Turnitin is a tool used at Texas State University to help students submit written assignments and maintain academic honesty.
If you’re new to using it, don’t worry—this guide explains everything in simple, friendly language so you’ll know exactly what to expect.
What Is Turnitin?
Turnitin is an online system that checks your writing against a huge collection of websites, books, journals, and past student papers.
It highlights any matching text and helps make sure your work is original and properly referenced.
Think of Turnitin as a helpful checker that supports you while you learn, not something designed to catch you out.
Why Texas State Uses Turnitin
Texas State uses Turnitin for several important reasons:
- To support academic integrity – It helps you understand how to use sources correctly.
- To prevent accidental plagiarism – Sometimes matches happen without you realizing it.
- To help instructors give better feedback – They can leave comments directly inside your paper.
Overall, it’s a tool that helps both students and instructors.
How to Submit Your Assignment
Most Texas State courses use Canvas, the university’s online learning platform. Your instructor will usually create a Turnitin-enabled assignment right inside your course.
Submitting your work is simple:
- Go to your class in Canvas.
- Open the assignment that uses Turnitin.
- Upload your file (often a Word document or PDF).
- Click Submit Assignment and wait for the confirmation.
Turnitin will automatically scan your writing, so you don’t need to run anything manually.
The Similarity Report
Whether you can see your similarity report depends on your instructor’s settings. If they allow it, you’ll be able to view:
- Your similarity score (a percentage)
- Highlighted sections showing matched text
- A list of sources where those matches came from
This can be a great learning tool for improving your writing and citation skills.
Understanding the Similarity Score
The similarity score shows how much of your text matches other documents in Turnitin’s database. But the number alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
Here are a few things to remember:
- Quotes and references usually match — this is completely normal.
- Common phrases may appear as matches, especially in technical or formal writing.
- A high score doesn’t automatically mean plagiarism — your instructor checks the details.
- A low score doesn’t mean your citations are perfect — you still need to follow proper guidelines.
At Texas State, instructors review the report carefully before making any academic decisions.
Turnitin Tips
Here are a few simple habits that can help:
- Keep track of your sources while writing to avoid missing citations.
- Use the citation style your instructor requires (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
- Avoid using rewriting or paraphrasing tools — they often create confusing sentences.
- Ask your instructor questions early if you’re unsure about referencing or Turnitin.
If Your Score Seems Higher Than You Expected
Don’t panic! High similarity doesn’t always mean there’s a problem. Try this:
- Review the highlighted areas in your report.
- Check that all quotes have quotation marks and proper citations.
- Make sure paraphrased sections aren’t too close to the original text.
- Edit and resubmit if your instructor allows multiple submissions.
If you’re still unsure, talk to your instructor—they can explain exactly what your score means.
Conclusion
Turnitin at Texas State is simply a tool to help you grow as a writer, researcher, and student. It supports academic integrity while giving you a chance to learn from your mistakes and improve your work.
Once you’ve used it a few times, submitting through Turnitin will feel completely normal. And if you ever feel confused or worried, your instructor or academic advisor is always there to help.