MSA Turnitin intro

Uploading a Turnitin Assignment

The VLE @ GSA

Using Turnitin

• Turnitin is a text matching tool that can be useful in helping you develop critical writing skills and your use of evidence.

• An Originality Report is generated that outlines where particular excerpts of text may have come from.

• There are a number of things to be aware of in interpreting the Originality Report, such as the assessment requirements, inclusion of bibliographic information, etc.

• Whilst a similarity percentage is generated, this should not be considered in isolation. It’s important and more meaningful to interpret the findings of the Originality Report in detail.

• You can submit multiple times before the final submission. However, each new upload will over-write the last version.

Submit your work through a Turnitin Assignment link (look for the icon). Click View/ Complete.

This will take you to the Assignment Inbox. Click on Submit to start the process.

As you have already logged on to the VLE, your First name and Last name should automatically appear.

Add a title for your submission.

Click here to see information on file types and sizes accepted.

As well as attaching a file from your local computer you can browse Dropbox and Google Drive.

Browse to find your file and click Upload.

You will now see a preview of the document you have submitted. Check this carefully and click Submit.

You will receive confirmation (also by email) that your submission is complete.

Click Return to assignment list to review your submission.

You can Resubmit or View your existing submission here.

Return to upload link and click View/ Complete.

On this page you will see your Similarity Index (a percentage and coloured bar) and an option to Resubmit. Click on your Similarity Index to access your Originality Report.

< 24% 25 – 49% 25 – 49% > 75%

The coloured bar indicates how much text has been matched. Don’t worry about this too much – it’s more important to make sense of the report.

What do the percentages mean?• Generally under 15% indicates good use of resources, over

25% (yellow, orange or red) could indicate difficulties.• Depends on remit of assessment and your use of evidence.

Quotation and references• You can exclude quotes and bibliography when viewing your

work.

Paraphrasing• Can help to pick up bits of texts that are not far enough away

from original to help develop your writing style.

If not already active, click on the Originality button to show the Originality Report pane.

This pane allows you to view a digest of where text has come from, what sources have been used and how evidence has been incorporated into an assessment.

Click on a Match to see its source and incorporation.

The Match Breakdown helps to interpret the Similarity Index. E.g. There is a fairly large highlighted section here, but it is properly referenced and clearly a quote.

To exclude bibliographic material or quotations, click the filter icon at the bottom right. You can then choose which aspects you may wish to exclude. Then click Apply Changes.

If there is a reference list this will now be excluded from the Similarity Index.

You can save or print a copy of the highlighted Originality Report by clicking the printer icon.

Contact [email protected] with any queries.

Uploading a Turnitin Assignment

The VLE @ GSA