Turnitin is an Internet-based plagiarism-prevention service created by iParadigms, LLC, first launched in 1997. The University of Hertfordshire holds a license to submit coursework/essays to the Turnitin website, which in turn checks documents for unoriginal content. The results can be used to identify similarities to existing sources or can be used in formative assessment to help students learn how to avoid plagiarism and improve their writing.

School of Creative Arts statement concerning our approach to the use of Turnitin™

The following statement applies to students on all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the School of Creative Arts, including those engaged in distance learning or based at collaborative and franchise institutions.

1. It is recognised that some assessed work produced within the School has a practical outcome (visual, material, sonic and/or interactive artefacts) and therefore cannot be submitted to Turnitin™. However, within text-based elements of formative and summative assessment – wherever the format of your submission is compatible with Turnitin (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, PDF) – there are opportunities for Turnitin™ to be used to support students in the development of academic writing skills and to promote both the use of academic protocols of referencing and the effective self-management of processes of academic enquiry. Within this, it is felt that appropriate use of Turnitin™ might help students to recognise, and feel pride in, their authorship and ownership of work.
2. The use of Turnitin™ to support academic practice in this way is not a universal requirement within the School but should be used wherever your work has a written component and is submitted in a form compatible with Turnitin. Where it is used, this will be in accordance with the principles set out in this document.
3. Where Turnitin™ is used as part of a module, the formative submission of work will be limited to two attempts per assignment, in line with the published policy of the University.
4. Although the emphasis within the School is upon Turnitin™ as a tool for academic development rather than as a mechanism for ‘policing’ student work, on occasion it will be used as part of the process of investigation into suspected cases of academic misconduct.
5. In accordance with the University’s policy on Turnitin™, students will only be permitted access to the tool via StudyNet.
6. Where Turnitin™ is used, the submission of work will, of necessity, be via StudyNet only. This is in line with the School’s general trend towards the online submission of written work.

Please note: The University of Hertfordshire’s Turnitin™ licence does not cover use by staff or students at its partner institutions.