TURNITIN Supporting academic writing process - 1.10.2018 Mika Pulkkinen LUT Digital Learning Team - LUT Moodle

TURNITIN
Supporting academic writing process

         1.10.2018 Mika Pulkkinen
         LUT Digital Learning Team
         opetushelp@lut.fi

What is Turnitin

− Turnitin is a Internet-based similarity detection service which is
  integrated in Moodle. It compares the student’s file in to a vast database
  in Turnitin (originality check)
    − Database includes scientific articles and papers, magazines and indexed
      Internet pages
− Teachers can use Turnitin as a guiding and an assessment tool on
  courses (no need for permission)
− As a result, Turnitin returns an Feedback Studio report, that shows
    − a percentage describing found similarity (match)
    − color-coded text and reference list of matches
    − comments/grading by teacher

Why Turnitin is used
− All thesis works must be checked with Turnitin
− Turnitin can be used as a assignment for any written student work for
  checking the similarity
− It helps a student to write the text in own words (paraphrasing) that is
  based on references
    − The report shows similarities between the text and references
    − The report can be used for feedback to the students
    − Checking should be possible from the beginning of the writing process
− Avoiding plagiarism in LUT
    − Interpreting the report and guiding the student, plagirism can be avoided and all
      problems can be fixed early

What is plagiarism
−   Plagiarism misconduit is defined: intentional plagiarism and blatant disregard
    of referencing practices, for example copying someone’s text and
    representing it as one’s own or complicated referring so that the real writer is
    not credited
−   Plagiarism forms (Tuhkanen 2013*)
      − ”Word for word” / ”Copy-and-paste”: the original text is copyed directly with or
        without referring
      − ”Trace hiding”: modifying the text by using synonyms or changing the order of
        the sentences
      − Quoting without referring
      − Self-plagiarism
      − Stealing a concept or an idea: difficult to detect of prove
−   Understanding of plagiarims should grow with the study years > the
    disciplinary measures will harden
      − The reason for plagiarism could be lack of skills -> guiding and correcting first
−   In the end, the student is personally responsible for following the ethical
    guidelines

    * Source: Tuhkanen 2013. Moodle-Turnitin - käyttöopas_opiskelijalle.pdf. TUT

How to use Turnitin

− In order to check the texts, the teacher must create a Turnitin Assignment
  in Moodle. Ask the teacher is it does not exist.
− Turnitin check is usually added to thesis seminar courses in Moodle. A
  student must be enrolled to the course in order to make the check. Also a
  teacher can add students to courses.
    − Supervisors can use also individual course for student guiding
− Students must discuss with the supervisor how checking and guiding will be
  performed before starting the writing process.
    − Supervisors can can comment and grade the work electronically in Moodle and
      Turnitin
    − In some cases printed PDF-file from the report can be delivered to supervisor

How Turnitin is used

− A student opens the Turnitin assignment
− My Submissions opens including additional guiding and the dates, when
  submitting starts and ends (Start Date/Due Date)
− There can be up to 5 parts, with each having different dates. Also reports
  are separate.
                   Separate parts

                                                           Due date

                                                   Submit here

How to submit?
−   Checking may take 15
    to 30 minutes                       Give the title
    depending on the
    length fo the text     Search the file on your computer or drag/drop
−   It is recommend to
    exclude
    pictures/figures and
    tables from the text

                            The student takes the responsibility for
                            any copyright violation and gives a
                            permission for possible saving in the
                            database (tick)

How to submit?

− Submission starts and data is syncronized
− The view first shows:

                                         Pending = the report is not ready

− The percentage is visible when the report is ready

− Open the report by clicking the percentage

Feedback Studio -report
− Report has two function: Similarity and Grading (comments/grading)
− The results (similarity index) must be interpreted, preferrably with the
  supervisor
− Similarity index tells only the percentage of similarities compared to the
  database
    − There is no unambiguous limit of the index, which would indicate
      plagiarism or not!
    − The index is always relation to the length of the text. So in a short text the
      percentage increases more easily that in the longer.
    − The percentage also shows the correctly quoted sentences and the list of
      references -> can be removed by filtering
    − No reason to am at zero percentage, there is always some insignificant
      similarity. All similarity is not plagiarism!
        − General matters, professional glossary/terms or list of things etc. will increase the
          similarity unintentionally, despite that you have written all by yourself.

Feedback Studio -report
−   A Similarity index is a part of the report, its hows
     −   Total index and match list indeces                                       One match: the index
     −   Color-coded and numbered matches in the text, where                      should not be high
         similarity is found
−   Grading for comments                                       Total similarity

                                                   Grading

                                                  Similarity

                                                  Grammar
                                                     check

     Match:
     By clicking the match number, a
     source is shown. Full text may be
     available

Feedback Studio –report commenting
                                             ”Active layers” > visible parts of the report

             Grammar check comments

                           ”Bubbles” > teacher’s
                           comments

                        Text summary comments

                       Inline comments

Similarity report

− Case 1
   − Obvious plagiarism -> must be rewritten

Similarity report

− Case 2
   − Weak paraphrase
   − Better than previous, but still needs rewriting. The matches are too big.

Similarity report

− Case 3
   − Minor similarities
   − Match due to general terms a discipline, which cannot be expressed
     any other way -> no need to correct

Similarity report
− Usually general texts, headings and footers in thesis works will show some
  similarity.
− Correctly used quotes, list of contents etc. unintentional similarity.

How to write
− Read all the reference material first, make a list of key words and terms you
  want to use in your text.
− Combine words/terms with similar topics
− Write the key topics in to text paragraphs using suitable terms without
  looking the original reference (paraphrazing).
− Remember to mark the references immediately!
− According to Harvard (2017) there are some ideas, how to avoid
  plagiarism:
    − Keep your references in order
    − Print out the electrical material (do not copy-paste into your own work)
    − Do not copy-paste directly, not even temporarely. Use a separate memo
      or notebook to sum up sources, mark them.
    − Keep own and source text always separate

       Harvard (2017) source: https://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/how-avoid-plagiarism

Turnitin supporting the writing process

− Check your work early during in the writing process, when you have
  your first draft. Don’t check only the final version! Do not fear the checking
  
− Make changes immediately and check also the references, if missing
− Ask the teacher or supervisor for help on interpretation of the report
− High similarity percentages are not necessary serious, first filter out
  reference list (bibliography).
− Check if your text is not scientific enough ie. If it has common phrases and
  terms, it may appear as similarity matches.