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TurnItIn

Overview

Instructors at James Madison University have access to Turnitin, a tool integrated into Canvas can check submitted work for plagiarism and citation mistakes. Instructors can choose to enable Turnitin for Canvas assignments via SpeedGrader in Canvas. Turnitin provides instructors with Similarity Reports by comparing student-submitted work to its database that includes current and archived content from the internet, a repository of works students have submitted to Turnitin in the past, and thousands of periodicals, journals, and publications. Turnitin also provides faculty with grammar and spelling recommendations for student-submitted work.  

JMU’s instance of Turnitin does not include the feature that looks for text that appears to be written by generative artificial intelligence (gAI). For more information on gAI in higher education, check out our AI in Education guide. 

Visit the links below to learn more about Turnitin:  

Who can use this Tool?

JMU instructors teaching with Canvas 

How do I get started using this tool?

JMU instructors can access Turnitin through their Canvas courses.  

To enable Turnitin within your Canvas Assignments, follow these steps: 

  1. Open your Canvas Course
  2. Select Assignments
  3. Create Assignment
  4. Select Submission Type menu
  5. Select Online
  6. Within Submission Type: Choose Text Entry and/or File
  7. Enable Plagiarism Detection – Turnitin  

To create and grade a Turnitin assignment, follow the steps outlined in this FAQ. 

Where can I get help or support?

Turnitin offers account support and training:  

To request consultation or support with teaching and learning with Turnitin, contact JMU Libraries’ Learning Innovations & Design Desk: