Turnitin and text-matching software at MRU

Turnitin is used in some MRU courses to compare submitted assignments against a large database of published and web content. It helps identify matching text so that students and instructors can review how sources are being used.

At MRU, Turnitin is used primarily for learning and writing support, not punishment. Instructors are encouraged to allow students to view their Similarity Reports, especially for draft assignments. As per MRU's Matching Software Policy.

What Turnitin does — and what it doesn't do

• Turnitin does not detect plagiarism.
• Matching text isn’t automatically a problem — it could include quotes, common phrases, or properly cited material.
• Only your instructor can interpret the results. They review the context and decide if any follow-up is needed.
• If drafts are enabled, you can use the Similarity Report to check your citation, paraphrasing, and writing before submitting your final work.

Using Turnitin in your course

• If your course uses Turnitin, it will be stated in your syllabus, and the tool will be available through D2L Brightspace.

• Learn more about how to access and understand your results:
  • Turnitin’s student help site
  • MRU has an instructional video

Similarity Checker via Office 365

If your course doesn’t use Turnitin, you can still check your writing for matches by using the Microsoft Editor tool in your MRU Office 365 account. ➡️ How to access MRU Office 365 tools

Be cautious with online plagiarism checkers

• Avoid uploading your work to free online plagiarism checkers unless you know how your data will be used.
• Some tools (e.g., Viper) have been found to store and repost student work on other websites.
• Never provide personal info like your name or student number to these services.