How do I set the Optional Settings in a Turnitin assignments?

You will learn how to adjust the Optional Settings for a Turnitin LTI assignment.

After you have created a Turnitin assignment in Canvas, follow these steps to utilize the Optional settings.

1. Click on the title link for your Turnitin assignment.

 Turnitin assignment link

2. Click on the Settings tab.

Settings tab is selected.

3. Click on Optional settings.

Optional settings is selected

4. Decide whether to have the papers submitted to the repository.

Tip: If this is a draft of the paper, you may want to consider whether it is better to have the paper not be submitted to the repository, so that the report for the final will be unaffected. Or, if you want to see which changes a student made from the Draft to the Final, you may want both papers to be entered into the repository.

Standard paper repository is selected
5. Adjust the Submission settings
submission setting options

5.1. Allow submission of any file type

It is recommended to NOT check this box. If you check this box, then Turnitin may not be able to perform its main function which is checking for plagiarism.

allow submission of any file type checkbox

5.2. Allow late submissions

Decide whether to allow students to submit past the due date.

Allow late submissions checkbox

5.3. Enable anonymous marking

Enabling anonymous marking means that you as the Teacher will not be able to see whose paper you are grading.

Enable anonymous marking checkbox

5.4. Enable Translated Matching

Enabling translated matching allows Turnitin to translate a paper, say from Spanish or German, into English and then compare the English paper to other English-language papers.

Enable Translated Matching checkbox

5.5. Enable grammar checking

Enabling grammar checking allows you and the student to see where some grammar issues may be identified according the ETS.

Enable grammar checking checkbox

5.6. Attach a rubric

To learn about creating rubrics for your Turnitin assignments, read the Rubrics section for the Turnitin guides.

Attach a rubric checkbox

6. Compare against options

Choose which sources you want the student's paper to be compared with: Student paper repository, Current and archived web site content, and Periodicals, journals and publications are selected by default.

Compare against options
7. Similarity Report options

Decide on when reports should be generated, whether students can view the report, and which types of items should be excluded from the report.

similarity report options

7.1. Choose when to generate the report.

  1. Generate reports immediately (students cannot resubmit) is the default selection. This option creates the Similarity Report immediately upon the student's submission, and does not allow the student to resubmit.
  2. Generate reports immediately (students can resubmit until the due date) option allows the student to resubmit. The Similarity Report is generated immediately for the initial submission. Students may resubmit until the due date but subsequent submissions may not be immediate. Only the latest Report is available for students and faculty. Previous versions are removed once the student resubmits. This option can be useful if used in conjunction with allowing students to view the Similarity Report. Please NOTE: No Late Submissions (past DUE DATE) are allowed with this option.
  3. Generate reports on due date (students can resubmit until due date). This choice allows students to resubmit but only creates an Similarity Report on the Due Date. Please NOTE: No Late Submissions (past DUE DATE) are allowed with this option.
Generate reports immediately is selected

7.2. Select whether to allow students to view the report.

Enabling students to view the similarity report benefits them if you are allowing a rewrite. They can see where their quotes are too long or whether they have copied text from another source.

checkbox for allowing students to vieew the report

7.3. Decide whether to exclude some types of content.

Excluding the bibliography, quotes, and small matches will reduce the score on the similarity report.

exclusions for the report

8. Additional settings

Checking the box will save your current options as your new default.

Save these settings is selected

9. Click on the Submit button.

Submit button is selected.

Article Summary

You have now learned how to use the Optional settings within a Turnitin LTI assignment.