yes, submit button. If not, click the no, go back link and repeat the previous step, selecting the correct file.
  7. When the file is submitted, Turnitin.com shows you a submission receipt on the screen and emails you a copy. Your instructor may ask you to print and hand in the receipt as proof of submission. Save the email receipt for your records.
• If submitting by Cut & Paste:
  1. Your first and last name should already be provided.
  2. Enter the title of your paper.
  3. Copy the text of your paper from within your word processor, including the works cited list if required.
  4. Back in the Turnitin.com window, click in the large text box and paste. To paste, click Edit > Paste, right-click in the box > Paste, or press Control-V (apple-V for Macs). Note that when you paste your paper, Turnitin.com does not give you the option to confirm your submission. Make sure that what you have pasted is correct before you click “submit.”
  5. Click the submit button.
  6. When the file is submitted, Turnitin.com shows you a submission receipt on the screen and emails you a copy. Your instructor may ask you to print and hand in the receipt as proof of submission.
  7. Save the email receipt for your records.

• Login to Turnitin.com
• Click the title of class
• Open your portfolio
• Click the title of the paper you submitted

To view an originality report:

• In your course, click the gray class portfolio button.
• Click the colored button to the right of the date of the appropriate assignment. (If there is no colored button, the report isn't’t ready yet or is not available for you to view.)
• The report will open in a new window.
• Check with the Turnitin.com Student User Guide. for information about how to read and interpret this report.

Frequently Asked Questions
How does Turnitin.com work?
Turnitin allows the student or educator to upload a paper into the Turnitin database, and the software will then use algorithms to create “digital fingerprints” that can identify similar patterns in text. Then the paper is matched to billions of web pages, paper mill essays, and student papers submitted online. Finally, 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 for students?
Students can use Turnitin.com to check their own papers to see if they have properly cited sources (only if the instructor allows students to see originality reports). Turnitin provides students and faculty with a variety of educational resources on preventing and avoiding plagiarism, writing research papers, and citing sources.

Are student papers kept confidential?
Yes. The Buffalo State license agreement with Turnitin.com states "We will not intentionally disclose the contents of any student paper to anyone other than the registered faculty for the class to which the paper was submitted."

What if I forget my Turnitin.com password?
If you forget your Turnitin.com password, go to the Turnitin.com Login Screen and click the Forgot your password? link. Enter your Buffalo State College email address as instructed. Turnitin.com will email you a secure link to let you reset your password. IMPORTANT: You must check your email and use the secure link within one hour or the link expires and you will need to go through the process again. DO NOT create a second account to Turnitin.com!

Where can I learn more about plagiarism?
See Butler Library's Web site: http://www.buffalostate.edu/library/research/plagiarism.html.