Turnitin similarity software is used in some classes at Mount Royal University to review submitted assignments for text that matches text found in other sources. At Mount Royal, this tool is used primarily for educational purposes and instructors are recommended to provide access to students where possible, as per MRU's Matching Software Policy.

Turnitin does not detect plagiarism. There are legitimate reasons for matching text to appear in an assignments meaning Turnitin alone, without human review and judgement, cannot be used to detect plagiarism or conclusively identify problematic text.  Students using Turnitin with draft assignments can receive and review Similarity reports to help improve their writing, citing and paraphrasing. Instructors may review the report to see if there are any areas where where student feedback is warranted.

Turnitin in your class. If your instructor is using Turnitin in your class, you will be notified of it in your course syllabus and given access to it through your course D2L Brightspace page. The Turnitin website provides information on accessing and understanding your Turnitin results and MRU has an instructional video.

Similarity checker via Office 365. Mount Royal University does not provide general access to Turnitin similarity software to students outside of the classes in which it is being used. But a similarity checker is available via Office 365  (how to get MRU student access to Office 365).

Precautions. If you choose to use another text matching software online, pay close attention to what the company may be doing with your written submission as part of its terms of service. Some free-to-use software companies, like Viper Plagiarism Checker, have been shown to repost student writing to other websites. Be vigilant if you are asked for personal information from these websites and never give out your name or student number.