Still need help?
Get in touch with the LX.lab team by logging a ticket via ServiceConnect. We'll be in touch shortly.
Log a ticketWant to provide feedback on this resource? Please log in first via the top nav menu.
This guide will show you how to make sense of the Similarity Report generated by Turnitin. This can help you decide whether any possible academic dishonesty has occurred.
Access a Similarity Report
The Similarity Report can be accessed from Gradebook or SpeedGrader by clicking on the percentage symbol. In the example below, the score is a red 100%.
The results may not appear immediately but might take a few minutes or longer depending on the length and complexity of what is being compared.
In Canvas, Gradebook is in the Marks tab.
A shortcut to SpeedGrader appears on the page of your Canvas Assignment. In Speedgrader, the Similarity Report score appears under Submitted Files for each student.
- Accessing the Similarity Report with the Canvas Plagiarism Review enabled also opens the Turnitin Feedback Studio. Make sure your markers know NOT to use this for student marks and feedback – they should mark in SpeedGrader only.
- Rubrics cannot be seamlessly moved between Turnitin and Canvas. It is best to decide on these issues when setting up the assignment. Rubrics created in Canvas can be easily accessed and edited by all tutors, unlike Turnitin.
Interpreting a Similarity Report
The percentage symbol for a Similarity Report will be red for high similarity and green for low similarity. A smaller percentage is ‘better’.
A high similarity score means that there is a greater probability of academic dishonesty, but that is for the academic to probe and decide. The detailed reports in Turnitin can help make that decision. In some cases the academic may need to speak with the student.
Turnitin does not detect plagiarism or academic dishonesty. Turnitin can only show you how similar an assignment is to other texts.
- The LX.lab maintains up-to-date resources and guidance for academics to help students understand academic integrity and avoid plagiarism.
- UTS:HELPS has an interactive guide to avoiding plagiarism with specific advice by faculty. You can embed this tool into your online subject.