Eastern Michigan University

Student Authorization

All student submitted papers to Turnitin.com are included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting textual similarity. Instructors using the service should include the following statement in their syllabus:

Turnitin.com is a web-based service that compares submitted student text against a database of millions of previously submitted documents, including those on the public Internet, a proprietary collection of published articles, as well as every student paper ever submitted to Turnitin.com, including previously submitted EMU papers. When similarities between student text and an existing document are found, Turnitin highlights those similarities in an annotated document, displaying both the student text and the original source(s). Detection of similarities does not mean plagiarism has occured, as the overlapping text might be properly referenced and cited. In this course you may be asked to submit assignments to Turnitin.com for textual similarity review. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com database solely for the purpose of detecting textual similarity. Before you subit any papers to Turnitin.com, you will be asked to provide your written consent and permission.

Student Authorization Form

Eastern Michigan University requires all instructors who ask students to submit their own papers to the Turnitin.com service to obtain each student's voluntary consent to participate prior to comparing whole or parts of a student's paper with the Turnitin.com database. No student may be compelled to submit papers to the service without the student's voluntary authorization, and no student may be assigned a lower grade or otherwise penalized for declining to submit their own papers.

Students should provide a Student Authorization Form (PDF format) indicating their voluntary consent to participate before submitting their work. This form has been supplied by the University. Be sure to have your students read and sign the form prior to submitting their papers to the service. The instructor shall be responsible for maintaining the original authorization form indefinitely or working with the instructor's department to maintain the original form in the student's permanent record.

Faculty Selective Use of Turnitin.com

Some instructors may prefer to use Turnitin.com to selectively review student papers by submitting the papers themselves. If you use the service in this manner:

  1. Delete the student's name and other identifying information from the digital document you submit
  2. Use a pseudonym for the student when you submit the digital paper
  3. Include the following statement in your syllabus:

Turnitin.com is a web-based service that compares submitted student text against a database of millions of previously submitted documents, including those on the public Internet, a proprietary collection of published articles, as well as every student paper ever submitted to Turnitin.com, including previously submitted EMU papers. When similarities between student text and an existing document are found, Turnitin highlights those similarities in an annotated document, displaying both the student text and the original source(s). Detection of similarities does not mean plagiarism has occured, as the overlapping text might be properly referenced and cited. In this course, all assignments may be submitted by me to Turnitin.com for textual similarity review. Submissions will not include your name or other personal identifiers, such as student number.

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