Turnitin Integrity Known Issues
We hope that your time with Turnitin is without any problems, but occasionally something might happen that you were not expecting. Don't panic! We're here to help. Check out this list, and see if anything seems familiar. If your problem appears on the list, we're aware of the problem and currently looking into it.
Found something new? Get in touch with our support team by sending an email to tiisupport@turnitin.com
We are aware of an issue where only the original folder owner is able to order the submission inbox using the Similarity column. We are currently working investigating a solution to allow all users to order the inbox by similarity score.
Other columns are unaffected and can still be used for ordering submissions by all users.
Adjustments made to the small match exclusion threshold in the assignment settings are not reflected in the new report for submissions to that assignment. Additionally, the new report experience does not accommodate a percentage threshold for small matches at this time. You can still set a threshold by word count.
Note that when switching between the classic and new report experience, changes to filters and settings are saved in the version they are applied and do not transfer between the different versions.
Workaround: When small match exclusions are made in assignment settings, or when a percentage threshold is preferred, use the classic report to view submissions to that assignment.
When using the new Similarity Report experience, the report may fail to load if there is a very large amount of similarity data (e.g. a submission over 200 pages with several matches to different sources on each page). These reports will still load in the classic view.
Workaround: When this loading issue occurs, return to the submission inbox and open a different report that has less data to load (fewer pages and lower score percentage). When the new report loads, switch back to the classic view, then open the failed report again. This should load the report in the classic report experience.
When viewing the new Similarity Report experience, the small matches setting is in the include section, implying the expected behavior when selected would be that small matches are included in the report. However, when the setting is selected and the ‘fewer than XX words’ option becomes visible, and when applied, the small matches are actually excluded. We are revisiting the language and design of this feature to address this
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Uploading via Google Drive is currently unavailable. You will find that the option has been temporarily hidden to remove confusion while we investigate further.
Workaround: You can continue to upload via any other supported method. To download a Google Doc’s file into a supported format, follow the comprehensive guide supplied by Google.
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
Microsoft files generated using Windows, including .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps files, can occasionally fail to process when uploaded to Turnitin. Files created using other operating systems are unaffected.
Workaround: Convert your file to a PDF before attempting to upload it to Turnitin. This ensures it is in a format we can process gracefully and without any problems.
Currently, .csv files cannot be used to complete a bulk upload. If your institution has a large number of users to enroll, please reach out to our Technical Support team by emailing turnitinsupport@turnitin.com.
When a user uploads a .zip file with a file name written in Japanese, the file name displayed within the inbox is populated with illegible text. We are currently investigating this issue.
For security reasons, we ensure that when a user is resetting their password, it is not the same as their existing password. An error message will be revealed on the event, however we are working on making this error more informative so that the user understands why their password was not accepted.
The current Handin link description explains that all submissions will be saved to our database, when settings exist to stop submissions from entering our database. We are working on changing the description of these links to ensure it is no longer misleading.
When Originality users in Canvas apply filters that change the overall similarity percentage in the new report experience, that updated score is not currently updating in Canvas Speedgrader.
Workaround: Use the classic report, or understand that the score in the Speedgrader inbox is not reflective of the filtered results in the new report.
Due to how Microsoft duplicates text boxes, the old copy can still be detected even when replaced with new writing. This can cause our system to pick up on this and incorrectly flags it as an attempt to hide text within the document. As always with Academic Integrity issues, we'd recommend investigating all Flags equally before making a judgement on if an intentional attempt to subvert the similarity detection of a report has occurred.
Workaround: Creating a new text box instead of duplicating an old one will prevent this issue.
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Turnitin recently updated the servers that send our system emails. System email include welcome emails and digital receipts. Some email clients may experience a short period where they learn to 'trust' that the emails are sent from a legitimate IP address.
Workaround: Email administrators for your institution can manually add our IP addresses to your trusted list. For Microsoft email Exchanges, you can add the IP addresses to the IP Allow List.
Turnitin's email IP addresses
156.70.24.112
156.70.24.110
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
Microsoft files generated using Windows, including .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps files, can occasionally fail to process when uploaded to Turnitin. Files created using other operating systems are unaffected.
Workaround: Convert your file to a PDF before attempting to upload it to Turnitin. This ensures it is in a format we can process gracefully and without any problems.
If an administrator registers multiple Canvas Plagiarism Framework tools, they are currently created under the same scope. We are investigating prompting the administrator to set a scope name each time they set up a new CPF tool to ensure each tool is identifiable.
When Moodle administrators disable the ability for instructors to save filters, instructors are still able to save filters in the new Similarity Report experience.
Workaround: Either disable the new report experience or instruct users on expected behavior for now.
Due to how Microsoft duplicates text boxes, the old copy can still be detected even when replaced with new writing. This can cause our system to pick up on this and incorrectly flags it as an attempt to hide text within the document. As always with Academic Integrity issues, we'd recommend investigating all Flags equally before making a judgement on if an intentional attempt to subvert the similarity detection of a report has occurred.
Workaround: Creating a new text box instead of duplicating an old one will prevent this issue.
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Turnitin recently updated the servers that send our system emails. System email include welcome emails and digital receipts. Some email clients may experience a short period where they learn to 'trust' that the emails are sent from a legitimate IP address.
Workaround: Email administrators for your institution can manually add our IP addresses to your trusted list. For Microsoft email Exchanges, you can add the IP addresses to the IP Allow List.
Turnitin's email IP addresses
156.70.24.112
156.70.24.110
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
Microsoft files generated using Windows, including .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps files, can occasionally fail to process when uploaded to Turnitin. Files created using other operating systems are unaffected.
Workaround: Convert your file to a PDF before attempting to upload it to Turnitin. This ensures it is in a format we can process gracefully and without any problems.
In Moodle 3.7, a new feature, in-line comments, was added. When using this feature, the Turnitin EULA is not shown to users before generating a Similarity Score for the comment. Institutions can continue to use Moodle Forums as normal. However, they should not use in-line comments unless they are confident their student's have already accepted the Turnitin EULA.
Turnitin is attempting to generate a Similarity Report for Feedback or Intro files uploaded by the instructor. As this is not a support feature, an error message is displayed. We are currently investigating this issue.
Due to how Microsoft duplicates text boxes, the old copy can still be detected even when replaced with new writing. This can cause our system to pick up on this and incorrectly flags it as an attempt to hide text within the document. As always with Academic Integrity issues, we'd recommend investigating all Flags equally before making a judgement on if an intentional attempt to subvert the similarity detection of a report has occurred.
Workaround: Creating a new text box instead of duplicating an old one will prevent this issue.
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Turnitin recently updated the servers that send our system emails. System email include welcome emails and digital receipts. Some email clients may experience a short period where they learn to 'trust' that the emails are sent from a legitimate IP address.
Workaround: Email administrators for your institution can manually add our IP addresses to your trusted list. For Microsoft email Exchanges, you can add the IP addresses to the IP Allow List.
Turnitin's email IP addresses
156.70.24.112
156.70.24.110
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
A student has the ability to exclude aspects of their similarity score however, these exclusions are not intended to be saved. Currently, exclusions made by a student may modify their similarity score. The exclusions can easily be removed by the instructor while they have the Similarity Report open. Turnitin and Sakai are currently investigating this issue.
Selecting the Expand in New Tab option to view a larger version of your assignment inbox may result in an error. This error occurs for some web browsers and is dependent on the specific settings used.
Workaround: While we continue to investigate a solution for all supported browsers, we recommend using the Firefox browser with the Enhanced Tracing Prevention setting turned off.
Due to how Microsoft duplicates text boxes, the old copy can still be detected even when replaced with new writing. This can cause our system to pick up on this and incorrectly flags it as an attempt to hide text within the document. As always with Academic Integrity issues, we'd recommend investigating all Flags equally before making a judgement on if an intentional attempt to subvert the similarity detection of a report has occurred.
Workaround: Creating a new text box instead of duplicating an old one will prevent this issue.
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Turnitin recently updated the servers that send our system emails. System email include welcome emails and digital receipts. Some email clients may experience a short period where they learn to 'trust' that the emails are sent from a legitimate IP address.
Workaround: Email administrators for your institution can manually add our IP addresses to your trusted list. For Microsoft email Exchanges, you can add the IP addresses to the IP Allow List.
Turnitin's email IP addresses
156.70.24.112
156.70.24.110
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
Microsoft files generated using Windows, including .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps files, can occasionally fail to process when uploaded to Turnitin. Files created using other operating systems are unaffected.
Workaround: Convert your file to a PDF before attempting to upload it to Turnitin. This ensures it is in a format we can process gracefully and without any problems.
If a user were to repeatedly attempt resubmissions to their assignment at a fast pace, they may find that when they select "Resubmit" they are taken directly to the "Submit" page without having the option to upload a new file first. To avoid experiencing this error, we would ask users to wait until their similarity score has generated, look through their results and resubmit any changes.
If a student were to refresh their assignment inbox while their Similarity Report is still "Processing," they will be presented with a possibly incorrect 0% similarity score. Instructors will be shown the correct similarity score in their Inbox view.
When the LTI Inbox is launched, the due date and start date are populated with "Not Scheduled" as opposed to the set dates.
Workaround - Although the dates are not shown after the inbox's initial launch, expanding the inbox into a new tab will show the dates as expected.
Due to how Microsoft duplicates text boxes, the old copy can still be detected even when replaced with new writing. This can cause our system to pick up on this and incorrectly flags it as an attempt to hide text within the document. As always with Academic Integrity issues, we'd recommend investigating all Flags equally before making a judgement on if an intentional attempt to subvert the similarity detection of a report has occurred.
Workaround: Creating a new text box instead of duplicating an old one will prevent this issue.
Turnitin supports a variety of quotation styles, however we've disocvered that smart quotes can cause some issues when used in certain languages that makes them behave in non-standard ways.
Workaround: When excluding quotes is important, we'd recommend using a different type of quotation until this issue has been resolved.
Downloads of 100 pages or more can be slow to process or not start at all. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
There is an error that may affect the retrieval of a user's name after submission. This may lead to submissions not being attributed a name when using the TCA. We're actively investigating a solution to this problem.
Platforms affected: Similarity, Originality, SimCheck, iThenticate 2.0 - excluding Canvas, Moodle, and Sakai
An issue was discovered where student submissions are self-matching between reports. This issue started on the 1st February and was resolved on the 7th March. Self-matches should now be excluded again from future similarity reports.
We have successfully regenerated submissions made between 1st Feb - 26th Feb.
The error 'Bad Message 431' sometimes appeared for an instructor who had not yet accepted the End-User License Agreement (EULA) when they attempted to view a similarity report. This has now been fixed.
Turnitin will now exclude quotes within quotes. For example: "This text would be excluded 《so would this text too》 and then this text would also be excluded."
If Turntin was launched from within Speedgrader, an error message would be displayed saying that something had gone wrong and to try again. The issue that was causing this has been fixed, and launches will take you to the Turnitin viewer as expected.
If users changed their language preferences, the submission date shown on a student's submission card would have remaiedn in the date format Month, Day, Year instead of their chosen language format which was causing confusion. Now the dates are displayed like the example “28 Sept 2020 01:26“ to ensure the day and month are no longer confused.
We notify our users if there is a change within the Turnitin EULA. If a user had already accepted the newer version of the EULA and navigated back to the notification to accept it for a second time, they were be shown a blank screen, causing confusion. We now inform users that they have already accepted the latest version of the EULA if they attempt to do so for a second time.
.hwp file types are now supported for uploading and Similarity Report generation.