Turnitin help
When you submit a text-based assignment in Blackboard, it goes into Turnitin, which is a program that compares the text in your assignment with a database of online sources, textbooks, journal articles and other student assignments.
Turnitin for research students
If you’re a higher degree by research (HDR) student, we have extra information about Turnitin for you.
Turnitin system guides
Having problems using Turnitin? See instructions for using the Turnitin system interface.
Turnitin has undergone some changes
Find out more about the Changes to Turnitin from November 2022.
How Turnitin works
Turnitin produces an Originality Report which highlights the text in your assignment that matches or is similar to another source, and links to the original source. The report also includes a Similarity Index which is calculated as the number of highlighted words divided by the total number of words in your assignment.
Be aware that Curtin does not define a ‘safe’ level for the Similarity Index, nor is there a level that signals that plagiarism has occurred. Turnitin does not distinguish between ‘innocent matches’ and those that may be considered plagiarism. For example, if a unit coordinator sets a question that all students must answer, likely that question text will match in all of the assignment submissions for that unit. This would be considered an innocent match.
How to use Turnitin to help avoid plagiarism
Downloading or printing your Turnitin originality report
This video covers how to access the Originality Report, what the Similarity Index is, and how the Originality Report is used to identify plagiarism.
What to do about those highlighted bits
This video covers reviewing your matches and deciding what action to take, and how to plan your work to prevent plagiarism.